My Life Upside Down

Chapter Ten

If I thought the school whispering about me after vomiting in the hallway was too much attention, the rumours about Andrew and I dwarfed it. There was no longer a corner of the school where I was free of the disastrous incident and worse than that, Andrew had pretty much ghosted me. We talked just enough for the project and even with that, he found every excuse to keep our meetings to the bare minimum of what was required.

Luckily Terra stuck by my side, seemingly unaffected by the words that were flung in my direction. The vast majority simply called me a tease while the worst slung words I didn't believe women should be called. Terra was called it by association, after all, loose women hang out together, right?

I couldn't tell my parents about it. I worried it would cause Mom to once again clamp down on me. The world I was finally starting to discover would close in and it would be back to academics and building skills that would advance me in life. No more frivolity. No more fun.

So I just endured. For weeks I walked the halls and heard the whispers and put up with the rumours. In the span of one dance, I had gone from just another face in the crowd to the face in the crowd.

And I couldn't do anything about it.

"Here," Terra's hand appeared by my face on Friday afternoon holding a chocolate bar.

"Thanks," I took the candy as she sat beside me.

She brushed her fingers through her soft, natural hair, a sign that she was between getting braids. She had admitted that she hated waiting for them, and felt more visible than she already was. There weren't many minorities in the school. Even though I was only half Chinese, I was one of five Asian students. Tawnya and Terra were the only black students. I knew what it felt like to not fit in solely based on appearance.

Small towns.

"You looked like you could use a pick-me-up," Terra gave me a warm smile.

"Always."

I looked out the window of the cafeteria at the fresh skiff of snow that had fallen.

"November in Maine," Terra sighed looking out the window.

"This year is going by too slow."

Terra chuckled, "But when it's done, we're out of here."

I sighed then turned my attention to my friend, "How did filling out your college applications go?"

"Good. Some of them were tough but overall good." Terra smiled.

I knew Terra had high hopes of going to MIT, but also felt worried that she would fall short of their requirements. I, on the other hand, felt confident that she would get in. She was smart and driven.

"What about you?" She asked, "Dartmouth application in?"

I nodded, "In. Fingers and toes permanently crossed for us both."