Difference

Chapter 1 ~ Marilyn's POV

  "Mary! Come on! You're slowing down your partner!" Mrs. Haggard yelled thru a bullhorn that had no effect on the volume of her shouting.

        "I'm doing the best I can!" I yelled back in between pants. I sucked in a deep breath and ran as though my life depended on it, and surpasses every one ahead of us. I touched the wall and decided I would die, right then and there.

        "Great job Mary!" My best friend Emily praised. Running was never my strong suit. Having short legs had never made it easier. I'm really short at only 5 foot 2. My partner was a giant at 5 foot 11.

        "Better luck tomorrow teams." Mrs. Haggard said to the other 8 pairs of girls. She turned to me and Emily. "These two are exempt from tomorrow’s class." She smiled at me. "You okay there Raider?" She asked. I shook my head no and cut apart the zip tie connecting me to Emily. Mrs. Haggard walked off for a moment and returned with a large bottle of water and a cold damp towel. "Here. You two head down to the nurses office for a little while. I'll write you a pass." Mrs. Haggard was not only the gym teacher, but my floors Den Mother. If one of us got hurt, anywhere, her pay got docked.

        Emily and I walked out and up the stairs to Nurse Delia. She smiled as we walked in and pointed us to the sick room we usually occupied on Tuesdays and Thursdays after gym.

        "So have you met the new boy?" she asked me. I shook my head and lay down on the uncomfortable chair that resembled a dentist's chair. "His name is Trenton. He's a senior. My god, he’s so cute. I can’t tell what’s different about him, though. He seems so normal, but he’s here so he can’t be, you know?” she rambled on.

                “Em?”

                “Ya?”

'               “I don't care.” I whispered.

                “But-“she kept on

                “No, Emily. I’m just trying to get by for the next three months. No boys, no sports, no distractions.” I put my foot down. Nurse Delia walked by the sick room and announced we had ten minutes before we had to go to our next class.

                “Yes Ma’am, Delia” we said in unison. I took out the book I had been reading and returned to the current page I was on.

                “Mary, could you please just be a teenager?” she begged.

                “I’m only 15. Two years younger than you, okay? I want to get out of here as soon as I can, then I’ll be a teenager.

                “But you’re so mature! You’re the only girl I know who wouldn’t be all up on that new boy.” She smiled and took my hand. “You’re so responsible; I just want you to have some fun.” She got down on her knees and put both her hands together, letting go of mine.

                “You’re seriously begging me to interact with a stranger. I don’t like new people. I don’t like people outside of you. You’re the only person I can stand to be around all the time. How am I supposed to even talk to him? If he’s as cute as you say so, then why would he even want to be around me?” my response left her speechless, with nothing to retaliate.

                “Fine, but you need to at least go to the dance tomorrow.” She reminded me of the date. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.

                “I don’t have anything to wear.”

                “I had a dress ordered for you. No need to thank me.” She winked.

                I grimaced at her toothy grin “Oh trust me. I’m not going to.”

                Our break had expired and we returned to class, now science on the third floor. Mr. Williams cleared his throat as we walked in, just like every other running day in gym, and said something along the lines of; “glad you decided to join us.” In the beginning others truly laughed at the old man’s joke. Now, six months in, everyone groaned, knowing it would go on until the last day of school. The old man wheezed about genetic mutation. 45 minutes later, the class was dismissed and Emily and I returned to Room 112. I jumped up onto the top bunk and grabbed the same book out of my backpack and continued reading it. It was only 8:30 when I finished the small book, and decided to turn in for the night while Emily was still painting her toes a bright red.

                I drifted off to dream land thinking about that Trenton guy. I wonder what he looks like. I wonder why he’s here. I wonder…..