Page 103 of TJ Powar Has Something to Prove
“I’m not talking to you.” She wheels on TJ. “Seriously, what are you doing? You’reinthis flyer.”
“Really? Can you show me where? I don’t recognize anyone.” TJ flips to her portrait and pretends to squint at it. Rajan laughs.
Amy puts her hands on her hips. “You’re so weird, TJ. I’m talking to admin about this. Enjoy detention.”
TJ shrugs. Worth it. Rajan seems to think the same, because he says, “Oh no,detention,” and throws another wad of flyers in the garbage. Amy’s lips thin into a line and she looks at Simran, who’s been silent this whole time. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Her tone is reprimanding in a way TJ imagines has madeSimran stand down at many a council meeting, and it ticks her off. She opens her mouth to tell Amy to shove it. But then Simran speaks.
“Rajan, TJ, this is wrong.”
TJ sighs. Rajan seems to be of the same mind. “Come on, Simran Sahiba, don’t pretend you’re not enjoying this—”
“These should be going into paper recycling,” Simran interrupts, and reaches into the garbage to daintily pluck out Rajan and TJ’s mess of flyers. She flattens them out between her hands, pauses, then rips them clean in half.
Amy’s jaw drops. Simran, meanwhile, simply deposits the newly compacted flyers into the paper recycling bin. “The least we can do is give these pamphlets the chance to become something useful one day. Like... toilet paper.” She dusts off her hands.
Rajan turns to TJ and Yara. “Was my weed laced with something, or are you seeing this, too?”
“I’m seeing it,” TJ confirms with a grin.
Amy manages to rehinge her jaw. “What the hell, Simran? You were on board with this before!”
“No, I wasn’t. You just didn’t listen.” Simran pauses, seeming to weigh her next words before saying them. “But I guess you were always more interested in hearing yourself talk.”
The foyer is nearly silent. TJ wonders if Rajan was onto something and they’re all experiencing a group hallucination. Because surely her cousin didn’t just say that.
Amy’s face has turned brilliantly red, and instead of answering, she spins on her heel and leaves. She’s making a beeline for the principal’s office.
“If we leave now, we can get out of lunchtime detention,” Rajan says, and, well, he’s the expert. So when he turns, ambling to the exit with his hands in his pockets, TJ looks at Simran and Yara.
“Come on!”
They hurry to follow him outside, into the sun. Once they’re out on the blacktop, Simran stops. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
That makes two of them. TJ laughs. “Impulsiveness looks good on you.”
“Bravery,” Simran corrects, and they share an understanding smile, at least until Rajan slaps her on the back.
“Dude, that was sick. Now we can be detention buddies. I’ll teach you all the ropes. Which spots in the classroom have the best Wi-Fi, which teachers will let you go early, how to make holes in the desks when you start getting bored...”
Simran doesn’t appear to be listening. She sinks onto a picnic bench, looking slightly pale. “Detention... Mom is going to kill me.”
TJ privately agrees, but Yara pats Simran’s shoulder. “I’m glad those pamphlets are in the paper recycling where they belong. I’m embarrassed I took some of those photos.”
The theme of the year for Yara, it seems. Inspiration strikes TJ. She pulls out her phone and pokes Yara. “I think we need a selfie to commemorate this. Mind doing the honours?”
Yara looks down at the phone and then at TJ. “You want... me to take it?”
TJ nods. “You’re the photographer here, aren’t you? We have to immortalize our moment of rebellion.”
Rajan swings his legs off the bench. “It’s just another Tuesday for me.” He glances Simran’s way. “Don’t worry. I’ll go do my homework by myself.”
TJ must be living in the Upside Down. “Really?”
“If Simran auntie can do something out of character, so can I.” He winks at Simran. “Well? Are you proud of me?”
TJ thinks of several sarcastic quips, but before she can say any of them, Simran answers with a gentle smile. “I was always proud of you, Rajan.”