Southern Charms

Poison Ivy

Sweat beaded on my upper lip and dripped onto the exam. No ink was smudged because I'd yet to write a single thing down. The room echoed with the click of the minute hand moving into its next slot. Only twenty-four minutes left. Twenty-four minutes to answer twenty-six questions, but I couldn't concentrate.

"Rose. Rose Wych!"

I jolted in my seat and looked up into the concerned face of Sister Maria. More wrinkles than usual crinkled around her lips and eyes. "Yes ma'am?"

"You look pale, dear. Is everything alright?"

If only I could tell her the truth, but alas- "Yes, I'm fine Sister Maria."

"Let me know if you need a pass to see the nurse."

My mother would have my hide. "Of course. Thank you."

I looked at the test and pretended to jot something down. Sister Maria's long, black gown and sturdy shoes hovered in my peripheral vision for another thirty seconds, but when her desk chair scraped across the scarred wooden floors, I dropped the pencil and began scratching at my forearm until skin built up under my nails.

"Rose, you're bleeding. Stop that." My best friend, Flannery, leaned across the aisle to grab my arm. "Is this poison ivy?"

"Take your test," I replied. "Your mama will skin you alive if you get busted for cheating."

"And I'll explain I was saving you from self-harm."

"Girls?" We jumped apart and stared at the approaching nun with guilty expressions. I tugged on the sleeve of my sweater to hide the damage to my skin, but Sister Maria's eyes were faster than my hands. "What have you done to yourself?"

"It's just poison ivy," I said, mentally thanking Flannery for her suggestion. "I must've picked it up while on break."

"Oh dear. This will not do. I'll have to speak to the Headmistress about getting the grounds cleansed again. You need to run along to the nurse. We can schedule a time for you to make the exam up later."

I nodded, handed her my paper, and packed my things. Flannery wouldn't look me in the eye- she knew I was not happy. My mother couldn't stand Nurse Della, and she'd been very, very clear I was not visit her again. Maybe if I walked across campus at a glacial pace, the dismissal bell would ring before I could reach her office.

"And Rose," Sister Maria said, "don't forget to get your pass signed by Nurse Della. It'll be required when you sit the makeup exam."

Well, rats. "Yes ma'am. I'll make sure of it."

With my plans thwarted, I darted across campus. Better to get the visit over with if it had to be done, and my arm was burning something fierce. It only got worse- salt in open wounds worse- when I stepped out into the late September heat and started sweating under my cardigan.

"Acantha Wych," Nurse Della shouted when I made it to her station. She heaved herself out of a rolling chair and wiped crumbs from her ample bosom. "What brings you to see me?"

The sound of my first name turned my polite smile brittle. I reached into my backpack and drew out the passbook. I seldom left class and still had most of my slips. Nurse Della took the pass and signed it with a flourish. No questions asked. Silence stretched between us until I sighed.

"I think I've got a bad case of poison ivy. Sister Maria would like you to take a look at it."

"Let's have at it," the school nurse said, popping a pair of half moon spectacles on her stubby nose. I rolled up my sleeve reluctantly, suppressing a hiss when I saw the violent streaks along my arm. I was gonna kill Willow. I'd bet good money and a wishing charm she'd not asked her mother for help at all.