The Melody of a Protagonist

Chapter 5- Second-hand Gym Shorts

                                                       Chapter 5.

 “Are you in this class?” called a voice from behind a sack of mixed balls.

“Ah, yes, I’m Hanna Samson; I’m new” responded Hanna, talking to a basketball.

“Do you have your gym uniform yet?” called the stifled voice, heading towards a storage cupboard.

“Umm, no” replied Hanna, scratching her arm, a little anxiously.

“Alright, I’ll get you one from lost property, just a moment.” The man strategically positioned the unsorted balls into the cupboard then headed out of the room.

Hanna looked around; the gym was split into two different sections. In one corner students were playing basketball and in the other volleyball.

“Here you are” called the man as he reappeared from behind Hanna, holding out a bundle of folded clothes.

Hanna took the blue and white garments from his hands. “Thank you” she responded politely.

“I’m Mr. Mitchell, welcome to the class. The girls changing room is right over there.” Mr. Mitchell pointed toward a brick room around the corner. “Please come and sit down when you’re dressed.” He continued, before calling over Hanna’s head “Alright class, two laps around the gym!”

A chorus of groans echoed behind Hanna as she headed off to the changing room, unfolding the white polo shirt and blue shorts as she walked. “JOSH” was printed on the inner seem of the shorts. Hanna frowned. The clothes were HUGE especially the shorts. Hanna undressed quickly and put on the lost gym clothes apprehensively. She tried to pull the ill-fitting shorts drawstring to maximum capacity; but they still hung low and loosely around her small hips. Hanna was happy that at least the large shirt seemed to cover most of her body, particularly as the top of her polka-dot underwear was exposed due to the bagginess of the shorts.

Hanna slowly re-entered the main room of the gym; holding her shorts up as she walked. She found an empty spot and sat down on the end of a bench near the rest of her class. Hanna gazed around, studying the other students curiously.

Mr. Mitchell was busy talking to a small group of boys who were standing between the courts; they seemed to be very interested in what he had to say. Probably sporting-types, Hanna concluded. A group of pretty looking girls sat together on a bench nearby; three were chatting animatedly whilst a few others were texting on their phones. A mixed group of mostly boys and a few girls were scattered across the basketball court; they seemed to be taking the game very seriously. The loud noises of competitive shouting and high-pitched squeak of sneakers on polished floorboards echoed through the room.

 Another much smaller group of students were mucking about on the volleyball court; chatting, playing with the net and trying to playfully hit each other with the ball whilst their teaching wasn’t looking.

Hanna turned her eyes back to the seated students. A boy was now sitting on the end of the bench near the group of pretty girls; he seemed to be staring at her rather fixatedly. They both looked away, catching each other’s gaze. He was a rather goofy looking teen; his hair was messy, his face dotted with pimples and small areas of patchy hair sprouted around his chin and upper lip. He continued to avoid eye contact and began to talk to someone sitting beside him. Hanna was almost certain he was saying something about her, yet she was curious, rather than self-conscious.

A small head with sleek black hair popped out from behind the boy. An Asian-looking girl smiled and waved at Hanna, Hanna waved back. The girl sprang to her feet and ran over to where Hanna was sitting, a friendly smile on her face. The goofy looking boy followed maladroitly behind her.

“Hey! I’m Miki” greeted the girl, energetically.

Hanna stood up, clutching her shorts “Hi, I’m Hanna.”

“This is Darren,” gestured the girl, pointing over her shoulder. The boy smiled and gave her an awkward sort of wave.

Miki looked down at Hanna’s discomfited grasp. “Can I fix those for you?” she asked, pointing toward the oversized shorts.

“Umm, ok.” replied Hanna, a little confused.

Miki took an elastic out of her hair and produced an odd assortment of pins and paperclips from her pockets. Hanna stood silently, watching in amazement as Miki managed to skillfully and flawlessly take the shorts in several inches in what seemed to be no time at all.

“We call her stitch” spoke Darren for the first time. “...Because she’s so good with her hands” he continued.

“Tha..Thank you!” exclaimed Hanna; giving an appreciative little half twirl in gratitude.

“Come hang with us, this lesson is a bludge anyway” smiled Miki, offering Hanna her hand.

Hanna gladly collected her bag and happily chatted with her new friends for the rest of the lesson.