and i never got my yearbook
June 01, 2005, 3:36 pm

I was only going to get my yearbook when I saw the boy yell.

"FUCK YOU, MOTHERFUCKING PUSSY! YOU PUSSY! COME HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE, BITCH!"

There was a woman standing next to another boy, the one who was the recipient of the tirade.

In thirty seconds, there were 50 students surrounding me, the screaming boy, the other boy, and the other boy's mother.

"Go back," I said, as calmly as I could. Screaming boy started closing in; I stepped in his way, putting my hand up. Screaming boy ran into my hand.

He ran into my hand again.

He ran into my hand again.

I tried very hard not to think that I was wearing the same shirt that I was wearing last year. I tried very hard to stay calm.

"Mike," I said to a face I recognized, "Go get an administrator. Quickly."

The horde of students continued to close in on me as Screaming Boy yelled at other boy and his mom; mom proceeded to say, "My son will fuck your ass up, you fucking asshole!" The students pushed harder.

"Fuck NO, I'm not getting an administrator! I'm on HIS side," he spat, pointing at Screaming Boy.

At some point, I don't really remember when, Screaming Boy walked away. At some point, I asked other boy's mother to accompany me to the office, where she said, "I can't believe you stopped. Two other teachers walked by them arguing and didn't say a thing. I'm tired of my son getting into a fight every damn day at this fucking school. And you really didn't do anything to help, and no administrator is going to help, so fuck that."

I asked the other boy to walk with me and he muttered something. I said, "Pardon?"

He said, "I was talking to my MOM, not you."

I was fine until I got to the office and had to recount the story. I looked at my shirt; this awful lavender shirt, and I burst into tears.

Do people like these exist everywhere in the world, or just in my old neighborhood? How is it that people like these are allowed to populate the place I love?

I can't save everyone.