Torn Souls (23 page)

“Okay, put me down, Alex, you’re crushing my sides.”

As Alex placed my feet back on the floor, I found myself inches away from him and I got this weird feeling when I saw the look in Alex’s eyes. I had forgotten that my parents were even in the same room with us. I could still hear their voices, yelling with happiness, but it was faint. It was almost as if Alex and I were the only two people standing in the room. Suddenly, Alex leaned in and kissed me. Last time we kissed it was weird, and awkward, and a mistake on my part, but this time it wasn’t.

Even though it was just a soft kiss on the lips, my dad cleared his throat and said, “Hello, your mom and I are standing right here. Gross!” He was clearly mocking me, and what I had said to him and Mom a number of times before.

Coming to my senses, I realized that my dad had just caught us kissing. I expected him to pull Alex off me or go off on a rampage, but he didn’t. Maybe he just thought because of all the excitement, that we found ourselves caught in the moment. In any case, that’s the excuse I was trying to tell myself.

“Julia, honey,” Dad said as he took me by the hand, “I still need to tell you what else Congressman Strum said.”

“There’s more?” I wondered what else could there be?

“Yes and I need all of you to sit.” He was starting to make me worry a little.

We all sat like Dad has asked us to do. I wasn’t the only one with a confused look upon my face. Mom and Alex also looked confused and puzzled and worried as well. “Okay, we’re all sitting, so tell us,” I said impatiently.

“Okay, so after I was told your bill was signed by the president, Congressman Strum also informed me that he’d received a call directly from the president.”

“Oh, my God! What did he say?” I was completely freaking out.

“Well, he informed Congressman Strum that he would like all of us to be there on the day he announces your law to the American people.”

“Shut up! Are you messing with us?” I was ready to shout
“Oh, my God”
again, if it was true.

“No! I will not shut up,” Dad said imitating a girl which was quite funny. “Yes, it’s true. The president wants us to be in Washington in two weeks. Congressman Strum said he’s going to send me an e-mail with all the information.”

We were all floored. None of us could believe what Dad had just told us. My head was spinning even faster than it had from before. I felt like I was going to pass out from all the excitement. Mom told us all to get changed into something fancy. We were going out to celebrate. I reminded Mom that Alex didn’t have clothes to change into.

“Don’t you worry, honey. I’ve got Alex covered,” she said, even though I had no idea what she was talking about.

It wasn’t long after that I heard a knock on the door. Dad got up to answer it while Alex and I were still trying process everything. We figured out exactly who was at the door by their voices. Mom had called Alex’s parents to tell them the news and invite them out to celebrate with us. Both Alex’s parents told us how proud they were. Dad explained to them about everything and said that they too were invited to Washington.

That night after Alex changed into the clothes his mom brought him, we all headed out to R Lounge in Time Square. It was absolutely beautiful inside and the food was delicious. It still took a few days after getting the news to process everything. When Alex and I went to school the following Monday, we made a promise not to say anything to anyone just yet. We thought it would be best to wait. Dad had received an e-mail three days before our trip to Washington. It told us where to go and what was expected of me.

Apparently, the president wanted to introduce me to the world. I know he’s the president and all, but was he crazy? There was no way I was going in front of cameras! The president was hoping that I would tell kids why I pushed so hard to turn this issue into a law and what it meant to me now that it was. Dad said it was going to be broadcasted on all the major networks.

I wasn’t sure I could do any of this. I tried convincing Alex to do it instead, but he laughed and said, “Not a chance, Julia. It’s your turn to shine. You deserve this and so do all the other kids in the world. They should be able to see the girl who pushed for this law and believed in safety and fairness across all schools.

After listening to Alex, I knew he was right. I reminded myself that it wasn’t just about me. It was about other kids who have always felt that nothing would ever change. I needed to let them know that together, we'd no longer have to be afraid.

The night before we were all supposed to fly out to Washington, Mom informed us that we were going to drive instead. Apparently, Mom didn’t feel right about the president paying for our trip, so she had Congressman Strum inform the president that we were grateful for the offer, but wanted to drive out there instead.

I didn’t care either way. I asked Mom if Alex could come with us instead of flying. She said it was up to his parents, so I called and asked. Alex’s parents didn’t mind and said they’d drop him off in the morning. They were the only ones who decided to fly, so they were going to meet us there. That night I had a hard time falling asleep, so I called Alex hoping he would still be awake.

“Hello?” Alex said in a sleepy voice.

“Hey, it’s just me, Julia. Did I wake you?” I asked pretending not to know.

“Yes, but it’s okay. What’s up?” I heard as he cleared his throat, which kind of sounded gross.

“I can’t sleep, I’m too nervous. Talk to me for a few minutes. Tell me something boring to help me fall asleep,” I said.

“Really, I can’t think of anything right now. Put on your TV or radio and listen to that. You’ll eventually fall asleep.”

“All right, I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Alex.”

Chapter Twenty Five

It was now or never, I thought as I stood in the hallway of the White House. Congressman Strum greeted me. He informed me that my parents, Alex and his parents would be sitting in the front of the room where the president and I were to give our speeches. Everyone gave me a quick hug, told me I was going to be great, and then walked into a large room.

“Come on, Julia. It’s your time to shine,” Congressman Strum said as he walked me in the same room, but from a side door.

There in front of me was a stage. Up on it was a desk and two chairs. One of the chairs was off to the side, while the other slid under the desk. A gentleman, who was dressed in all black, pointed to the chair that was off to the side and said, “Ms. Stone, please take a seat over there. The president will be out in a few minutes to meet you before we go live.”

I sat waiting patiently. I could see my family sitting in the first row down from the stage. Just then people started to shift in their seats, mumbling as the side door opened and the president entered the room. There were several men that surrounded him as he walked up to the stage, but then fell back into position. It was obvious that they were secret servicemen by the way they were dressed and the fact they never spoke.

I stood up as the president approached me. He extended his hand to shake mine and said, “Good afternoon, Julia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I was absolutely floored. Not knowing what to say, I blurted out awkwardly, “My family’s here. See, right there in those chairs.”

The president laughed and said, “I see. Would you like to introduce me to your wonderful family?” he asked as he directed me to walk in front of him back down the stairs.

We only had a few minutes before we needed to be back on stage. Everyone was thrilled to meet the president, of course. While the president spoke with my family, Alex pulled me to the side.

“Look! Did you see all the news reporters and camera people, Julia?”

“Yes, I noticed them when I first walked in, Alex. Thanks for reminding me. It’s not like I’m not nervous enough.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry about that,” Alex said as he looked down toward the floor.

“It’s fine. It’s not just the cameras and all the people… it’s everything,” I told him.

“Julia, it’s time,” the president said as he held out his hand showing me the way back to the stage as if I might have tried running away instead. I wasn’t that crazy. There was no way I’d make it out of the room with all the secret servicemen watching my every move. I took my seat while the president stepped toward the podium.

“My fellow Americans, I stand here today not just as your president, but as a citizen of this great nation. I, as president, made a promise to the American people four years ago when I took office. I promised that their children would receive a great education and that every child would be able to achieve their dreams someday, as long as they worked hard and stayed in school.”

“A year ago, a young teenage girl opened my eyes to a world of bullying. As president, sometimes we have to deal with the bigger issues at hand and never did I once realize that bullying had become just as big as the issue in the Middle East. For that, I am ashamed. Bullying is an issue that affects every young person in this country and I’m here to say that it ends today. We cannot allow bullies to continue to deprive other children of their right to a safe education without strong consequences.”

“Today, I stand here to let each and every child know that I have passed a law against bullying. This law will not solve these problems overnight, but it will show the American people that bullying will not be tolerated.”

“And now I’d like to introduce to everyone a very special young lady. Without her courage and dedication on this issue, none of this would have ever happened. Ms. Julia Stone.”

I was shaking and my hands were sweating as I stood up and walked over to the president. It was hard to stay focused with all of the people taking pictures. The president extended his hand and we shook for the cameras then he had me step up in front of the podium. Everyone stopped to hear what I was about to say. I told myself to breath. I took a quick glance out into the crowd where my parents were sitting and I felt a sense of comfort so I turned back toward the crowd and began.

“Thank you for that kind introduction, Mr. President,” I said as he took a seat.

“Good afternoon. Most of you here or watching at home are probably wondering who I am. Yes, as the president said, my name is Julia Stone, but I’m also someone who has been bullied. Last year, my parents moved us from Ohio to New York. I knew my life would change, but I didn’t expect it to be because of bullying. When it first happened I was too scared and ashamed to tell anyone. I hid it from my parents and my best friend, Alex, for as long as I could.”

“After my parents found out, they immediately wanted to take action, and told me how they were going to handle it, but I didn’t want that. I wanted to be able to handle the situation on my own. The principal at my school suspended the girl for a couple of days, but I still worried. What if she kept bullying me even after her suspension?”

“Throughout my ordeal, I thought about other kids. At first it was just the kids at my school. A lot of them walked the halls with fear in their eyes. No one should have to go to school with fear. Kids should be able to get an education without someone bullying them. Everyone is entitled to the same opportunity. A person’s differences, such as the color of someone’s skin or their religion should not matter. Neither should someone’s sexuality or if they have a disability. We need to respect each other and embrace the things that make us unique, instead of fearing that we will be tortured because of them.”

“It breaks my heart to know that kids like me still fear going to school. I read recently that suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people. Bully victims are between two to three times more likely to consider suicide, than non-victims. I’m sure that no parent wants their child to be added to that statistic.”

“This law that the president will put into effect is not just about me. It’s about every other kid that has been or will be bullied in their lifetime. It’s about parents, teachers, counselors, principals, churches, friends and family coming together for one common goal. Putting an end to bullying, and to knowing your child is going to be safe at school while they are trying to get an education. Our children are this nation’s future, and without a proper education, what kind of future can they have? It is our job to make sure that nothing, especially fear of being bullied, will ever stand in their way. Thank you.”