Jacob was not believing his eyes. He turned to his sister and said softly to Jean "Flowerpot. I think you have put your name under the wrong column."
Jean said "I have written it right. It's under survival camp."
Jacob said "Why have you signed up?"
Jean said "Why? What's wrong with signing up?"
Jacob explained "Flowerpot... There is nothing wrong at all. But you don't like combat and fighting. I am just wondering why you would sign up for some activity that you don't particularly enjoy talking about let alone join."
Jean shrugged "I like to learn how to fight. I can handle a tough course..."
Jacob was looking at jean in disbelief "But... this is not about just toughness. It's a very intense course but what gets me is you don't like fighting at all. I don't know how they have managed to get a permit for teaching half the course material. It has guns, grenades, bomb dismantling, swords, knife throwing... Don't get me started on hand to hand combat. Do you like all of this in one course?"
Jean was visibly getting nervous as she took a deep breath. She looked away "Probably not... I guess I will learn to like it... Tough on me. I will learn to toughen up." She then said "See you later Jacob."
Jacob said "Wait." But his sister walked on.
Jacob knew something was not right. His sister seemed tense. She seemed to be not wanting to answer his questions about why she had signed up.
He looked at the notice board and shook his head. Jean had signed up reluctantly to this intensive course and something was wrong. He hoped she told him eventually. But again there was no one who hadn't been convinced to sign up. Everyone was pretty much. If you didn't join others called you weak. He heard the banter around the campus. Kids in upper years taunted the younger or newer students about joining. Apparently it was a tough but fun course. However the instructor was not Leandro last year. Now Leandro had taken over because he had come back with the captain rank. And that Arcade guy could be joint coach if he ever joined the school later. The odds were in favour of him joining because he dated Lavinia. Leo had told Jacob to be very careful if Arcangelo had taken an interest in him. Leo thought he either wanted to recruit him, defeat him or both.
****
Melanie was signing up to a few clubs herself when she saw Jean walk away from her brother. She had heard them argue over her joining survival camp.
As jean walked in her direction and smiled, she decided to join her walking with her "Jean. I think you should think about what your brother is telling you. I am sorry. He was speaking very loud. I overheard. I am with him on this."
Jean turned to Melanie "If you can do it, so can I. I don't want special treatment."
Melanie sighed "It's not about if you can do it. You want to sign up to prove some people wrong. I have no idea who those people are. I haven't met any. No one has ever said you are weak or privileged or need to toughen up. The people who know you like you because you are nice, polite and respectful. I don't know who gave you the impression that you have to prove anything to anyone but whoever they are I can guarantee they don't know you at all."
Jean went silent and looked away.
Melanie said "So Where has this come from? Why do you think you need to prove anything to anyone? Who has told you to toughen up?"
Jean turned to her "It doesn't matter. Some people think it even if they don't say it... I have heard it..."
Melanie said "Please Jean. I have no idea where you got the urge from to prove you are tough and not weak... Whoever thinks you are weak or tough doesnt know you or ... you know is jealous of you... You are new but you are talk of the campus..."
Jean bit her lip and looked ahead "Oh. I had that back home... I was home schooled but when I went to school boys were always around doing favours, carrying my books, buying me food that I didnt even want to accept..."
Melanie said "Well. Because you are nice and pleasant. You are nice to people and they are nice to you... Its not that hard to work out."
jean said "Being nice is not enough. People think I get special treatment because I am special to Leandro..."
Melanie said "Well. There is nothing wrong with you being special for the dean. If I had a man he could be my special one. The dean is protecting you when a huge guy like Arcangelo corners you. Well... I am sure if I had a man he would do the same... But maybe he couldnt win and would have had his backside handed to him... Thats the difference... Special treatment is if you didnt work hard and got A*s because you are the dean's girl... But you are studying so hard in the library early morning and until late... every day. I had to convince you to take a break from studying in the library just to come out for a while... You are not weak... There is nothing wrong with you... if anyone told you that you are weak, they said it because you are strong."
Jean said "But some people think I am weak... I dont want people to think I get away with things and get privileges. I want to toughen up and suffer like everyone else here..."
Melanie sighed "What suffering are you talking about? No one is suffering here..."
Jean said "People think I need to stand up and fend for myself like everyone else and be on my own when I get into trouble... I want to feel the hostility... Maybe signing up for a rough environment can help... The roughest environment on campus ... I never get any detentions and dont suffer... Just because I am Leandro's girl..."
Melanie said "Jean. This is not true.... You have got it all wrong... Whoever is making our school sound like a dystopian place is messing with you... I am an ordinary girl... No one bothers me... If I follow the rules I dont get any consequences... I havent... Because I follow all the rules and have read the hand book. In fact our campus is friendly and the dean himself once fixed the roof of my dorms because it was leaking and the construction personnel weren't coming until after the weekend...The dean is respected... and feared... He is actually very fair. You havent gotten detention because like me you havent broken any rules... Handbook is given to everyone... So stop it jean..."
Jean looked at Melanie thoughtfully "I get what you say,... You say I should not listen to what others say to me... I dont listen to what they say.... But I have already heard what they say,... I have to do this... I dont want to hide... I am challenged to toughen up or disappear and I dont want to disappear... I signed up to survival camp on your recommendation and I am glad I did... From what I hear, this is the toughest course at this school to prove to myself that I can manage to do something where even Leandro cant save me... I will be treated like everyone else... Rules are rules..."
Melanie was shaking her head "You are doing it to please others Jean. Dont. You have nothing to prove... If I get my hands on whoever has made you feel like this..."
Jean said "But no one has made me feel this way.... Maybe what I hear is caused by jealousy as you say... But there is truth to it... Today I caused a fight that could be avoided if I was able to handle the situation alone.... This course teaches things beside self defence that I really need... There is problem solving, crisis talks and communication skills workshops too ... Right? I need it... I dont want to be a burden like how some people think around here..."
Melanie was giving up "Jean... Dont listen to what people say...."
Jean said "I wont.... But even if there is even one grain of truth in what I have heard, I need to change..."
Melanie sighed "Why?"
Jean whispered "Because I was just described as someone with a personality that I despise... I dont want to become someone I hate..."
Melanie said "But you are not going to become someone you hate because this is not true. You are a good person..."
Jean took a deep breath and stopped walking " There are people who hate me... Some people do... They say I am weak and pathetic..."
Melanie sighed "Jean think about it... If you truly believe someone is weak would you tell them? Or would you try to help them... Bullies are weak... They tell you that you are not good enough so they make up for what they dont have and only dream of... Trust me... I know..." She then whispered "From experience..."
Jean was frozen as she stopped walking.
Melanie nodded "And I will be damned if I let anyone bully you by telling you that you are not good enough..."
Jean breathed "I am so sorry... I didnt know..."
Melanie smiled sadly "Its ok... I am over it... Jean please listen. It's fine to join survival camp. I say you will enjoy it even but don't go in thinking of pleasing others... You don't have to be a people pleaser for the crime of being loved by one of the most faithful teenagers on this campus. All girls love him because of his faithfulness and boys respect him for his honour. He maybe strict and rough but he keeps his word and is fair. Like how a true leader should be."
Jean was so touched by her words. She was speechless.
****
Leandro was in his office reading a book. Jacob knocked and entered when he said "Come In..."
Jacob entered and sat himself down opposite Leandro. He cleared his throat "Leandro."
Leandro looked up "Yes. I am listening." He then picked up a pencil and underlined something in the book.
Jacob could see Leandro was busy. He was using his personal study periods and even after school until late for catching up with the work he had missed last week. This was a bigger part of his punishment from his father. If he got anything less than A+ he was going to pay dearly. He had extra tuition at home but his father had deliberately cut that out for the next two weeks as the internal assessments were happening just to add more pressure on Leandro to slip up. If Leandro was not in football practice, he was writing and reading. In lessons he finished the work before everyone else and studied what he had missed.
Jacob said "It's about jean." He watched as immediately Leandro put away the book and his full attention was on Jacob.
Jacob spoke as Leandro's eyes met his. "She has signed up to survival camp."
Leandro raised an eyebrow and then smiled "Excellent. That's a great choice."
Jacob sighed "No it's not. She doesn't like fighting. Yet she has signed up. Something is wrong."
Leandro said "Or something is right. Jacob. What we do here is not in preparation for war. This camp is not the army. This is much more academic and skills based. Your sister won't regret joining it."
Jacob said "It's not about the quality or usefulness of the course. She had suddenly shown interest in something that she won't enjoy. I know she will hate it."
Leandro said "If she doesn't like it, she can quit. I won't stop her. But give your sister some credit. She can manage. She has stamina and works hard."
Jacob said "You don't understand. She is joining for the wrong reasons... Peer pressure maybe... My sister shouldn't have signed up... She wouldn't have ... willingly..."
Leandro said " Or you are underestimating the will of my Jean... I just told you... She can quit if she hates it. I don't have a problem with signing the paper work to release her from the commitment."
Jacob asked "What commitment?"
Leandro said "We are not the army but similar. You are in it for life once you sign up."
Jacob said "May god give me strength. Leandro. You need to do something..."
Leandro said " It can't go wrong. Jacob. I don't need to do something. I refuse to... I can't take action unless jean asks me to. It's her choice."
Jacob sighed "Jackass."
Leandro said "You have a 1 hour detention today after school for calling me that. Report to the detention hall and read the dean's hand book for the duration.."
Jacob gasped "But... I broke so many rules just now by questioning you..."
Leandro said "It was about your sister. Your concerns were genuine... I didn't mind. But I don't tolerate disrespect. Leave. I have work to do."
Jacob shook his head and walked away as he mumbled "You are extreme..."
Leandro said " No more objections or I can double it."
Jacob banged the door closed and left.
****
Leandro walked to join the afternoon church service that day. As he was walking, he saw Jean walking alone in the direction of the church.
Jean found herself coming face to face with Leandro. He appeared from another walk way and was standing on her path with a smile. He offered his hand "Can we hold hands and walk this way?"
Jean blushed "Sure..."
Leandro said as they were walking "Your brother told me, you joined survival camp. I am glad... You would love it. And thrive in it. I have a hard time convincing your brother though. He thinks it's peer pressure..."
Jean looked down and said "He knows me well.."
Leandro stopped walking "Jean. What do you mean?"
Jean looked up "I guess it was ... some peer pressure that made me sign up... I don't deny it ... but now after thinking about it, I want to join... I am curious to learn things I can't learn elsewhere."
Leandro nodded and slowly continued walking. He was extremely happy. But he caught what Jacob meant when Jean spoke. He was convinced something was going on. He cleared his throat "I knew there was banter between the guys to join survival camp... I didn't know girls also had peer pressure and banter... So some girls are pressuring you into things?"
Jean said " A girl has... Melanie thinks I have been bullied ... I am over it ... like how Melanie is over it... I had a long conversation about it... I joined for the wrong reasons... But I like to remain for the right reasons..."
Leandro gave her a smile "That's my girl."
****
Hours later.
Melanie had finished with her artwork project for the night in the art studio.
She cleaned her hands and put on her coat. As she was about to leave, she saw the dean entering the studio and she took a few steps back looking up at his towering figure. He stood in the door frame as he put his hands in his pockets "We need to talk... It's about my girl. Tell me everything you know."