I told Coach that I felt sick to my stomach and needed to go to the nurse's office before I threw up. All of which was true. I was getting such a creepy vibe from Patch that I felt as if I might hork up that minute. I guess I looked like that, too, because Coach let me go with a minimum of fuss.
I did go to the nurse, and I did lie down. But once I was lying on the cot, I called 911. (After all, I didn't have the regular number of the Coldwater, Michigan Police Department on speed-dial.)
Once I got transferred from the emergency number to the regular one, I spoke to an Officer Lewis. She sounded like a nice woman. She even sounded as if she believed that Patch was sexually harassing and stalking me.
The tough thing was proving it.
"Under Michigan law," she explained, "stalking is defined as 'a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested, and that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.' That's straight from the statute.
"But that is how he's making me feel," I said, gripping my cell tightly. "He creeps me out. And he won't stop!"
"I know," she said glumly. "The problem is that he's a sixteen-year-old boy, and sixteen-year-old boys are known to brush against or run into girls just to get physical contact. They're certainly known for making sexual remarks. And no, that doesn't make his behavior any better. But it does mean that his behavior is within normal parameters for a teenaged boy. He's annoying, certainly--but he's not doing anything that most people--well, most men--would consider terrifying, frightening or intimidating. Quite a few judges and lawyers would probably say that he was trying to get your attention because he likes you."
"He doesn't like me! He thinks of me as vulnerable! He said so!"
"And that's creepy, yes. Unfortunately, having creepily bad taste isn't illegal. Or an indication of stalking." Then she sighed. "Look. I agree with you. I think that your intuition is absolutely right--Patch is bad news. And I think that your teacher is an idiot for forcing you to sit next to him. But he hasn't hurt you. He hasn't threatened to hurt you. He hasn't made a series of non-stop calls or emails to your house. He hasn't approached you repeatedly in public places or public buildings--and there's no way that we can stop him from attending school or going to the library. As far we know, he hasn't followed you to your house or camped out on your parents' property. He's creepy...but within widely accepted parameters for young and/or socially clueless men.
"Personally, I'd like to give him a smack with a wet barracuda and then tell him to stay the hell away from you. But he's not breaking Michigan law. Not yet, anyway."
Spitefic: Resolve, Part 2
I did go to the nurse, and I did lie down. But once I was lying on the cot, I called 911. (After all, I didn't have the regular number of the Coldwater, Michigan Police Department on speed-dial.)
Once I got transferred from the emergency number to the regular one, I spoke to an Officer Lewis. She sounded like a nice woman. She even sounded as if she believed that Patch was sexually harassing and stalking me.
The tough thing was proving it.
"Under Michigan law," she explained, "stalking is defined as 'a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested, and that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.' That's straight from the statute.
"But that is how he's making me feel," I said, gripping my cell tightly. "He creeps me out. And he won't stop!"
"I know," she said glumly. "The problem is that he's a sixteen-year-old boy, and sixteen-year-old boys are known to brush against or run into girls just to get physical contact. They're certainly known for making sexual remarks. And no, that doesn't make his behavior any better. But it does mean that his behavior is within normal parameters for a teenaged boy. He's annoying, certainly--but he's not doing anything that most people--well, most men--would consider terrifying, frightening or intimidating. Quite a few judges and lawyers would probably say that he was trying to get your attention because he likes you."
"He doesn't like me! He thinks of me as vulnerable! He said so!"
"And that's creepy, yes. Unfortunately, having creepily bad taste isn't illegal. Or an indication of stalking." Then she sighed. "Look. I agree with you. I think that your intuition is absolutely right--Patch is bad news. And I think that your teacher is an idiot for forcing you to sit next to him. But he hasn't hurt you. He hasn't threatened to hurt you. He hasn't made a series of non-stop calls or emails to your house. He hasn't approached you repeatedly in public places or public buildings--and there's no way that we can stop him from attending school or going to the library. As far we know, he hasn't followed you to your house or camped out on your parents' property. He's creepy...but within widely accepted parameters for young and/or socially clueless men.
"Personally, I'd like to give him a smack with a wet barracuda and then tell him to stay the hell away from you. But he's not breaking Michigan law. Not yet, anyway."