17 ~ Calum
"Yes, yes." I nod vigorously, Thomas reminding me again all the points we've gone over for the debate. " I know."
"I'm just trying to help you." He says, raising his hands up slightly to my defensive words.
"Well you're just making me more nervous." I snap, a small shudder running down my spin as my nerves intensify at the mention of them.
"Okay, well...I'm sure you'll do fine." Thomas says softly, sounding like he was trying to convince not only me, but him self.
I take a deep breath before sending him a small smile and turning the corner, finding myself near the school parking lot.
I give a small tug at my collar, which was tightly clasped around my neck. How do people manage to wear these everyday?
It felt as if a hand were grasping my insides, and a fire nipping at my skin as I catch sight of the debate class room, and the girl in it.
Valerie's black and red hair stand out against the white wall, my eyes automatically flickered to her. She smiled at me, causing the hand grabbing my stomach to turn, and the heat on my skin rise.
I take a deep breath, as Thomas' friends who were named Liam and Niall approach me with great welcoming smiles.
"Alright, Thomas?" Liam asks, concern etched on his face. "You seem a bit tense."
I push my thick-rimmed glasses up my nose, not used to them yet. "It's just the debate." My tone airily.
He nods, standing back slightly as Mrs. Strickland stood from behind her desk, clearing her voice with a small 'hem hem'.
The room fell silent, a thick eagerness was in the air, making me feel as if the walls were slowly closing in.
I've got no idea why this was so nerve racking for me. Maybe it's because I know I don't belong here, I'm not Thomas, though everyone thinks I am.
Mrs. Strickland was moving her hands while talking, but I was not paying attention, more focused on how to get out of debating.
It's my own fault for suggesting this, I shouldn't be here. This whole room is full of people who are so much smarter than me.
This room contains future scientists, doctors, astronauts, and what ever it is smart people do for a job.
But then there's me. I feel stupid, my brain contaminated compared to these people.
I don't want to go In front of them, as my brother and make him seem stupid. It's worse that he had to choose the side I disagree on.
I don't think the death penalty is a good thing. It's horrible to-
I take a sharp intake of break as Niall's elbow is jammed in to my ribs, hissing "Thomas, go."
"What?" I ask causing people to giggle, clearly aware I wasn't listening. The hand gripping my stomach was now yanking and twisting rapidly, causing the butterflies to swarm angered at the commotion.
Mrs. Strickland smiles sweetly, not caring that my mind wasn't focused on her. "It's your turn, dear. Come on, don't be shy now." She gestures with her hand to the front of the class.
For once in my life, I understand what Luke complains about after having to step in front of people.
"O-oh yeah" I force a smile, grabbing my index cards Thomas had scribbled out for me last night.
"You have the call" Mrs. Strickland says as I walk into the front, behind a podium that has the sign 'Agree' taped to the front. "To go first with your claim, or your opponent." My mouth dries as I look to Valerie behind the 'Disagree' podium across from me.
"She may go." I straighten my back, not expecting my heart to race so intently. Anger flared in me.
What's wrong with me? Why does she make me feel so...so-
"I believe that the death penalty is the absolute worst way to punish people. It's cruel and inhuman. It also gives the government the power to take life from people legally, which doesn't give us full 'free will'." She says confidently, tossing her hair behind her shoulder and raising and eyebrow at me.
"Your claim, Mr. Hood." Mrs.Strickland says, her face. Seemed impressed with Valerie's words.
" I know that the death penalty is an extremely appropriate punishment for criminals that desire to throw away their humanity and free will to murder, rape, kidnap, torture, or comment any other high-class crime. It gives the government the power to protect citizens, rather than limit there free will." I glance at the cards, using the main ideas Thomas wanted me too.
Valerie's face twisted slightly, and she steps out from behind her podium, a determined look on her face.
"So you're saying to better to let America have less say in whether a person gets to live or die, and let the government make the decision? The history of racial, ethnic, and sexual bias and discrimination is unavoidably evident in the decision in to spare or take the lives of some of these 'high-class' cases, and you're alright with that?" She asks, her face starting to flush in passion.
I step out from behind my own podium, leaving the cards. I felt like I had to prove her wrong, even if I agreed with her.
"What I'm alright with," I pause, my voice steadily becoming more confident. "Is that it's common sense. The death penalty helps lessen the amount of Murders and other high-class crimes by fear. Most people fear nothing more than death. Therefore, nothing else will help scare them from committing the crime than the death penalty. People aren't scared of The life penalty, most actually prefer It to the death penalty, otherwise people would plea for death than Life. So it's important that the execution of murderers continues, or else there will be far more murders." I say, a slight smirk at the end of my statement.
Valerie takes in a few deep breaths, taking a small step to me. "There is no credible evidence that the death penalty lowers crime rates, that may just be your own 'common sense.'" She pauses, taking small steps to me, her voice increasing in coldness. " Retribution is simply another word for revenge, and the desire for revenge is one of the humans, lowest but yet one of the strongest emotions - Perhaps sometimes understandable, but really it's just irrational. To kill someone because they had killed someone close to you is simply to try and fix violence with more violence, with ultimately destroys the whole point, to find justice. The statement that execution somehow gives people closure, is false. It's leaves you hollow. There is honestly no point in having the death penalty in America's justice system." Valerie finishes, now having moved across the room, significantly closer to me.
I take a small step to her, my eyes looking over her now red and angered face.
"It is justly ordered that each person receives what is due to them. If someone takes the liberty, rights, or even life of another, they then make themselves undeserving to there own. They deserve a punishment equal to the the crime that has been committed. This is retribution, not to be confused with revenge, which is guided by a completely different motive. Retribution is answering the correct justice with the equivalent injustice for the public good." I say, surprised at all the sudden facts pouring from me, without the note cards.
Valerie's mouth was hung slightly open, before the snapped it shut her lips in a think line, our bodies only 4 steps away.
"So you want to sink down to the level of the criminal? Huh?" She asks, taking another step to me, her eyes burning intently. " Punish murder with murder so then you also become a murderer? It's like you said, 'answering the correct justice with the equivalent injustice', killing the murderer causes you to commit an injustice, so where is your equivalent? Who will kill you?" She hisses, her calm stature was long gone, replaced with a ridged and determined one. "It's completely unjustified."
I opened my mouth to rebuttal her argument, however Mrs. Strickland's voice caused me to pause.
"It looks like we are out of time for today," she says, seeming greatly impressed by both of us. "I need all votes for who's argument you think was better turned in before you leave."
I felt oddly satisfied. I thought that debating on something, especially since I didn't agree completely, would be boring, and a waste of time.
However, I felt much calmer, it made me feel smart and I got a chance to vent.
"That was really good," Valerie says, walking up to me. "Especially since you didn't agree with what you were saying."
"Excuse me?" I try to seem more offended than surprised.
"Here." She says, handing me my cards. "Someone who really believes in what they are saying, doesn't need cards to get there point across".
Just as I was about to respond to her, A hand clapped me softly on the back, turning my attention to them.
"Mate, that was really good!" Niall's Irish accent congratulated me.
I smile, and sling my back over my shoulder."thanks."
"Yeah, Thomas, that was amazing." Liam said warmly, however it didn't make me feel warm at all.
It reminded me that I was Thomas today and that nobody would know that the slack off Calum could ever be that smart.
It reminded me why I didn't have a tattoo for the person I was pretending to be.
It reminded me how I'll always be beneath him, inferior compared to him,
How I'll always be jealous of Thomas.
-
A|N
Long chapter today! Do you like?
What are your opinions on the death penalty? Who do you think won the argument?
Any ways, I've decided to push some things back to the next Calum POV so they 'will be each other' for another POV of each! Hope you don't mind!
A storms brewing.
Love y'all!
❤️❤️