Of course, it landed me in the vice principal’s office.

“You’re making too much trouble for this school.”

“And more will be made if you change the rule. I have support.” Which wasn’t coming from the GSA so much as from a couple of other people who were affected by it.

“I strongly suggest that you back down and pick a more suitable date.”

“I’m not going to do that.”

“You think because you’re emancipated and have already started on a career that…”

“No. I think that the First and Fourteenth Amendments protect me.” The lawyer had given me some advice, explained the precedents.

“We’re changing the rules to protect our students from predators.”

I laughed. “If you think my seventeen year old girlfriend is a predator…she was at this school. You know.”

“She thinks she’s going to teach, doesn’t she.”

So, he was going to… “If you try that, well, neither of us has any real reason to stay in Washington. We don’t plan on it long term anyway.”

“I’m sure I could make it difficult for her even so. Pushing to…”

“We’re the same age. And of age as far as DC’s concerned.” DC was a sixteen jurisdiction.

“Which you know isn’t the point.”

“If it was the point, then you wouldn’t be discriminating. Changing the rules is legal. That doesn’t make it right.” Especially as they’d promptly change it back once I’d graduated. I knew that for sure.

“If you press on this…”

“I’m almost graduated. You going to stop me from walking?” I dared him to make the threat.

“I’m sure I can find something on you to embarrass you.”

That threat bothered me. “You deserve to be fired.” I wasn’t content with just stopping the rules.

This vice principal needed to be fired. I wondered what the actual principal thought, but she was a non-entity checking off the days to retirement. Maybe she would do something.

Most likely she wouldn’t.