Theoracism

“The Board must’ve gotten to my parents. They’re not seeing it,” Gadot said. She paced back and forth like a caged lioness.

“My dad’s not in it with us, either. We’re going to fight for the future of our school,” Myson reassured.

The two teens took a step further towards adulthood as they decided to leave the Tinkerton home in defiance.

“You’ve got your phone? Mine’s dead. I’ve got to get my charger. Don’t let me forget,” Gadot noted.

“Yes. I’ll call someone to pick us up,” Myson said.

“I’m not going back in there, goddamnit,” Gadot said coldly. “Let’s start walking away from here.”

“We should let them know what we’re going to do.”

“Alright! I’ll go back in, but we’re laying down the law,” she explained.

A smirk crept onto Myson’s face at Gadot’s assertiveness. The two of them marched up the stairs, and burst through the doors. Their parents had moved from the dining room table into the family room. They continued their conversation while in a hushed, but ascorbic tones, as if they were sucking on lemons. The television was still on in the background, and the additional sound was clearly elevating the anxiety in the room.

“TV off,” Gadot said. Myson cleared his throat.

“Miss Tinkerton, Mr. Tinkerton, Dad, Gadot and I are not going to attend any college. We’re prepared to move forward with our plan during the next few years that would have been semesters at school. We will create our own learning centers for those parents who don’t want their children’s minds warped by evil crits. We will use the money already entrusted to us for the cost of the website. It’s simple; if you won’t support our efforts, we’ll strike out on our own, without you,” Myson concluded, looking directly at his father.

“I’m not hearing this. “Ophelia, please tell me I’m imagining this entire conversation,” Tinkerton said.

“Dad, you are hearing, and we’re not backing down,” Gadot said standing side-by-side with Myson.

“You two have your futures!” Ophelia insisted, her voice rising nearly to a shriek.

“That’s what we’re trying to preserve, Mrs. Tinkerton. Gadot and I are confident this school will be a haven for students who want to learn how to think, not what to think,” Myson explained.

“You really think you two can make it out there on your own, building a school no less? Be clear you’re talking about a Trust FUND, it looks like someone’s trust, as in the feeling,” Thomason pointed out.

Gadot looked directly at Myson’s Dad. “We’re going to do whatever the hell we want. We’ve got brains, each other, and pride. We’re ready to take on the world, and if we fail because we were too proud, we’ll just get back up and keep going.”

“Myson, let's go,” Thomason said.

“No, Dad, I think our driver’s outside. You can get your charger now, Gadot,” Myson said.

The three parents all gave a collective gasp.

“You walk out that door young lady, don’t expect to come back, don’t expect to come back,” Tinkerton said.

“I wasn’t.” She retrieved her charger.

She and Myson ran to the car.

“We’re going to the library,” Myson told the driver. He kissed Gadot’s forehead. They held hands the entire ride.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Myson said. She smiled and kept going. The couple entered the large library in downtown Wilmington. The books seemed to welcome them, the solemn silence of minds frozen in volumes and periodicals excited the pair. They signed up for a study room so they could talk.

“Is it real?” Gadot asked.

“Yes, it is. We are on the edge of making this dream a full reality. Our school will be on the Internet…for now.”

“Everything we have dreamed of is coming true,” Gadot said.

“Absolutely, but we’ve got to make sure we know that the decision we made was the right one for our—”

“Future,” Gadot finished his sentence.