TALK HARD!

JD and Nora were having a quick smoke before school started when Nora could hear 
a conversation that Heather Duke was having that involved her. "Oh I hate Nora, 
she thinks she's better than everyone just cause she's dating JD." Heather Duke 
said to Heather Macnamara. 

"That bitch!" Nora yelled, then she walked over to Heather Duke and shoved her 
hard. Heather fell on the stairs. "What's your damage Nora?" Heather yelled 
standing up. "Oh don't play innocent with me I heard what you said." Nora 
yelled.

"Hey I can't help it if you're a bitch." Heather laughed. Nora punched Heather 
hard in the eye. She would have beaten her up more but JD grabbed her. "Let it 
go, she's not worth it!" JD yelled. "She started it!" Nora yelled getting 
angrier by the second. "What are you five?" Heather Duke laughed. Nora yanked 
her arms out of JD's grasp and punched Heather in her nose, blood poured from 
it. That's when Ms. Emerson came out.

"Arrest that bitch!" Heather Duke said holding her nose. "Heather shut up, you 
probably deserved it anyway; but Nora I am going to have to suspend you for two 
days. Ms. Emerson said. "That isn't fair; Heather Duke started the whole fucking 
thing!" JD yelled. "Jason keep that language up and you'll be suspended." Ms. 
Emerson said.

JD put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. "Like I give a shit." JD said then 
him and Nora got on JD's Harley and rode off to Nora's house. When he got there 
he walked Nora to her door. "Don't worry I'll do something about this." JD said. 
"What?" Nora asked. By that time though JD left. "Perfecto." Nora said 
sarcastically then she walked into her room and slept.

Later that night at 10:00p.m. Nora was tuning her radio to hear some music while 
she painted. She stopped on some random channel and listened. "This is Hard 
Harry coming to you live and in the flesh." JD said. "What the hell?" Nora asked 
as she continued listening. 

"Does anyone understand the point of school?" "We're supposed to be paying 
attention; but we're all really thinking "Why am I in here listening to this 
shit when I could be out having a smoke. "JD said.

"I don't believe he's doing this!" Nora yelled listening some more. "So call me, 
and tell me what you think...my number is 515-7240. JD said. Nora quickly dialed 
JD's number. He picked up the phone and answered it. "This is Hard Harry, care 
to voice your opinion on how pointless school is?" JD asked. 

"You having fun?" Nora asked. JD hung up. "Uh sorry folks, prank caller." 
"Um...I guess that's all for tonight, catch me every night at 10:00p.m." JD said 
then he shut off his radio set. Nora knocked on his door. "Hey let me in!" Nora 
yelled. 

"Shit, uh...one second!" JD said putting all his radio stuff away best he could. 
"JD this isn't funny, I know your there so let me in!" Nora yelled. "All right, 
I'm coming!" JD yelled then he ran to the door and opened it.

"What's with the radio show?" Nora asked. "Radio show?" "What are you talking 
about?" JD asked. "Cut the crap Jason; I'm not stupid." Nora said. "I know that, 
but I still don't know what you're talking about." JD said. 
"JD come on!" "I know you're that DJ guy, don't worry though I won't rat on you 
or anything." Nora said. "Look I just wanted people to know how things really 
are." JD said looking at the floor.  "Sweetie I'm up here." Nora said. 
"Sorry...it's just that I felt I had to do something, I...I guess it was a bad 
idea." JD said.

"It's a good idea, we'll see if it worked tomorrow." Nora said. "But you're 
suspended, if you're caught on campus Ms. Creswood will expel you." JD said. 
Nora put a cigarette in her mouth and lit it. "Fuck her, like I give a shit what 
she'll do." Nora said angrily. "Well I'll tell you what happened later 
tomorrow." JD said. "Tomorrow then." Nora said then she left.

The next day at school JD was sitting on the stairwell reading a book while all 
the other kids were eating lunch. This was when he heard Heather Duke's radio 
playing a tape of his show. JD then decided to skip the rest of the day and go 
tell Nora all about it. 

He rode over to her house on his Harley and climbed inside her window. "Hi." She 
said cheerfully. "You aren't going to believe this." JD said giving Nora an 
audiocassette tape. "This guy was selling a shitload of these, I bought one and 
he didn't have the slightest idea that I was "Hard Harry"...thank god for my 
harmonizer." JD laughed. 

Nora smiled at him and popped the tape in her radio. "You started something you 
know." Nora said. "Yeah but how long will it last?" JD asked. 

Later that night at exactly 10:00p.m JD started his radio show. About halfway 
into the show Heather Duke called. JD didn't know it was her though, she was 
crying and he didn't recognize her voice. "H-Harry?" Heather asked.

"Yeah caller, what's up?" JD asked. "I'm going to kill myself." Heather said 
sadly. "Whoa, now look I'm sure your life's not that bad." JD said. "You don't 
know what it's like, I'm anorexic...my...my friends make fun of me, I just can't 
deal with it anymore!" Heather yelled crying. 

"Well...uh...um...you...um I mean how are you going to do it, do you have a 
gun?" JD asked. "No I'm going to use my finger stupid!" "Of course I have a 
gun."  Heather yelled. "Well did you write a note, I mean when people find you 
they'll need to know why you did it." JD said. Suddenly Heather hung up the 
phone.

"Caller?" "Hello?" "Perfecto, now I'm depressed, fortunately though I'm to 
depressed to care." JD said then he paused for a moment. "Well this is Hard 
Harry, and caller whoever you are... well don't kill yourself things can only 
get better." JD said.

The next day JD rode to school on his Harley. Nora was waiting for him on the 
sidewalk. JD got off his bike and walked over to her. "Yeah?" He asked. 
"Teachers have been listening Jason, and that caller...well it was Heather 
Duke...she killed herself last night." Nora said sadly. 

"What?" She can't be dead...I... I never told her to pull the trigger or 
anything." JD said shocked. "Yeah, well you never said don't either." Nora said. 
"Shit!" "What am I supposed to do?" JD yelled. "Sweetie calm down, I'm sure if 
you explain it to the cops they'll listen." Nora said.

"Yeah cause cops are real understanding...they'll probably twist it around so it 
sounds like I pulled the trigger!" JD yelled then he put a cigarette in his 
mouth and lit it. "Well you can't just ignore this and hope it'll go away, you 
got to talk to someone!" Nora yelled as JD got on his Harley. "How about this, 
you're completely nuts!" JD yelled then he rode off. "Yeah well you make me 
nuts!" Nora yelled then she walked to her house.

That night at 10:00p.m JD started his show. "I didn't know she'd really go 
through with it...I..I thought she was bluffing." "Jesus I could've at least 
said "Everything will be better, just give life a chance." "But no, that's not 
at all what I said." "And to all you parents and teachers who blame me for it, 
well you can all fuck off!" JD said. 

"I mean why blame me when you don't even know what's going on." "You were young 
once, so why can't you at least listen to us?" "Really listen you know, not just 
talk out of your ass and say it's some phase or some stupid shit like that." JD 
said.

"Suicide is wrong, but the funny thing about it is how uncomplicated it is." 
"Now I'm not suggesting we all go out and kill ourselves, that's not what I 
mean." "Think of it though, here you have all these problems running in your 
head and you happen to have a gun...pretty easy solution." "But remember, 
there's always tomorrow." "Now to all those parent's and teachers who are 
listening think of this: "Sometimes being young is less fun then being dead." JD 
said then he shut his radio system off.

That's when Nora came in his window. "That was pretty deep." Nora said. "Yeah, 
look I'm sorry I called you nuts." JD said. "That's okay, look I know your just 
stressed and all." Nora said. "It's not Ok though Nora, I fucked everything up." 
JD said sadly. Nora hugged him. "The world's fucked up JD, not just you." Nora 
said.

"Oh that's reassuring." JD said holding Nora's hand. "You know what I mean, the 
world needs you JD, we need someone to speak out and tell everyone what's really 
going on...ya know TALK HARD!" Nora yelled. "Talk hard?" "I like that, it sounds 
powerful." JD said. "Well this whole thing is powerful." Nora said then she 
left.

The next day at school Nora and several other students were pulled into Ms. 
Creswood's office. "What's this about?" Nora asked. "Tell me who Hard Harry is 
and I might not expel you." Ms. Creswood said. "Fuck you!" Nora yelled. Yeah 
fuck you! All the other students in the office yelled. "Fine have it your way, 
you're all expelled, now get out of my sight!" Ms. Creswood yelled. 

Nora quickly ran out of the office and outside. This is where she ran smack into 
JD. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" JD asked. "Shut up and let me 
through!" Nora yelled tears streaming down her face.

"Nora what happened?" "What's wrong?" JD asked. "I got expelled cause I wouldn't 
tell that bitch Creswood that you're Hard Harry." Nora yelled. "What?" "That's 
bullshit!" JD yelled. JD...Nora started to say. JD interrupted her though. 
"Don't worry I'll take care of it." JD said. "Jason you aren't listening...I..I 
don't give a shit that I'm expelled, I'm glad in fact." Nora said sadly. "Nora I 
can say something to get you back in." JD said. "No!" "Just leave it alone!" 
Nora yelled. Then she noticed some yellow trucks that said F.C.C on them.

"Jason look!" Nora said pointing to one of the trucks. "That's fucking 
beautiful, I'll be arrested and my message isn't through!" JD yelled angrily. 
"Ever think of blowing up the school?" Nora asked JD. "What?" JD asked. 

"Maybe Veronica was right; I mean she was crazy; but maybe there was some truth 
in her message." Nora said. "I'm afraid I don't follow." JD said. "Think of it 
JD, the ultimate protest to a society that degrades us, fuck them all as far as 
I'm concerned!" Nora yelled. 

"You're serious aren't you?" JD asked. "It'll definitely get your message 
across, and there's nothing the F.C.C. or that bitch Creswood can do about it!" 
Nora yelled. JD smiled. "Why not?" He said as they walked over to JD's house. 
When they got there Bud Dean was standing in the door. 

"Go out with a bang son." Bud said then he got out of JD and Nora's way. JD and 
Nora ran to JD's room and JD set to work on his bomb. About 3 hours later he was 
done. Then he got out some duct tape and taped the bomb to his chest. "What are 
you doing?" Nora asked.

Plan B. JD said as he gathered all his radio stuff and put it in a pile. He set 
to work saudering and working on everything then Nora helped him take all of it 
out to his dad's jeep. In about a half an hour they had everything hooked up to 
the jeep.

"What are we doing exactly?" Nora asked. "Finishing this, we started something 
Nora." JD said. "We didn't start shit, this has all been you." Nora said getting 
into the jeep. "Well I need you to finish it...by the way do you know how to 
drive a jeep?" JD asked. Nora smiled at JD and floored the jeep. 

JD switched on his radio set. "Well it looks like your old pal Harry is a 
celebrity, now I need to ask a favor of all my listeners, I need you to meet me 
in the parking lot of our school." JD said. "What are you doing?" Nora asked. JD 
smiled at her. Then they zoomed into the parking lot. Soon over a hundred 
students, and F.C.C. trucks and police cars followed them. 

JD and Nora stood up in the jeep holding hands. "I just wanted to say that you 
shouldn't listen to what anybody tells you, hell you shouldn't even listen to 
me." "I want you all to find your own voice and scream it to the world!" "They 
can't stop you!" JD yelled. Suddenly Ms. Creswood pulled JD's microphone cord 
and he was silenced.

"Arrest these little pukes!" Ms. Creswood yelled. JD and Nora walked out of the 
jeep. The cops swarmed around them both and JD opened his gunslinger coat 
revealing the bomb. He hugged Nora tight and set the bomb for 15 seconds. "I 
hope that I changed peoples views on life." "Maybe I couldn't change the world 
but at least I tried." "That's all any of us can do is try." JD said sadly. Nora 
looked at the bomb. It read 3 seconds. "TALK HARD!" She yelled.


    Source: geocities.com/jadenslater1