A Feminine Look

Chapter One: The School Show

My name's Jamie, and I'm a fourteen year old boy, born and raised in the suburb of Hinsdale, Illinois. It's a really fun time in my life because I'm about to graduate 8th grade with high school on the lookout. All that separates me from the halls of Hinsdale East high school, is a long, fun summer...

However, there's still a week left till our graduation ceremony. And everyone knows that in middle school, all you do in the last week of school is pretty much watch movies in class. It's glorious! In Algebra class, we're watching "Wreck-it Ralph". A classic. To be honest, I wasn't really watching the movie, but rather doodling. I was a big fan of doodling and did so throughout most of my classes. Look, I paid attention and got solid grades, but drawing was really my passion. We were watching the movie, and I was sitting right in front of my friend Annie.

"Jeez Jamie, you're not watching?" she whispers to me.

"I've seen it before. No need to see it again." I say, looking down at my drawings.

She sighs. "You're missing out then."

Annie is my best friend. We've been close since we were three years old, and I really don't know where I'd be in my life without her. I'm a relatively introverted, reserved person, so having her frantic, outgoing attitude to cling on to was really useful for making friends and plans. Also, I'm an only child, so she kind of felt like my sister growing up – my loving but sometimes unbearably annoying sister.

Suddenly I felt something whip around and hit me softly in my face. Annie had grabbed my hair and thrown it in my face.

"C'monnnn! Watch the movie. I want to talk about it with you afterwards!" she said.

Annie really liked to bug me, as most friends do. But her main target was ribbing me over my straight, shoulder-length brunette hair.

Annie constantly told me how she wished she had my hair. I really didn't care. I always kept it long because I think it looks kind of bad-ass. I mean, think of all the cool guys in the 80s with long hair. It's a cool look that I think I totally pull off.

"I'll just braid it then if you don't watch the movie." she said assertively.

That shot me up. One thing I definitely didn't like was people braiding my hair, and she knew it. I always thought it looked too...I don't know, girly. Not that I'm the most masculine fella around, but I hate being confused for a girl.

I stopped doodling, put the notebook away, and turned my attention toward the movie.

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About twenty minutes later, our teacher, Miss Gaspin, turned off the monitor and walked to the front of the class. She instructed a student to turn the lights back on.

"Okay guys, being the last week of school – and for you 8th graders, the last week at THIS school – we put a little surprise together for you all."

The class fidgeted with excitement.

Miss Gaspin continued, "All I can say now is that we've got a special assembly just for the 8th graders. So at the end of the period, everyone's heading to the gymnasium.

The entire class buzzed with excitement.

"Oooh an assembly! What do you think it'll be?" Annie asked me.

"I bet it's an ambush on the 8th graders, and they'll tell us we have to repeat the grade." I responded.

We both giggled.

Eventually, the bell rang and everyone funneled out of their classes and, slowly but surely, the gymnasium filled up with 8th graders.

Our gymnasium was basically a basketball court, but there was also a medium-sized stage that overlooked it. Rows of chairs were already set up facing the stage, split into three sections. Having got there earlier than most other students, Annie and I sat in the second row in the middle section; it was a great view of the curtain hiding whatever our surprise was.