As I walked down the narrow street of the suburban neighborhood that housed my first, I felt a gentle vibration. I picked up the phone and realized I had 7 missed calls, 3 capitalized texts and I'm pretty sure a very vulgar voicemail. The dialer was none other than my favorite person in the world...
"You rang?", I said sarcastically as Antonio picked up his end.
"ARIEL JASMINE WINTERS, HOW DAAAAAAAAAAAARE YOU SASS ME?! I HAVE CALLED YOUR TRICK ASS FOR A WHOLE HOUR! AND WHY DID I HAVE TO HEAR FROM THAT LOUD MOUTH, GOSSIPING TASHA THAT YOU LEFT WITH GREEN EYED DEVIL?! EXPLAIN BITCH"
"WHOA, slow down. Everything will be explained but did Tasha really tell everyone?"
"Bitch, EVERYBODY at Oliver High knows Julian hit you like a half empty ketchup bottle.... GIIIIRRRRRLLLL the whole school is sipping your tea with their pinky fingers pointed towards the almighty. I've been doing as much damage control as possible, but you know I have to beat this face before my debut.... and since we are on this subject, WHY IS YOUR SEAT EMPTY?"
Antonio being the talented thespian that he is, scored a supporting role in our high school production of "Hamlet". I've had the pleasure (though sometimes torture) of listening to him run lines from one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. Today was the day before spring break which also served as the day of the drama club's spring recital. And because of Antonio's "pull" (as he put it), I had a first row seat to the "greatest production ever" (again, Antonio's words).
After several sentences of assurance that I'm in good health and 2 swears and 1 pinky promise to release the details, I picked up my pace and hurried to the halls of Oliver High. With every step I prayed that my uniform didn't reveal the imaginary scarlet letter that my brain so effortlessly etched on the chest of my emerald polo. I wondered how the masses would take my shuttle into what I thought was womanhood. Would I be labeled a slut or a proud sexually active female? What ever the fates have in store, I could not control, but what I did have full control over was how I viewed myself. I chose to think of myself as a woman, a proud queen. I pushed my nose in the air, hiked up my khaki skirt and catwalks in my 3 inch heels. The Queen had arrived.
YOU ARE READING
The Phoenix and the Flame
Ficção GeralA novel following the life of Ariel Winters and her gay best friend Antonio Vaughn.
