Song of a Sophomore

CHAPTER 17 - Breakfast at Tiffany's

"Who wants to go first?" Mrs. Tuttle ask the class. Everyone groans. "One minute to tell us your name, your grade and five interesting facts about yourself—your favorite season, your best vacation, hobbies, favorite book, movies, TV shows, whatever you want."

My mouth goes dry and the palpitations of my heart are followed by a cold sweat which rolls like an earthquake throughout my body. I brace for it. Yes, the boa constrictor is taking hold of my lungs now and squeezing them to dust.

Oh my, God. I. Can't. Breathe. Silent cries echo inside my head.

Yes, you can. It's the voice of the cheerleader chick coming in loud and clear. Chill out, it's just a quick talk.

I breath deliberately and visualize pushing the snake away with each exhalation. It isn't working fast enough.

"No volunteers? Fine, I'll go first. My name is Peggy Tuttle. I'm 36. I have two sons and a baby girl on the way. This is my tenth year teaching. I teach eleventh grade English and public speaking. I graduated from Monroe High School and the University of Virginia. I like cooking and reading mystery novels." She smiled. "See? Wasn't that easy?"

"It wasn't a whole minutes Mrs. T.," Leo is quick to add.

"Then, why don't you show me how it's done?"

Leo nods and smiles as he walks to the front of the room. Totally calm. No voices arguing in his head.

"Good morning, ladies and gentleman." Leo presents a sly, one-sided smile. He tosses back his black corkscrew curls to reveal a diamond stud earring. He buries one hand deep in the pocket of his navy blue corduroy shorts and reaches out melodramatically with the other. "And, Mrs. Tuttle, thank you for this opportunity to address the class."

"No. Thank you," she says with an outstretched hand.

"I'm Leo. Like DiCaprio." He winks. "My sign is Leo too. I enjoy long walks on the beach. My idea of the perfect date is dinner and a movie, followed by some dessert at my house, if you know what I mean—"

"Enough!" Mrs. Tuttle chastises as her students suppress their laughter.

"Just warming up the crowd, Mrs. T." Leo cracks his knuckles.

It is obvious his infectious grin and well-timed winks are the first step in an attempt to charm his way through the semester. It seems to be working. Our classmates hang on his every word. Sure, Leo is annoying and cocky, but his personality is magnetic. He oozes self-confidence and charm. Total self-mastery. I yearn to be so comfortable in my own skin.

Suddenly, the fire to reinvent myself burns brighter inside of me. I can't charm the audience with a wink and a joke like he does, but I could be the cheerleader chick—the version of me I'd always dreamed of. Someone who holds eye contact for longer than a few seconds, speaks with a confident smile, and enjoys the spotlight.

I'll have to fake it.

"All right. Like I said, I'm Leo. I've played lacrosse since I was nine and joined a travel team a couple years ago. This summer we played in a tournament in Canada. It was pretty much the best trip I've taken so far, although I want to visit Europe and Africa someday. I plan to go out for the swim team in the winter. I just started my first season of football as a receiver for the J.V. team. I'm really into music—hip-hop, rap, alternative—you know, everything from 2pac and Biggie to Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and R.E.M. One of my hobbies is learning about magic—street magic, card tricks, illusions, that kind of thing. Plus, David Copperfield has a really hot girlfriend, so there's a future in it."