Pretty-UglyGal

10. Jasmine & Jade

The next I saw Tamara was for a brief moment at the caf, but in that short span of time she winked at me, and as she passed by with her lunch tray her hand accidentally grazed against my side.

My "friends", the Barbies practically screamed, " Watch where you're going vermin! Gross stay away from us."

However, all I could focus on were the goosebumps rising beneath my T-shirt where she had touched me.

.....

After lunch I tugged open my locker which always got jammed because it was well rusted. As it creaked open a yellow "SOS" note tumbled onto the blue floor tiles. I smiled inspite of myself, these letters felt rather fun, and friendly now I knew their messenger.

I gathered by chemistry textbook for next period, and my duotang before retrieving the sticky-note from the floor it read, "Want to get tea? I know a good place downtown. Meet you afterschool by the crab apple tree outback in the schoolyard. ;-)"

Did I want to go? I barely knew this girl. What would the Barbies think?

These questions spun around in my head like a whirlpool all afternoon, and I lost my attention in the lesson.

Finally, the bell signalled the end of the day, but I still had yet to come up with a resolution to my dilemma.

Just follow your routine. Don't take any risks. Just do what you always do. Be normal.

Yet, On the other hand I thought about how I dreamed of being free. Being myself. Doing what I Samantha Smith wanted to do. Not what would make the Barbies happy.

I gathered my books from my locker, and crammed everything inside my backpack. I was going to walk home as I always did.

Soon I had passed through the heavy wooden doors of the school building, and was walking on the same cracked path of the sidewalk I always took, ready to make the same boring journey I made every week day.

I felt a vibration from pocket, I removed my phones, and scrolled through the messages, "Where the hell are you?" I didn't recognize the number it must have been Tamara.

From the surge of thoughts I'd been questioning all afternoon one clear message arose so strong, and pungent I had to listen, screw it, and go for it.

I turned around, and walked back through the gates of the school, past the building to see a cross-legged Tamara sitting in the shade of an apple tree.

When she saw me she got up from beneath the tree dusting off blades of grass from her pants. I stood their watching her wearily not exactly sure what to say. Tamara put on a quilted bomber jacket, and from the jacket's pocket she removed a pair of head phones, and a Walkman which she placed on her voluminous mass of hair, and started the music. She picked up her teal bike which had been laying in the grass, and began walking across the field. She paused and looked back, "Are you coming?"

I paused for a moment, felt the urge, and sprinted to join her.

We didn't talk on the way there. I trailed behind her watching her bomber jacket sway. It was made of mis-matched patches; some patches had paisleys, some had geometric patterns, some were made of bright colours, and others were dull, and it was made of various fabrics: shiny rayon, sheer lace, rich silk, and boring cotton. It didn't coordinate whatsoever, but neither did anything else Tamara wore. Finally, we halted three, or four blocks away from the school, we boarded a bright red streetcar, and Tamara paid for us both with a swipe of her student card.

We sat behind a twenty year old looking girl; her pony taught, and high above her head.

As the streetcar slid across the city I saw the writing on the buildings change from English to what I believed to be Mandarin, and I saw lots of lanterns, and neon signs. We were going into the Chinatown district. At the next stop Tamara stood, and I followed her off the bus. At the corner of the street was a small, sweet looking place labelled "The Red Tea". Tamara, and I entered her holding the door for me to another world. The inside was not sweet, or peaceful as the exterior supposed it was sun yellow, and green, and red dragons covered the walls. Instead of booths for sitting, small circular coffee tables surrounded by stuffed blossom printed cushions substituted.

Tamara almost immediately fell to the floor by the nearest set of cushions, "This is it Sam."

I nodded awkwardly, but found the place rather wonderful, "So uhhm..."

"Yes," Tamara said as if I had asked a legitimate question, " I'll show you how it works."

Tamara waved at a chinese women with neat fringe, and a tight bun. Tamara lead me over to a wall covered with glass cabinets filled with herbs, " So these are all the teas," she gestured, "My favorite is Jasmine." She removed a red kettle from the cabinet, and proceeded to teach me the proper method of preparing, and serving tea.

.....

We sipped at our tea for a couple minutes while on the comfy cushions. I had selected green tea (plain and simple) , but I could still smell gentle, warm notes of her Jasmine tea. She looked up at me from over the rim of her tea, her eyes glistening,"Well now you know how to serve tea. Any questions?"

"Yeah, how did you know how to do that?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, "I saw a Netlfix docu about it, found it interesting, found this place, and asked if someone could teach me, and I've been coming here ever since. I find it relaxing."

"Not many people do stuff like that" I said.

"I'm also not many people" she responded.

.....

After tea we strolled down the street, and Tamara dragged me into one of her favorite shops. After digging around through jewelry she found what she was looking for. Tamara walked around behind me, and swept my straight blond strands back from my neck,

"What are you doing?" I said giggling from the touch.

"Here" she whispered.

I felt a cool metal strand against my neck, and looking at the mirror I saw a beautiful jade dragon pendant dangling against my chest.

Tamara then went to the desk, and gesturing multiple times to me bargained for the piece, "You see how good it looks on her? She must have it, it suits her. See the way it accentuates her blue eyes?" I blushed.

I tried to convince her that I didn't need it, but she got her way, "The trick is you have to tell them you have less money than you actually do, and you need a pretty girl."

"Did you just call me pretty?" I gawked.

"Yeah, actually I did. Hasn't anyone told you before?" she said straightforwardly.

I was getting really hot, I stared at the concrete hoping she wouldn't notice.

"Well they should." she said confidently.

.....

As I lay in bed later that night, reflecting on my day I couldn't stop thinking about her compliment. My cheeks still felt a little warm. I could almost feel her fingers against my neck from when she put the necklace on me. I twirled the cool pendant in my fingers almost unconsciously. Even though it was a bit awkward for me spending time with her it felt good, genuinely good. The kind of good I didn't feel with the Barbies.