Finding Peace

Trigger Warning: This story explores themes of physical abuse. There is NO actual abuse in the story itself.

Abbie sat on the bus and watched the scenery go by, letting her mind wander. Since moving here, the air had been damp and cold, and there always seemed to be a lingering fog just outside of one’s vision. Where she came from, the air was dry; creating a biting cold in the winter, and a searing heat in the summer. She marveled at the greenery of the vegetation. Here, the leaves were always a deep, dark green, and they produced an earthy scent that she just couldn’t get enough of. When the sun finally did come out, all the plants seemed to shine as the raindrops twinkled in the sunlight. How could a place be so dreary and, yet, so beautiful all at the same time?

She was going to a new school that offered advanced placement courses in prep for post-secondary. This school was highly acclaimed for its spiritual insights and academic regimen. Although apprehensive, she still felt excited at the prospect of learning new things. For the past few years, Abbie has been exploring spirituality and different philosophies of life. The more she learned, the more she was drawn to the stories of gods who were heroes for mankind. From the children of the Greek gods to the many stories in Hinduism. But the stories that were different from any other culture, were the stories of Jesus. She was drawn to him, somehow. He was kind, loving, and compassionate. The stories of Buddha were also enticing, however. The idea that we could reach peace through self-discipline made things seem attainable. There was a special peace that she felt when studying the life of Jesus, though. She was excited to learn more about that. She didn't learn any of this in school, but through her own research. So when she stumbled upon Upwards Secondary, she was attracted to the Secrets of Religion curriculum. Intriguing, to say the least.

Eventually, Abbie was dropped off in front of the school and made her way inside. Heading to the front desk, she noticed all the plaques lining the wall. None of them seemed to be for sports, which she thought odd. Arriving at the front desk, she was greeted by the secretary, Ms. Thornbridge, who was a stern-looking, middle-aged woman that wore glasses attached to a chain. After giving Abbie a 'Welcome to Upwards' brochure, she was directed to sit in the waiting area along the hallway. The brochure had a picture of two young students in uniform, brandishing their awards with pride. The uniforms were the typical blouse, skirt, and blazer which most private schools sported.

Something didn't feel right about the awards. Wanting to investigate further, Abbie set down her things and decided to peruse the plaques on the wall. “All in-house awards,” she muttered, “Leadership awards, Best Attendance Awards...School Judge & Jury Award? That’s weird. They seem to value performance over academics.” Hearing loud steps coming from down the hall, Abbie turned to see one student in a formal black and yellow gown drag another student to the front desk. 'That must be a school monitor,' she thought.

“Ms. Thornbridge! This is the THIRD DAY, in a row, that Emma has worn leggings to school!”

Ms. Thornbridge sat up slightly and looked down the rim of her glasses at Emma, taking in this apparent flub of a student. “Emma Bishop, you know the rules.”

At this point, the self-important student and Ms. Thornbridge joined together in berating the young girl. Abbie watched with growing concern as she saw the student shifting and wringing her hands. The student never looked up and never said a word. This seemed odd because, even though she had broken the school’s uniform code, she did not display the characteristics of a rebel. In fact, quite the opposite—she was too submissive. Ms. Thornbridge demanded that Emma go home to change immediately and, at this, Emma finally spoke up.

“I can’t,” she said with a soft, meek voice.

“Unacceptable,” boomed a firm and unshakeable voice, coming from a tall woman with sharp features and her hair wrapped in a tight bun. “If you will not go home to change, then you are expelled.”

For a moment everyone was silent with shock. Then Emma started to quietly shake with tears, silently pleading at this woman as she strode past Emma to Abbie.

“Welcome to Upwards Secondary, Abbie.” This new woman smiled coldly. “You will find we run a tight ship here, but the lessons learned are life-long.” She continued speaking, but Abbie could only hear the silent sobs of Emma as she walked by. Observing her closely, Abbie then noticed quite a big bruise on Emma's back, peeking out from underneath the collar of her shirt.

That’s it! Emma was a victim of abuse! She likely wore the leggings to cover up the bruises. The skirts and blouse of the school uniform would reveal too much, increasing the shame she felt.

“Mrs….?”

Taken aback at the interruption, the stark woman replied, “Winter. Mrs. Winter. I'm the principal here.”

"As the principal, would you say you're closely attuned to what is happening with your students?" Abbie cautiously asked, forming how she was going to approach this.

"Of course! I am keenly aware of everything that happens in my school. I take pride in how this school is run."

"I see."

"Now, if you'll follow me, we'll go over your schedule, get you a uniform, and then situated in your first class. Edith, here, will be your guide."

"That's not necessary."

"I--what?" replied Mrs. Winter.

"Seeing how Emma was treated has caused me to rethink joining Upwards. Thank you for your time, but I'll be moving on."

"If you are worried about being expelled, you will do fine as long as you follow the rules."

Gaining confidence, Abbie continued, “But the rules seem to do more harm than good."

“Pardon me?”

"Are you aware that Emma is a victim of abuse?”

Mrs. Winter snorted, "That's quite an accusation! And I highly doubt it."

"I saw a bruise peaking out from underneath her shirt. Maybe she's just trying to hide what's going on?"

"While that's possible, Emma has continually chosen to do her own thing since she started attending here, including skipping school. Regardless, that is not your problem, to solve."

“Expelling her from this school will remove Emma from her one place of safety. But by the looks of things, this might not be a safe space for Emma, anyway.”

“Rules are there to be obeyed, and cannot be changed for any one person.”

“Ah, I should’ve known.”

“And what’s that?”

“I should’ve known that a school claiming to teach the 'Secrets of Religion' would only have rules to offer. I’m out.”

Abbie grabbed her things and waited for Emma to come outside. If the school wouldn’t be a safe space for her, then Abbie would try to be. When Emma finally did come outside, Abbie offered to ride with her on the bus and take her out for lunch. Naturally, Emma was hesitant but eventually agreed and they went off together.

As they walked, Abbie marveled at the peace within herself. After the confrontation, Abbie shook with adrenaline. She had never stood up to a teacher, let alone a principal, like that before!

She realized that all her research was somehow changing her on the inside. This peace she had been discovering was causing her to take in simple things and enjoy life more--like noticing the scenery. What people wore and what they looked like mattered less and less; it was about the heart of things. It seemed as though she had graduated from rules and systems, and was now entering something new: she was seeing things in a whole new light.

Smiling to herself, Abbie looked over at her new friend, and wondered where this would all lead.