Chapter 46 - Hate Speech
*This chapter has words that are meant to be provocative and hateful. Kindly skip if it makes you uncomfortable. Skipping it won't disrupt the flow of the story*
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Kyle watched as Principal Dobbins walked onto the stage, that huge and ridiculous smile on her face. As she reached the podium, she did 'that thing' just like the last time: looking at the hall with her nose in the air.
Unlike the previous time, however, there was a projector on the stage. It was an old style projector machine whereby one would place their notes facedown on it, and the projector will display it to the screen in front of it. Kyle could recognise such an old machine as he had first used such equipment in his past life. In this day and age, however, people were more used to more high tech equipment so there were lots of curious glances at the 'strange machine'.
Principal Dobbins took a deep breath and began.
"Welcome back, students, to our beloved and esteemed Sakura Academy, a school that emphasizes on education. Prestige. Hard work. Integrity."
"Isn't that the same start as the last time?" queried Xing Han, leaning closer to Kyle and whispering to him. Kyle nodded and noticed how Principal Dobbin's eyes narrowed as she looked at the two of them.
"We are a prestigious school, and we do not welcome deviants and trouble makers."
She paused for dramatic effect, as she took off her glasses and wiped them. She sighed loudly, as if she was thinking of something so serious and sad. She put her glasses back on and continued, "Unfortunately, we now have in our midst, people who are an abomination to Mankind. A scourge of society. In fact, to call them 'people' is being nice."
Everyone was shocked, their breath caught in their throat. What the heck was Principal Dobbins talking about? Kyle's face was impassive, as he continued to observe the Principal. Kay was curious, and turned her head to look at Kyle, but could not get anything from his expression.
[Kyle? Do you know what's going on?]
[I may have an idea about it] Kyle confessed [But don't worry. We'll just see how far she's going to go with this]
"Gays," Principal Dobbins began, and shuddered visibly, "The worst of Mankind. We should evolve to be better, and not degrade ourselves to such base behaviour. God made Adam and Eve, and not Adam and Steve!!" Principal Dobbins said, banging her hand on the table, "To think that anyone, let alone you children, be engaged in such dirty, immoral and unnatural behaviour means you are beyond redemption!
"Even animals don't have sex with the same gender! Nature itself abhors such and rejects it. So these two ... boys ... are worse than animals."
"Kyle and Xing Han," she said and the entire Hall gasped out loud as she looked at both of them with disdain, "Both of you are an embarrassment. An embarrassment to society. A failure to your parents. A disgrace of this school. You have dirtied this hallowed halls of learning with your contemptuous behaviour. To think that the rumour about the both of you being a couple is not just a rumour. It is a fact!"
Xing Han stood up angrily, unable to contain his anger anymore. Pointing a finger at Principal Dobbins, he shouted, "What the hell are you talking about, you old hag?!"
"See? Look at that, children," Principal Dobbins said, as she pointed at a red-faced, fuming Xing Hand, "How uncouth and rude this ... thing ... is. Has no sense of decency at all!"
"You have been fooled by the fake act that Kyle has been putting on. He pretends to like girls, even making up that story about him looking for a bride. Posting pictures of him with girls. Flirting. ALL LIES!"
"Haven't you noticed how Kyle and Xing Han are always together? Neither of them actually have girlfriends, even though they are so popular? And if Kyle was truly looking for a bride, why is he still without a girlfriend?"
"You have all been blinded!"
"AND LOOK!" She said, waving a piece of paper, "Further proof of how their degenerative behaviour has resulted in their life. I have here with me, their mid-term test results. Both of them are almost at the bottom of the school! THE WHOLE SCHOOL!! This just proves how their unnatural activities have poisoned their minds and destroyed any sense of propriety."
Kay jumped up this time, boiling with anger. She was about to say something when Kyle just placed his hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down. She turned to him with aggrieved eyes, but he simply smiled, shook his head and she pouted. Crossing her arms across her chest, she sat back down with a huff.
Kyle could also see how the other members of the Elite Five were raring to go as well, so it was time for him to step in. They fidgeted in their seats when they saw Kyle standing, and Kay sitting back down. Kyle turned to face Principal Dobbins, who was sneering while looking down at them. The red-faced Xing Han, the dissatisfied expressions on Kay and the other Elite Five, the pale face of Sarah. All were such a lovely sight to her.
"Are you quite done yet? Are you actually having fun, standing up there and maligning our characters so freely?" Kyle asked slowly, but clearly.
"Hah? Maligning? Your characters?" Principal Dobbins scoffed, "You don't have characters to malign."
"Seriously?" Kyle said, raising an eyebrow, "You are the Principal and we are but students. Yet, you have been cursing us non-stop from the beginning. Are you even an educator?"
"Of course I am!" Principal Dobbins spluttered. She was not used to the students talking back, as they had always turned turtle and kept quiet. She narrowed her eyes. This Kyle was just as outspoken as his mother, but she was ready for him. No matter what, SHE was the adult here. There was no way he could out-talk her.
"I am your Principal! You are but a snotty brat that still smells of your mother's milk, while I have lived and experienced far more than your measely 13 years of life. Just look at you. Only 13 yet muscular, always wearing V-necks and tight shirts when you're not in school uniform. Even your haircut. It's not the typical male haircut at all!
"I have seen your kind countless of times and all of them. I can recognise you people easily. So useless. Dredge of society. Scum of the Earth. So brazen to commit such atrocities. Just look at yourself. It's so obvious that you're gay. So blind to your faults!"
Kyle pointed to himself, "I? I am blind to my faults? And what faults would that be?"
"Are you deaf? Have you not been listening?" Principal Dobbins demanded, looking aghast, then looked at the entire hall, "See, my students. THIS is further proof how your brain rots when you engage in shameful activities. I would like all of you to stop associating yourselves with them, lest you get pulled down the mud along with them."
"You've been happily standing there, flinging accusations to the both of us, painting us to be such evil people? There are TWO things wrong with that. First, we're not gay. Second, even if we were, what's so wrong about that?!"
Principal Dobbins waved her hand at him, exasperated as she shouted in near hysterics, "Did you hear that? DID YOU HEAR THAT? What is wrong with being gay?! Haven't you been listening at all? It's unnatural! It's not normal! And with your popularity, are you going to drag everyone else down the road to Hell like you?!"
Kyle turned to face everyone in the Hall. He was in the front row, and he bowed slightly to everyone. "I do not know why Principal Dobbins hates me, and why she has been targetting me from the moment I enrolled here. She had constantly been accusing me of many things and even called my mother to the office once. Now, she is saying all these hateful words to me, and calling me many degrading names. Is this what you want as your Principal? To guide you to hate?"
Principal Dobbins spluttered, and banged the podium loudly, making almost everyone jump in shock. "You evil boy, you! Since when am I guiding them to hate?"
He turned to face her, "Are you not? I haven't even done anything yet you're telling everyone that I am evil. Just where did this hatred of yours come from?"
"It is hatred borne out of common sense and decency," she huffed, puffing out her chest. She pointed a finger at Kyle and said with a sneer, "Would anyone talk nicely to a murderer? That's what you are. A murderer of acceptable societal norms! You will corrupt the pure, innocent minds of my students. For that, you and Xing Han are expelled!!"
Gasps were heard throughout.
"Expelled? Based on what grounds?" Kyle demanded.
"Inappropriate behaviour!" Principal Dobbins stated, and started quoting the school rules, "Anyone who is guilty of inappropriate behaviour which is unsuitable as a student, will be promptly expelled."
"So you can just accuse anyone of inappropriate behaviour and expel people? Just what sort of inappropriate behaviour that Xing Han and I have been guilty of? Where is your proof?"
"My proof? You want to see proof? I will SHOW you proof!!" Principal Dobbins said smugly. She had been waiting for this moment. Did he think she was stupid? When she had failed to produce proof the last time when Delilah had demanded it, did he think that she wouldn't have been prepared this time around?
Clutching the envelope in her hands, she walked over to the projector. She tore it open, took out a picture and slammed in face down onto the glass panel.
"This is your proof!!"
Principal Dobbins face Kyle smugly, her arms crossed across her chest as the picture was amplified and shown clearly behind her.
The entire hall was silent.