Te-qui-La

1. *smile*

School was getting heavier with every breath I took. There's no fricking way I'll get this bunch of homework done by tomorrow. My classmates may as well change their names to "Shrek", what's the matter with them anyways it's not like I've done something to piss them off.

To be honest being a latina in a class where everybody else was american, wasn't what Tammy thought of being in paradise. She had moved to Arizona after suffering the consequences of a non-accepted dictatorship back in Venezuela, and the people over here didn't make it easy on her either. Tammy had to deal with constant verbal and sometimes physical harassment, and all due to being venezuelan.

However, despite the horrible things they did to her, she continued to make whatever they asked her to, homework, projects and anything else. What could she say, eight graders are tough.

Now, after six extreme hours of algebraic equations she decided it was time to go to bed. While she stared at the neon star stickers her brother pasted at the ceiling of her room, she couldn't help but wonder if there was anything she could do better; maybe clothes from a better brand, polish her english until she sounded like one of them, wearing contacts so they wouldn't pick on her because of her deep brown eyes and even bleaching her hair so she could stop being a brunette among blondes. Even if these thoughts seemed innocent she kept on telling herself that one day they'll accept her, and meanwhile she would just keep resisting.

The night passed and another day started, Tammy was nervous, she had done math homework for half of her class and was having second thoughts about a couple of exercises. Her brother Samuel and her were at the bus station, 5 minutes earlier as always.
"You know I'm not blind, right?" Samuel said after she yawned
"Well yeah, I'm pretty sure that became very clear after the whole bathroom situation."she said in the middle of another yawn. When they were 12 his brother got his first girlfriend and at the same time some human reproduction lessons at school. He claimed not knowing anything about girl bodies so he thought the best way to "gain some wisdom" was to hide in the bathroom before Tammy went in, so he could analyze her. "Desperate times requires desperate measures" he said when she found out what he had been up to.
"That's not what I'm talking about, Tamara." She whistled mockingly after he called her by her full name, he only did that when he was mad at her.
"Oh?" Tammy turned to her brother and he sighted.
"I know what your up to, sis. And it's not nice seeing how a bunch of bullies pass over you and you decide to let them, this is not you. You're better than this." His voice was suddenly completely serious and full of pain. She hugged him briefly and poked his cheek.
"I'm not letting them pass over me, Sam. I just think it's better to keep a low profile when it comes to school, out of that you know I'd never behave this way." He ruffled her hair and nodded slowly.
"Please take care Tammy." After that he went back to his glaciar-like face.

The bus arrived and they went to seat with their friends, or in Tamara's case, the seat next to the door, this way she could scape easier when the bus arrived in school. The bus ride was frustrating, everybody talked and laughed with their friends while she rested her forehead in the cold window. She closed her eyes and imagined a world where her classmates were nice to her, and who knows maybe even get a friend.

After jumping out of the bus Tammy walked to her homeroom class with her eyes sticked to the ground. She walked so fast she didn't realize she had bumped into someone. She panicked and looked up quickly to apologize. She opened her mouth but the stranger talked first.
"Oh God I'm so sorry, are you okay?" The girl touched her shoulder with concern filling her eyes. Tammy analyzed her, she was tall and her roots were blonde, but she was no plastic girly girl who would've send her straight to hell if this same thing happened. She had half of her hair dyed in a heavenly lilac color while the other half had a minty pastel green. The girl was absolutely stunning, from where Tammy stood she could catch a silver glimpse in her tongue and in her nose, she thought those were piercings.
"I-its o-okay." She mentally palm faced herself for the ridiculous stuttering. But surprising her, the girl began to laught, even holding her belly.
"Really, I'm sorry. My name is Laurel, what's yours?" She said still chuckling.
"Um, Tamara. But people usually call me Tammy." The girl opened her eyes wide.
"Yuck! Tammy? What kind of nickname is that one?" She suddenly changed her disgust face to a panic one."Wait, are you part of the Fake Sunshine squad?" She said carefully. Tammy arched and eyebrow.
"What are you talking about?" She said looking around, people were staring.
"You know, those chicks over there." She pointed with her eyes at Tammy's classmates, who where sitting down in a white and pink picnic blanket checking their makeups in a tiny mirror. Laurel placed her index in her wide open mouth, making puking sounds. "Ew, it looks like their nails have a bigger length than their I.Q, so denigrating to all of us women." She sighted and then placed a radiant smile and looked back at Tammy. "So? Are you a falsie little sun ray?" She raised an eyebrow. Tammy laughed.
"Hell no! I'm more like the person who always gets sunburned." She shook her head. "And it's not nice" Laurel shrugged.
"Believe me, I've seen worse." Laurel noticed the longing look in Tammy's eyes and threw a surprise sound. "No freaking way! You wanna be like them! What's wrong with you?" She dramatically placed her hands in her head. "Been there, done that." She shook her head. "Not a great outcome, trust me on this one." Tammy looked at her.
"You know, we just met. I barely know your name" she said crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yeah, I know. But still, I'm giving you a valuable piece of advice. So much for the idea of recently meeting you. I should be the one to not trust you missy." She said calmly but firmly. "Who cares! Let's go living la vida loca!" She waved her hands in the air and began to sing the chorus of Ricky Martin's song.
"You're nuts Laurel" Tammy said chuckling. Laurel stopped and place a hand in her heart.
"I may consider myself completely outraged. I just met you and you already walk around my life hurting my feelings, what's next? Physical abuse? Because lemme tell you, I've got a black belt in karate." Tammy opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, not knowing what to say. Suddenly the look in Laurel's face changed, she began to laught. For the millionth time today.
"You should've seen your face! Oh my God, you went like this." She did a shock face with her jaw almost in the ground.
"Oh shut up, Laurel. Stop messing with me." Laurel placed her arm over Tamara's shoulder.
"C'mon, let's go give them something to talk about." And like that, they began to walk across the hallway, stealing lots of glances and even some surprise sounds.

After walking around together, Laurel and Tammy went to their first class together, History.
"Argh, this is so exhausting. Why should I fucking care about Louis the XIV? Go to hell you stupid monarch!" Laurel complained. Tammy wasn't completely focused on whatever the Sun King had ever done, Mrs. Dwen's voice was like a lullaby to her tired self.
"Okay, I'm out. You coming?" Laurel stood up with her hands in the aire, she grabbed her bag and turned to Tammy. "Hey, this no sleeping time, we're in History, well I was in History." She turned to the teacher." First five minutes and puff." She mad an explosion with her hands."Way to go Mrs. Dwen, you historically cooed me, now I can peacefully go to another place to sleep." Tammy opened her mouth, she tilted her head to look at Mrs. Dwen, her face was turning red. "See ya!" Laurel opened the door and stepped out. Everyone in the class sighted in relief, Diane Dwen wasn't exactly the personification of sweetness when she got mad. Then, as if it hadn't been enough, Laurel poked her head through the door. "Oh, and by the way. Nice blush." She winked and then, she left. Tammy giggled and covered her face trying to resist the urge to laugh frenetically. Laurel is definitely crazy.