For a little context: I (16M) work in a center for children with developmental disabilities. In normal work places, smoking in the bathrooms is a bad move. Here, it’s a HUGE no-no. Smoke can linger for a long time and in a 23 mile radius, if my memory serves me correctly. Even the idea could get you in trouble, whether it’s corrective action or straight up termination.
So, I told my co-workers I was going to use the bathroom, and I went and did my business, as you do. I had recently started menstruating, so it took a little longer than normal. All said and done, accounting for the few minutes it took to walk to and from the bathroom (it being all the way down a flight of stairs), it took about 10 minutes.
I walk back onto the unit – not my usual unit with my usual coworkers, mind you – and one of them, I’ll call her M, wrinkles her nose and glares at me. I ask her what’s up, and she says, “were you vaping in there?”
I shake my head and say no; I’ve never smoked or vaped a day in my life. She clearly doesn’t believe me and says the quote in the title. I’m try to think of anything to say that doesn’t sound rude or suspicious, because I know two things: one, I’ve never touched a vape, and two, vaping doesn’t stick to clothes like cigarettes or weed. I only know this because most of my friends vape, and never once have I smelled like smoke while being around them.
I end up just saying “Well, I wasn’t” because I couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t sound rude and overly mean, so we left it there.
At some point, M says she’s going to step off the unit, and very pointedly looks at me.
Turns out, she reported me to my fcking SUPERVISOR. The supervisor comes and gets me and makes me completely empty my pockets and searches me until she’s found nothing, as expected, and lets me go with a warning.
I’m sorry this is so so long but I’m so pissed. M risked my fcking job, a job I actually like and that treats me well, and had NO REPERCUSSIONS for wrongly accusing me. Fckin hell, man.