Speech Comm

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

It's Movie Friday. Snacks are laid out, and the movie is set. On the board is written:

Today we watch The Maltese Falcon. Pay attention to misleading body language. Who uses it and to what end? E. is in charge...I have to run study hall. I expect a short response, not to exceed 2 pages, on Monday. CJC

Comments

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth laid down her pen, and moved across to sit next to her friend.

"Rory?" she asked quietly, trying not to disturb the rest of the class.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Hmm?" Rory was startled out of her reverie, and looked over. "Oh. Hi. How are you?"

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine..." Elizabeth replied. "I think the key question here is how are you?"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I'm...okay. Ethics was just a bad class today," Rory replied, nodding.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth's eyes and mouth narrow slightly. "What did she do this time?"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Discussed rape," Rory said quietly, looking around the classroom. "In a completely...wrong way. She was...like, happy over it."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth remained completely still, her lips and face white. "How can you be happy over rape?" she said, not really asking it. She rested a hand gently on Rory's arm. "How are you doing?"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"I'm okay," Rory said softly. "I left in the middle of class, though. She was all cheerful. It was...insensitive. Wrong."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"I don't blame you," Elizabeth replied, so very thankful that she'd dropped this course. "I'm going to presume that there was no warning that this subject matter was going to be discussed today?"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Nope. And like...I don't have any real reason to be upset over rape," Rory said, "but...well, it still kind of hit a little hard. So I can't imagine how someone who actually has dealt with rape would react."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to have been raped, or had to have dealt with it to be upset about it," Elizabeth pointed out. "Rape is an upsetting subject, and one that needs to be treated gently and seriously. And if you ask me, not at a high school level ethics class. It's one of the most horrific things that can happen to a woman, and the trauma surrounding it makes this such a contriversial subject."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory nodded. "And I was okay until she started talking about what else constitutes rape. If it has to be sexual. And...that was when I left, because she still had that damn smile on her face."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth supressed the instinctual shudder that rose, and wrapped her arm around Rory's shoulder.

The movie was forgotten now, and the whole class could have erupted in anarchy by now for all she knew or care.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"I would've been okay if she hadn't been...like that. It was creepy," Rory murmured. "And he was there, too. Tara didn't think. Or if she did, she's crueler than I thought."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"You don't want to hear my thoughts on Ms MacLay as a teacher," Elizaeth muttered. "You did the right thing walking out of the class. It won't get the point across to her, but it wasn't somewhere you should have stayed in."

She still hadn't heard the whole story, thanks to her player being away being ill, and she needed to ask someone other than Rory about it soon.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Parker was mad, too," Rory smiled. "I don't envy Tara, facing her wrath. Logan's probably angry, too. I just know Parker was because she came after me."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth managed a small smile. "Yeah, Parker mad is always pretty scary," she agreed. And yet probably still won't be enough to get through to that woman, she added silently.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"And see, I keep thinking that there has to be someone else who'd react even worse than I did," Rory said, shaking her head. "I can't believe she didn't think this through. I mean, this is high school."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"With this school, yes, it's highly likely," Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her hand down Rory's arm comfortingly. "Whilst I'm generally against teacher's syllabui being dictated and monitored, something like this comes along and it's almost enough to change my mind. I don't know what repercussions she went through - if any - due to the master/slave assignment, but she could be in trouble if anyone complained."

She paused. "Or at least she would be in a normal school."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"The master/slave thing was weird," Rory agreed. "And...yeah. I think I might go see the Dean, actually."

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"If you need me, I'm there," Elizabeth said.