Friday

"Come on Krystal its time to go." You yell from the kitchen.

You hear a muffled,"Sorry, Uncle Jason, I just want it to be right." A minute later, your niece comes out of the bathroom.

She was wearing one of her uniforms from California with alterations. Her attire was a khahi skirt with a white button-down shirt. The top three buttons on her shirt were undone, and she had already tossed the tie in the trash.

Striking a pose, she says,"So how do I look."

Privately, you thought she looked like a naughty girl. "I think you look fantastic, sweetie."

Krystal gave a happy bounce. Before surprising you by reaching up and kissing you on the lips. "Thanks, Uncle Jason," she tittered as she went to the car.

"She's into you bigly," was what Jennifer had said to you. You hoped to god she was wrong because you hadn't been able to say no yet.

Arriving at school, you wished her a good first day. Heading to the office, you picked up your mail and saw that Jae-woo Lee was demanding a meeting for that day during your istration period.

Taking a sip of coffee, you think to yourself,"Great, it's not as if I didn't have a thousand other things to do."

Walking to your classroom, you saw the Glee club had been hard at work decorating the lockers of the football team. During your first period, you were reminded you had never actually seen any of your team in their actual outfits.

Beth Anne was in the green and white uniform. The outfits short shirt showed far more than was normally allowed by the dress code. As she sauntered up to the front, you found yourself drawn to her legs ing how they wrapped around you as Beth Anne screamed out your name. As she dropped her homework in the baskets, she licked her lips, mouthing. I miss you, Daddy, before sitting down up front.

Launching into your lecture of the colonies following the frech and indian wars, you had a good class. The second period also ed at a brisk pace, and you could already see anticipation for that afternoons opening football game build.

Almost as soon as your students had filed out of the classroom. Lilies mother and father arrived for the meeting. If you had to describe lilies mother is she was a porcelain doll come to life. She was short at 4'8", and when it came to looks, you could see Lili took after her. She was dressed in what you would call Soccer mom shiek.

Lilies dad though, just had you shaking your head. Where lilies mom expression was serene. Her father looked like he'd smelled a dead fish.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Lee, im Jason Clarkson, the cheerleading coach. How can I help you today."

Mrs. Lee looked over at her husband, with what you saw as concerned resignation.

"My daughter wished to quit cheerleading. You will cut her from the team today." Her father demanded.

"Really ..."Was your skeptical reply. "Mr. Lee, Lili could quit the team tomorrow if she so wished. So why are you telling me this and not her."

"My daughter does not wish to lose face with her classmates. So I must do it on her sted."

The incredulousness on your face was clear to see. Choosing your words carefully, you say,"Sir, I'll it I've been at Tempest for a couple of weeks. But I've looked at my cheerleaders files. Lili has been on the team since her freshmen year. At every practice we've had, she has been engaged and active." You take a deep beath knowing this isn't going to go well. "Sir, your daughter is not afraid that the team would hate her if she wanted to quit. So please, why don't you tell me what this is really about."

You could see the anger building in the man. Concerned you looked over at Lilies mother,"Mrs. Lee, could you..."

"Hayan Agma! You will not speak to my wife." Mr. Lee snarled. Red faced the man screaming, "I am the head of the Lee family. My word is law. You will cut my ungrateful daughter or..."

"Or what Mr.Lee, " you interject.

You see, his face start to turn purple. You stand up trying to remain calm,"Or what Mr.Lee."

He balls his fists as he starts to rant,"You sneering Baeg-in with your hatred of tradition. Filling my daughters head with lies, making her disobey her family."

Clutching her purse Mrs.Lee pleaded,"Please, husband, calm yourself."

Before you can react, he turns to his wife,"Don't you dare side with them. I refuse to let my daughter be some Baeg-ins maechumbu." Puting his back into it, the man strikes her with a savage open hand screaming,"know your place, woman."

Without thinking about it, and before she had hit the floor. You took two steps throwing yourself at Lilies father. Hitting the incensed man midchest the two of you went crashing over two desks. Mr.Lees head bounced off a third desk, cracking the desktop.

Your class room door crashed open as Ted from next door ran in. "Is everything all... Oh fuck," Ted exclaimed as he took in the situation.

Holding down what you didn't realize yet was an **** man you looked at your colleague saying,"Get security this fucker just punched his wife."

"Got it," Ted replied as he ran out.

You could see that Mr.Lee had a cut on his head and was out cold. Getting up you went to check Lilies mom who was in a fetal position. You crouched down next to her when Markus from across the hall aross stuck his head in asking,"need any help?"

You shake your head saying,"Im good Ted went for security."

"Okay," was his reply before calling out," All of you back to class."

You gently place your hand her her shoulder saying,"Shhhh its alright try not to move help is comming."

"Im sorry, im sooo sorry," she whimpered.

"You have nothing to be sorry about Mrs.Lee," you assure her.

"I couldn't...I tried to tell him." She moaned.

"Tell him what?" You quietly inquire.

"He wanted lili to marry his friends son. After she said no he ordered her to quit cheerleading." She starts crying again," he would not listen then he lost his promotion and he blamed it on her..."You console her repeating that it wasn't hers or Lilies fault until two of the schools police officers enetered.

One of the checks on Mr.Lee while the other comes over to you. "Mr.Clarkson Leo can take care of her. Can you tell me what happened while its still fresh."

You follow Martin into the hallway. Where you quietly tell him about the meeting, what happened. You also tell him what Lilies mother told you. Two EMTs and Principal Smalley show up as your g your statement.

You give a condensed version of events to the principal when Leo comes out of the classroom.

Walking over to you he says," Principal Mr.Lee is comming around he's being arrested and turned over to the city police." He then says,"Mrs.Lee has requested that we don't pull her daughter from class and let her finish out the day and if needs be stay with a Beth Anne for the night."

"Beth Anne is a friend of hers on the cheerleading squad" you tell him.

"How's Mrs.Lee," asks the principal.

Thinking about it leo guesses,"I imagine they are going to take her for xrays but shes going to have atleast a nasty concussion."

Taking in the news Barbara says,"okay thanks Leonard." Looking at you she says,"Jason im going to move your 4th, 5th, and 6th periods to the theatre."

As lilies mom was leaving on the gurney you could hear the announcement for your classes moving to the theatre.

Reentering you class room Mr.Lee was facedown and was handcuffed. Still pretty out of it you could hear him slurring,"Fucking Baeg-ins."

You could see a dressing on the back of his head and a large pool of blood was soaking into the carpets.

Grabbing your briefcase you filled it with everything you needed for your classes. You never considered yourself a vengeful man. but you fought down the sudden desire to stomp on Lilies father some more as you ed him.

Stopping at the office you saw another Ambulance pull up and a city police car. Going inside you tell Barbara about the blood soaking into the carpets. She thanks you saying she'll find you a new room for now till they can be replaced.

Fourth period of course brought questions which you awnsered with simple,"there was a incident in my classroom that being cleaned up." You saw the Krystal was sitting with Jennifer and the gang. You really hoped Jennifer was wrong. Because as you've already itted to yourself you were unable to say no.

During second lunch you could here whispers that some Asian guys had been hauled out of school on a gurney in Handcuffs. You were about to keave when you heard someone call out,"Mr.Clarkson."

Turning you inwardly groaned, it was Lili hurrying over to you. Hurrying up to you she blurted out,"Kerri was in PE and she told me she saw my dad being halled away in handcuffs is it true."

You knew you shouldn't day anything and this was the office's job. Looking down into her frantic eyes you just had to tell her. "Follow me."

You lead her to the gymnasium and sit down with her on the bleachers. Taking a deep breath you say,"we had a parent teacher conference during 3rd period. You father started demanding that I cut you from the cheerleading squad."

Hearing that Lili jumped to her feet furious,"He did what!"

"Thats not all that happened," You tell her.

She could see that sad look in your eyes. Balling her fists she sat back down and in a quite voice asked,"What else did he do."

Closing your eyes you tell her,"Theres no easy way to say this. He started ranting and your mother tried to stick up for you." Lili nods, and you tell her the rest,"something in him snapped and he punched you mother."

Lili collapses back onto the bleacher an inarticulate cry echoing from her. "The school police said she has a concussion and the took her to the hospital for x-rays."

You could see sadness and fury just bubbling underneath her gorgeous exterior. Finally she asked," And him?"

"I tackled him before he could do anything else. When I took him down his head hit a desk and bled all over my classroom floor. I assume he's looking atleast at ****."

"Good. He deserves to be in jail." She hotly vents.

"One more thing." You say. "Your mothers was in alot of pain and she said things. Like you said no to marrying his friend son. She also said something about a promotion that he lost an blamed you."

Lili looks at you for a long time. An incredulous laugh bubbled out her as she said,"he was lying even to her."

You could see her start to shake,"the so called marriage was not a friends son." All you could do was sit there a be here for her as the rage burst forth. "My father wanted to sell me to his 32 year old boss. He expected me to be a good little korean girl and spread her legs at his order."

"Thats barbaric," you gasp.

Grabbing onto you she burst into tears. While hugging you she would also hit you not out of malice but out of a need to vent."Thats tradition," thud "Speak only when told," thud. "Think what your told," thud. "Be what your told," thud.

Somewhere in the littany hr mood changed. Her fists stopped pounding on your back. She looked up into your eyes you could see heat but it wasn't anger it was need.

"We can't do anything here," you whisper.

"Please, I need to feel you inside me. Tonight I dont care where just please don't say no." She whisered.

You were surely going to hell,"sometime tonight I swear."

Nodding lili disentangled herself from you. Standing up a she headed for the door to the lunchroom. Looking around you didn't see anyone. Hopefully there were no witnesses.

You sat there pondering your seemingly hopeless situation. They were taking over your life. And unless you were the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet you knew this was going to end in a prison cell. Its was an ogres choice. Go back into the sad cave that was your life and give up all the color that Jennifer and her friends had given you. Or live accept it and, revel in it hoping the memories were enough in a 4'x6' box.