Are you Diamond Quinn?

Working at the Midnight Terrace Cafe is "just the thing a woman like me needs," says the men of the world. Don't get me wrong I love working here, it's just I wish the men that came in weren't so pigheaded. Auchendale isn't the kindest place for a woman to live. Women have the lowest rights and it's been that way for centuries. We are seen as weak, dumb, insignificant, and worst of all lower than anyone or anything in this world. Animals get treated better than us. Woman have been fighting to be seen as equal for as long as the world was discovered to be round. And with all the progress with the laws, that were made to protect us, that is never held up in court, I'm here working in a man-run cafe, washing dishes, in a slutty bunny costume and I'm only 14. 

The women who come in ask me if I should be in school; I tell them, yes, but with the cards that God has given me I don't have time to go. I go whenever I can but due to my spotty attendance, I have the lowest grades in the whole school. The last day I went to school, our classroom was under construction, but we still had the class in that classroom. Anyway, my friend Ariella decided to tell me that someone at our school is going to be chosen to go to the top boys boarding school. I only laughed at her, there is no way the government would allow something like that. And for some reason, that's the only thing the women in the kitchen could talk about.

"Can you believe these women?" I looked over at my only friend here, Lasaly. She, in the mind of the average man in this town, is the ideal woman to marry. She doesn't speak her mind often and knows her place in the world. That being said she is fiercely independent, and when she does happen to speak her mind, which is rare, she will make sure she is heard. I mean unless you are her close and personal friend, then all bets are off and she will tell you everything that's on her mind.

"In what way are we referring to?" I continued washing the cups and plates as Lasaly puts more in the sink.

"How hopeful they are that some girl will be put into the boys' school." She sighs. "I mean don't they know that this is just a ploy for the government to show a woman, that they aren't smart enough to compete with boys on an academic level."

"Well that's rather opinionated, don't you think?" I chuckled slightly and she playfully pushed me.

"You know what I'm getting at."

"Yes I know what you are getting at, but it's someone from my school that's going to be picked. The times I've walked through that school, I've never seen not one girl with her nose, not in one of our craptastic textbooks. So whoever they choose it's going to be fun seeing the governments have their asses handed to them." I laugh and Lasaly only smiles and shakes her head.

"Lasaly!" I look to see my boss, the son of the owner, Demarcus. He's the only guy I know that treats every woman I've seen him talking to with respect. He's the guy every girl would die to have, except for Lasaly that is. I looked back at Lasaly and she winked and smiled at me. I only gave her a pointed glare as I wiped my hands on a towel and walked over towards him. 

"What's up, Demarcus?" I tried to keep myself from blushing as I talked to him. I hated having him see me in this outfit and I could tell he wasn't ok with the outfits the female employees had to wear either. 

"There are some guys out there asking for you." He scratches the back of his neck as he avoided looking at me.

"What are they looking for me for?" He just shrugged and left the kitchen. I looked back at Lasaly to find that she was listening along with everyone else in the kitchen and they all gave me a sympathetic smile.

It wasn't a good thing when one of the girls was asked to leave the kitchen it meant that we were being told to do something else, without our consent. Even though it's illegal, it's not like there's anyone here to enforce that law. Not for some good for nothing girls. God some parts of this job I just can't stand, but it's not like I could do anything about it. I took a deep breath and put on a fake smile as I left the kitchen. 

I continued to smile as I walked up to the customers standing at the receive "order" line. 

"Hi, I'm the Diamond Bunny, how may I help you?" I continued to smile even though it made me sick to my stomach waiting in anticipation for what they were going to ask me to do.

"You're Diamond Quinn?" I nodded and looked at the man with confusion nobody who ever ordered me knew my real name. "Can I speak to you for a moment outside?" I nodded once again as anxiety ran through my body. The man turned on his heels and headed for the door and I was obligated to follow. I looked back at Demarcus who was giving me a sympathetic look. As much as he is for women's rights and how much time he spends making sure all of us are comfortable, happy, and safe, he isn't strong enough to stand up against his father's rules, let alone stand by the laws that are supposed to protect us. I left the cafe with my head down and walked up to the customer from before. I stayed quiet as I approached him. "Sorry if you feel uncomfortable, it was just really loud in there and I wanted you to be able to hear me when I say congratulations."

"Congratulations?" I looked at him confused. "I don't understand what are you congratulating me for?"

"You are the chosen girl to go to Laguna Bay School for Boys." He popped one of those confetti poppers at me as I stood there staring at him. "I hope I didn't give you the wrong idea earlier. Truth be told, my boyfriend and I are huge supporters of women's rights and I was so excited when my boss told me that I would be the one telling you this."

"I'm sorry but you have the wrong girl." I couldn't help but laugh as I waved my hands. I mean what kind of prank is this.

"No, I'm not." He pulls a file from inside of his backpack. "Diamond Quinn: 14-years-old, 5 foot 3 inches, perfect hourglass figure-"

"It says that in there?" I tilted my head.

"Goes to school at Elk Creek Middle School, where she maintains a D average, suffers from anxiety, especially on tests, escaped from Starlight Orphanage at the age of 9, done various factory jobs before settling at Midnight Terrace Cafe at the age of 11, a few months after getting the job she found an apartment across the street from her job, where she now resides with her roommate Tiana Rudd, ." He closed the file and looked at me with a smile. "You're telling me that's not you." I didn't answer him. I could feel my face heat up after having my entire life summoned up in a few words in a file. "Sweetie, I even have a picture showing me who you are." He sighs. 

"This is ridiculous," I muttered.

"Excuse me."

"I don't have what it takes to go to some fancy school for boys. I'm the dumbest kid in my whole school. Why would they even choose me?" I ran my hand through my hair and ended up taking off the bunny ears I had to wear for my job.

"My guess is because you're the dumbest kid in your school, which might I add is in the poorest district in the whole city." I gave him a pointed stare as he raised his hands in surrender. "Hey don't shoot the messenger. I'm just here to tell you the news. The government wants you to fail, are you going to let them get away with that."

******

The rest of my day at work I spent silently. Lasaly asked me what was wrong, but I didn't answer her. How could I? I was basically told that because I'm the dumbest person in the poorest district that I have to ostracized for girls to learn their place. If I fail every woman in the world will hate me and if I win the government might silence or get rid of me to show their power. What am I suppose to do?