«Where are you? I'm standing outside the gym, and you're not here! 🥲😭😭😭😭😭»
I nervously typed out a message to Ishani. She was seriously late. Students were gathering outside the gym, dressed in cool athletic gear, especially the girls. As usual, I stood out with my outfit.
On Tuesday, I didn't have enough pocket money to buy gym clothes at the mall with Ishani and her mom, since the trip was unplanned, and yesterday I spent the whole day first at school, then at their house.
***
When I woke up in the morning, I realized that our stuff would only arrive on Friday due to some logistics issues (I bet mom will later sue them for a hefty sum for the inconvenience!). I looked pleadingly at mom.
"Why didn't you tell me anything yesterday?" Mom poured herself a strong coffee, yawning not like a real lady.
"Someone will be wearing jeans to P.E. today," Jess sarcastically remarked.
"Shut up, and don't choke on your flakes, Neanderthal." I replied indifferently.
Jess wanted to make a face but coughed instead. Mom patted her back, still focused on her coffee.
"Be careful with Melanie, she probably inherited my great-grandma's psychic abilities," she casually commented.
Jess (with milk on her face) and I were intrigued, as mom rarely talked about her family, but not this time. Mom didn't continue her speech.
"No big deal. We'll pick some up on the way to the supermarket today, and your stuff will arrive on Friday."
Oh God, anything but this! There's nothing more tasteless and dreadful than clothes bought at the supermarket: where did you get your outfit? Someone from school would ask me. Ooh, you know, dear, at that store between the aisle with household chemicals and garden tools! 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
"Ha-ha! You're gonna look totally epic, Mel!"
"Oh, look, it seems like you have a huge zit on your forehead! Wow, it's like you glued a tomato to your head!"
"What? No! Mom!" Jess ran to the mirror in the hallway. She didn't have her phone to look at her reflection 'cause mom snatched it for a few weeks.
Mom didn't even turn her head towards us, happily texting someone on her phone.
***
Now I was sporting a cheap black gym uniform that was too big for me. Even mom wasn't happy with our purchase, promising to take me shopping at the mall at the end of the month to update my wardrobe.
«Sorry, dude 🙇🏽♀️ I'm stuck at the dentist today, totally spaced on telling you 😬 Hang tight, I got your back! Damn, they're already calling me 😵💀»
I wrapped my arms around myself, tucked away in the darkest corner. It felt super lonely without Ishani. Being in a new place made me feel even more vulnerable.
"Let's bounce, ladies and gentlemen, no hanging out by the entrance!" a loud voice commanded. A woman in her thirties stood behind the crowd, kinda stocky with a solid build. She sported short hair with shaved sides, giving off serious WW2, 1940s male vibes. No makeup on her face.
"Who's that? Such a butch weirdo!" some chick beside me blurted out.
"Did we swap Mr. Jones for some new diversity LGBT squad?" someone whispered from the crowd.
Laughs and murmurs got even louder. I shrunk back into the shadowy corner. Sure, my hair wasn't chopped short like hers, and I wore a dab of makeup – lip gloss, maybe some Korean tint or highlighter – but they could easily lump us together based on one thing.
A whistle screeched. "Get your butts in the gym, pronto!" the woman barked. "Last one in does twenty push-ups!"
Everyone hustled into the gym, bumping into each other.
"We ain't in the military," someone tried to protest, but no one had their back. I had a feeling that woman couldn't care less about our rights.
"And where's Mr. Jones?" a scrawny nerd girl with huge ears piped up.
"Probably offing one of the students and turning them into a prop."
"Nah, bet he knocked up a student, now the FBI's after him," chuckled one of the jocks.
"And who gives a crap?"
"Maybe one of you, ladies," that big jock hinted at the cheerleaders.
"And where's your Bianca, Dick?" A tall, broad-shouldered guy from his crew raised an eyebrow.
"What's that supposed to mean, Lamar?"
A chorus of oohs filled the room.
Everyone scanned the place for Bianca.
A shiver ran down my spine. I knew it was all just teasing, but I couldn't shake off how Ishani used to trash talk her P.E. teacher.
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