Merlin's Curse

CHAPTER 13: Hottie Hayes

I stare at the electronic band around my wrist, unable to decide. I like boys and girls. But I have never considered liking a boy or girl. Not for a dance. Not for anything. 

"G," I say. "Why do we have to make a choice?"

"Ugh—go back to sleep," he replies, rolling over in his bed. "There's no class today."

But I can't—I'm not sure if I even slept. And then the message arrived. The one instructing us to configure our DanceX Slap Band. I've been staring at the options for an hour. "I'm too young for this," I complain. "Maybe we don't—"

"Merlin!" He sits up with an exasperated sigh and throws a pillow at me. "You don't have to choose. Take the -100 XP and don't wear the band or just select the question marks." Crashing back onto his bed, the mattress gives the tiniest squeak, much like the mouse he is—little G. 

"But that is choosing," I argue. "It's me telling the world I'm too good for this or that I don't know who I am—both options suck!"

"Then lie," G grumbles. "Isn't that your specialty?"

"Thanks—super helpful." I lay down on my bed and hold my wrist above my head. I circle through all the settings again. The plain black band displays a circular pink stripe for girl, blue for boy, pink and blue for BI, and a rainbow for PAN; the "??" option results in a white stripe with mini black question marks.

"None of them feel right. I hate this."

"Look, Merlin," G says. He lets out a long breath. "The band isn't about you. It's about helping anyone who feels marginalized or unaccepted. School dances are terrifying. I know how nervous you are. But have you ever thought about how I feel? At least you're tall. I mean, what girl wants to dance with me? I'm like a foot shorter than the next shortest person here."

"I'm sorry. I didn't—"

"Don't be." He sits up in bed and dangles his legs off the side. "Being short isn't something to be sorry about—I was just making a point. Now imagine how Randall feels about going to a formal with kids from another school and wondering if it's safe to ask a boy to dance."

"Randall's gay?"

"Ahhh—Merlin!" He slaps his forehead, smashing his bouncy tuft of hair.

"I know...I get it. Sorry. I'm being stupid." I let out a big sigh and stare at the stars on the ceiling. "I'm 11—what do you expect?"

He laughs. "A SIP of greatness, of course."

* * *

I gape at the vastness of the Great Hall and wonder how we'll ever finish decorating by 5pm. "Why did we get assigned balloons?" I ask, counting 12 support columns on the second level.

Zahir pats me on the back. "Come on man, did you think they'd assign Static Shock to electronics?"

"Fair point."

"At least we get to work together," G says. He takes an air pump out of the box of supplies I'm holding and a package of balloons. "I'll fill up the icy blue ones."

"I get fire," Isa says. "Because, you know...soy en fuego!" She strikes a pose until I throw the other pump at her. "Hey," she objects. But I've already tossed the large package of red, yellow, and orange balloons at her, too.

I smile. "Get pumping, girl on fire." 

She and G inflate balloons while Zahir and I struggle to string them together in a double helix of icy blues and fiery reds to wrap around each column. We can see our classmates from Doom and Contra working on the arches below. Luke looks up at me until Liam elbows him in the side.