Conformity, Part 2

all characters in this story are pure fiction - similarities found 
with real people are pure coincidence. 

Conformity
by Blackbladder

Part 2
------

Skye awoke with a sense of victory.  The sun was shining and, for 
once, she actually embraced the thought of going to school.  The rest 
of her family; mother, father and older sister were already away to 
work.  Her father, Patrick,  worked for the postal services.  Her 
mother, Susan,  worked as a nurse at a local hospital.  Her sister, 
Gemma, worked as a young office clerk in a law firm.  

Skye was gonna ride the school bus this morning, heading for Haven 
High School.  She got dressed, had her ritual morning smoke, before 
covering her tracks by spraying the house with air freshener.  

The bus arrived on time outside her house, the smoke rising as the 
vehicle came to a stop.  Skye boarded, paying the driver, before 
taking a seat at the front of the bus.  The atmosphere of pupils 
towards her was still very hostile.  Her dark make-up completion 
still attracted the wrong attention.  But she never gave a damn what 
anyone else thought about how she looked.  The name-calling forced 
Skye to think back to how her life changed initially...

"Hey Skye, what did you think of the cd?"   Martin asked whilst 
lighting a cigarette boldly in front of his parents.  Skye always 
wondered how Martin was allowed to smoke at such a young age.  His 
parents must be mad.  However, by coincidence, she saw his family 
begin to smoke shortly after he, himself, started smoking.  

Martin was Skye's best friend during their childhood - they grew up 
together in a rough neighbourhood.  Now Skye couldn't believe he was 
leaving for another town.  She hated his family.  

"Here is your present.  Let's say a gift from the Gods." Martin 
reassured Skye as tears ran down her face.  He handed the heavy, 
giftwrapped rectangle box to the young 13 year old.  

Even though Martin and her were both opposites in terms of character, 
she knew he stuck by her through difficult times.  He had always been 
there to protect her against the constant stream of bullies 
throughout her life.  Her parents also never stood up for her when 
she came home with cuts and bruises.  She felt very sad.  Skye 
removed her hairband, sealing her long, blonde hair together as she 
felt uncomfortable.  Thirteen was such a horrible age for her.  
Puberty, hormones were taking over her life.

"Yeh Martin the Marilyn Manson cd was cool.  I will miss you a lot.  
I wish that school had kept you there.  You deserved a second chance."

"Ok Martin, time to go."  Hugh, his father, shouted whilst starting 
the Aston Martin car.  

The two friends kissed lightly before Martin ran towards the car.  
Before stepping into the backseat, he took a final deep puff from his 
cigarette and lobbed it to the concrete ground.  The car then 
gradually moved off its parking space, gearing away into the 
distance.  

Skye refrained from crying long enough when she heard Patrick calling 
her.

"Hey come on dinner is ready.  I don't understand what you liked 
about Martin anyway.  He is nothing but trouble...."  

Skye knew her parents always hated Martin - she hated the fact they 
always hated him for being a goth, and had been afraid their young 
daughter was being led astray.  

Skye ran towards her bedroom, upon entering the family home.  She 
locked her bedroom door, not wanting to be interrupted as she opened 
Martin's present.  The loud music of Cyndi Lauper could be heard 
eminating from Gemma's room.  She never really got on with her 
sister - she was too 'perfect'.  Thinking about it, Skye rationalised 
that she never really got on with anyone apart from Martin.  Maybe 
she should stick around with Martin's type.  Maybe being a goth had 
its advantages.  At this point in her life, anything would be an 
improvement on her existence so far.

Slowly, Skye pealed the ribbon from the box and opened the 
packaging.  Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when she took 
out a carton of Marlboro Red cigarettes and a pink bic lighter.  How 
dare Martin?  Martin used to tease Skye for being a wimp for not 
trying smoking with him.  Skye was always brought up to despise 
smoking like the rest of the family.  But her friendship with Martin 
proved that smokers were not evil people, but just normal.  Skye 
rubbed her thumb over the packaging and removed tentatively a single 
pack.  For the first time ever, she sat on her bed admiring the red 
and white design on the packaging.  The once loud music from her 
sisters bedroom no longer buzzed her head.  

Whilst admiring the pack, she also took out the rest of the contents 
of the box of gifts.  This included mascara, nail varnish, hair dye, 
a Slipknot cd, and a bashed schoolbook.  This book must have been one 
of Martin's when he was in school.  Folding back the cover, the first 
page read "Black Magic."...

"You intending to go into school today or not?" the driver demanded, 
furious that the Goth had been daydreaming.

Skye stood up and thanked the driver before stepping off the bus.  
She strode confidently through the gates of Haven High School.  Upon 
entering the building, she detected a strong, fresh smell of 
cigarette smoke.  Skye had put the events of yesterday to the back of 
her mind since her daydream.  As the pupils made their way to their 
registration classes, she noted her fellow pupil's distaste to the 
alien smell invading their weekday world of education.  

Sitting in the corner alone, like yesterday, she sat awaiting the 
arrival of her first teacher, like the rest of her classmates.  
Eventually, Miss Page entered the room and sat at her table, throwing 
her briefcase onto the table surface.  The commotion in the room was 
in silence as Miss Page withdrew her attendance book from her desk.  
As Miss Page took everyone's attendance into her book, Skye saw 
Pamela smiling evily at her.  She sat there whispering in her Abby's 
ear.  It would be another cruel joke on how Skye looked.  However, 
today, Skye would have the last laugh.  She could feel her sense of 
purpose now returning.  

"Ms Henderson - go to the rector' room." Ms Page stated calmly.  
Whilst exiting the room, Skye could detect a knowing smirk on the 
teacher's face.  She was slightly disturbed at the sight.  

"Come in Skye." The pupil could hear Angela's voice echo through the 
large door.

As Skye entered the office and sat in the chair, she stared at her 
headteacher in bewilderment.  Angela was sitting back in her 
reclining chair inhaling off a cigarette from a newly purchased 
pack.  Skye laughed as she saw the centenery dish almost half-full of 
butts.  Her actions from yesterday were working to plan so far.

"Are you impressed, Skye?" Angela laughed as she inhaled, her cheeks 
collapsing, once again.

"Yes Ms Gunn, very." Skye smiled as she withdrew her own pack of 
cigarettes and proceeded to light up. 

"Call me Angela, after all you're my friend now." The headteacher 
grinned as she exhaled through her nose and mouth, the smoke 
punctuating her words.

As Skye exhaled her own stream of smoke towards the ceiling, she 
noted the image of her former anti-smoking superior, with trails of 
blue hazy smoke surrounding her head very sexy.  This was how her 
perfect rector should be!

"I have sent the PTA group out to monitor all the classes today.  I 
will be getting daily reports on all staff through feedback."  Angela 
stated whilst exhaling again.

Skye was about to question the rest of the group about their smoking 
activities but her teacher stopped her.

"Oh yes, Skye, we all had a smoke before we started our classes.  
What do you want to do now?" Angela responded confidently.

"I want to further exercise conformity amongst the school.  Yeh, you 
guys are now cool but we know we will all have conflicts from other 
people within the school.  If anyone here reports this place to the 
authorities, then Haven will be shut down.  I know, as a headteacher, 
you don't want that." Skye smiled, knowing she was praying on 
Angela's past role.

"So what are you suggesting?" Angela inquired before raising the 
cigarette to her lips again for another inhale.

The pupils filled the assembly hall in hurried fashion.  The battle 
to find a seat was not easy.  The members of the PTA group were all 
sitting smiling to each other whilst the students settled down in 
their seats eventually.  Angela then stepped forward, knowing she had 
the full attention of all the students.  

"Good morning everyone!" Angela said.

"Good morning Ms Gunn." The audience mumbled.

"For the rest of this week, I will be holding meetings with every 
class to discuss some moral issues affecting the school very 
recently.  Smoking is another issue we have right now on our agenda."

The audience all gasped at the S word - had one of them been caught 
having a puff.  They all knew the schools stance on the subject.  
Once the students squabbling died, the headteacher resumed her 
speech, as planned by her new superior, Skye.  She, herself was 
sitting smiling in the audience as everything was going as planned so 
far.  Still, Skye was never too far away from the constant name-
calling she was receiving from her peers.  This further fuelled her 
new masterplan.

"Smoking has been going on here at school lately and I must iterate 
that no-one will smoke unless the school changes its stance on the 
subject.  If anyone has any thoughts on the subject, you can approach 
me at any time.  Or you can use the anti-smoking group we have 
here."  Angela continued.

"Next on the agenda is mutual respect.  Recently, I have seen pupils 
here been discriminated against for being 'different'.  The school 
will not tolerate any bullying of any scale.  Our anti-bullying after-
school class is there for victims of this treatment.  You can talk in 
confidence to one of our volunteers.  Any bully in Haven High School 
is now an outlaw......"  Angela continued boldly as her presentation 
rumbled on for another hour.  

"Smoking?! Ms Gunn must think we are all mad!" Pamela shouted to her 
peers at the lunch break.  Skye, this time, was not present which 
pleased Pamela and her friends.

"Yeah, I don't know a single person at this school who would even 
consider such a disgusting habit...." Abby stated while muching on an 
apple.  The group sniggered as they remembered getting Skye in 
trouble.

"Well, apart from Skye anyway........i wonder how Ms Gunn is gonna 
punish her?"  Samantha pondered while sucking on a peach.

Angela and Skye were enjoying eating out at a nearby restaurant with 
the rest of the PTA group in the smoking section.  After consuming 
their fastfood, recommended by Skye, they all proceeded to light up 
their cigarettes to feed their newly-found habit.  The haze of smoke 
around them increased with every puff they each took.  Other people 
in the non-smoking section shared angry glances towards the chatty 
smokers.

"So, how did Jake respond to you smoking last night?" Angela asked 
after exhaling.

Barbara, the Geography teacher, responded after inhaling deeply on 
her cigarette.  Barbara was the typical girl-next-door type; she was 
committed to her family; totally against any form of rebellion 
against laws; against drugs and smoking - until Skye changed her mind.

"Well, Jake was gobsmacked.  I know he has started smoking again 
behind my back.  The smile on his face just got wider when i told him 
i was wrong about smoking.  I took out my pack and lit up right in 
front of him.  I think he thought I was joking.  But when I inhaled, 
he just laughed in disbelief.  I think he is thrilled.  and so am 
I."  Barbara stated proudly before leaning back, releasing smoke 
rings into the atmosphere.

Paula, a parent on the PTA group had a less than satisfactory story 
to add to the chit-chat.  She was fat, and wore glasses, and was a 
very timid character by nature.  Her children attended Haven High 
School too.

"I went home last night and just lit up straight away.  I don't know 
why I did, I just seem to not get enough of smoking since I started.  
Anyway, Fred and the kids came into greet me and they were shocked.  
I got nothing but abuse from them all.  I never got a chance to speak 
at all.  Now Fred and the kids has taken my kids away to his 
mothers.  Today, i got a phonecall from Fred saying he's wanting a 
divorce."

The other smokers sighed, smoke all punctuating their breath as it 
joined the rest of the cigarette fumes high above them.  

"But I am not getting that down though.  Fred and I have been having 
difficulties anyway so divorce is about time.  Saying that, I will 
not lose the kids though.  Sarah and Josie mean too much to me.  I 
will do anything to get them back."

Skye decided to change the subject whilst grinding out her latest 
cigarette.  She was loving this new-found freedom to smoke and have 
new friends too.

"Ok guys we have got a busy time ahead of us.  So Angela, you are 
gonna invite me to all of these sessions with the classes?"

Angela nodded approvingly whilst lighting up another cigarette. 

Their peace was rudely interrupted when a woman approached their 
smoking table.  The woman was looking far from happy.

"Can you smokers keep down your voice and let us people breathe fresh 
air?  I have my family and friends at my table who do not appreciate 
losers like you stinking up while we are trying to eat."  This woman 
demanded.  The restaurant staff looked on worriedly in case this 
situation would grow out of control.

Skye did not appreciate this inconvienience during her breaktime with 
the PTA group.  She rose from her seat, dabbing out her latest 
cigarette in the ashtray before walking over to this annoying woman.  
The rest of the PTA smokers continued in their habit, looking on in 
interest.

They saw Skye walking back with the woman to her table and apparently 
apologising to them all.  Angela and the group were stunned at such a 
move.  Had Skye turned her back on them and their goals?  Their 
apprehension was short-lived, however, as they saw the occupants of 
the other table fall under Skye's spell - their heads hanging down as 
if they were sleeping.  Suddenly, the occupants, the woman, her 
husband and 2 daughters, became aware of their surroundings again 
when Skye finished a calm speech to them.  

Angela puffed nervously on her cigarette as the apparent family rose 
from their table and made their way towards the smoking section.  
There appeared no hostility between the family and Skye as they 
shared jokes.  The family sat a newly-occupied table in the middle of 
the smoking section.  Skye and the woman approached the PTA group's 
table.

"I am so sorry for what I said earlier.  I just did not understand 
it.  But Skye has been really nice and taught me and my family it to 
embrace smoking.  I am gonna go and purchase a pack for my family 
right now before we continue our meal." the woman stated proudly 
before heading towards the cigarettes machine in the corner.  

The group sat and smoked in silence as Skye returned to her seat 
smiling.  They were stunned at the ease in which the conversion had 
taken place.

"What the hell just happened?" Barbara asked

"I just enlightened Cherie and her family to the benefits of 
smoking.  This is what conformity is all about.  Making people do the 
same action as another individual to gain the same goal.  That is 
what I was taught." Skye smiled whilst lighting another cigarette.

Cherie had returned to her seat with her family, armed with packs of 
cigarettes for each of them.  They all smiled as Cherie distributed a 
pack and lighter to each member.  Skye loved seeing this scenario - 
watching how a family could go from one extreme to the next.  

The family eagerly took out a cigarette and lit up ackwardly.  They 
all chuckled to each other as they inhaled their first puffs and 
exhaled.  Skye knew they would thrive on this new family bonding.  As 
Skye glanced at her watch, she knew they should be heading back to 
school - it was almost the end of lunchbreak.

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