COMPATIBLE INDIFFERENCE

Chapter 2

I was born a Samantha. Better known as Sam by my peers. I've been peg with a few names in school. I think they thought I don't deserve a name just because I'm their favorite person's enemy. I'm better known as The-Girl-in-Jeans as no one ever saw me wear a dress or a skirt. The real definition of fashion is to be comfortable. I don't like those unnecessary flairs just to be called a girl. On top of that, I think those school events, where those garments are a must, were a way to publicize social inadequacies. So I skipped such traditions and played some games at the Jonas Arcade. My brothers taught me the finer things in life. More importantly, that's where I met my girls.

Jamaica who loves dyeing her blond hair is as strong-willed as I was but more vocal and loud. Her best friend since kindergarten, Louise, the dancer, is the gentler and wiser one. I first saw them bickering as they try to win a Totoro stuffed toy at the claw machine, that winter afternoon during our freshman year.

"We've been doing this for the 6th time already, Jam. Let's give up." Louise said while twirling her black ponytails. "I'm not giving up, Lou. That cute guy there should be in my clutches. I THINK THIS MACHINE IS A BUST." She hissed as she kept on slamming the controller when it failed to capture the apple of her eye.

Unable to help myself, I approached them and said, "I can give it a try so that you won't get yourself fined by destroying that claw crane." They looked at me in question until Louise exclaimed. "Yes, please! So that we can leave this place and get a warm pizza." I did say I'm not proactive, but if Jam kept demolishing the joystick, I wouldn't be able to play it in the future.

Jam moved away and gave me her 7th token. "You looked familiar." She said as she peered underneath my baseball cap. I shrugged my shoulders and positioned my hand on the lever as I calculate my prey. They were both holding their breaths as we wait for the claw to silently pick up the toy and drop it on the tunnel. Louise shrieked in delight, hugging me like an old pal as Jam jumped like a madwoman in the streets, her long dark auburn hair covering her face.

Louise gave me two more tokens to continue my quest with the now, new favorite claw machine. When I presented her the fruit of my two-minute labor, she handed me the 3rd Totoro I won for them. "That's yours. We're now officially friends. Let's go meet pepperoni."

It was the first time I truly smiled after moving to this town. I found out we're actually studying at the same school in the same grade. Why I haven't noticed them, I actually don't know. We started hanging out together, almost inseparable. That's when I realized I might like high school after all.

One morning, I arrived first in our Physical Ed held in the field. Jam picked both Louise and me way earlier than expected. So I decided to move my regular afternoon sprint to while the time that particular morning. Running is where I can exhaust all my teenage frustrations and burn unwanted calories as well.

The football team is already in the field doing some leg exercises. So I followed them through. I jogged for 10 minutes and started my routine. That's when I saw Jam hiding behind the bleachers talking to a sophomore guy dressed in his football gear. So that's why we were forced to come to school early. I took a quick picture on my phone and continued my run. It's going to be a fun lunch later.

That field witnessed many secrets and will discover more in the future. It's the same place where Coach Tony kept badgering me during my freshman and sophomore year to join the track and field team. I declined. I like a quiet life without the pressure of winning the school's name as the fastest in the district. Good thing, he stopped when I reached my junior year. He just sulks every time I waved him a hi.

We interrogated Jam about her new boy that lunch. With her strong personality, it almost seems questionable how Jam had the most number of boyfriends among the three of us. She's always outspoken about her demands as an independent woman but at the same time eyeing for a boy's attention. Louise, with the gorgeous Argentinian blood running through her, is more hesitant with the opposite sex. Surrounded by four sisters at home, I shouldn't wonder why. She would sometimes entertain some scoundrels but shrugged them off. That leaves those boys wanting her more. I, on the other hand, am untouchable. My reputation has closed all the doors for any possible romance in my high school life. Not that I'm looking or needing it. I've got a lot on my plate already.

In our junior year, there came an event when I almost thought my favorite nemesis and I might achieve civility. I received a hall pass from the principal, one September morning. Everyone in my Chemistry class looked at me curiously. Jam who is in the same class as mine texted me all throughout my way to the principal's office.

"Did you do something we never knew?"

"Details, Sam!"

"Maybe that thing in the boys' comfort room!"

"Shucks Sam, pls. reply!!!"

"Later, Mr. Levi..."

Mr. Levi caught her. But of course, she didn't fail to inform Louise who is on her Algebra II. I received another round of messages. 

"Mi Amor, what happened?"

"Jam is not responding so prolly got caught."

"Dio Mio, were we caught?!"

"The loo was empty!!!"

Yes, she's onto mixing different languages in her daily life during that time. I answered with a quick text, "Will let you know when I know what's cookin'. Later."

That made me think. Maybe that thing in the boys' comfort room, a fortnight ago. Well, it was done intentionally but it wasn't a crime. It was a call of nature.

The girls' comfort room was packed that afternoon. Our basketball team was against another school for an execution game. I tugged Jam and Louise to the boys' comfort room to pee because the other girl's bathroom was 100 meters away from the court. We found it luckily empty and almost clean.

Principal Jacobs has an obsessive-compulsive tendency. Her love for a pristine school is known but she was kind enough to allow a wall, by the Art Building, be filled with all the graffiti the students could muster. As long as we keep the rest of the school property vandal-free, she'd be happy. She emphasizes that self-expression is a must amongst our generation. That is why I have two ear piercings on each ear and the reason why Jam aims to complete the colors of the Crayola on her poor hair.

So what happened on that boy's room? Jam and Louise followed me inside but they went out immediately, uncomfortable. They conscientiously hovered by The Parchment's monthly bulletin across the comfort room to be my alarm. If a male specimen is on the way, they'd call my phone which was set on vibrate.

As I was leaving the cubicle after 3 minutes, I felt my phone ring multiple times. I instantly locked myself in again and heard the rush of heavy footsteps enter the comfort room.

"That was mad! Three fouls in 10 seconds!"

"Dude, McDamon got it bad!"

"You should have seen Wilson's face when Norman took the ball in a split second."

And boisterous laughter filled the air, followed by continuous taunts.

I heard the rustling of pants and that made me worried. I was thinking hard about how to leave quickly. Then I realized, I could just open the door and run away since it was just across my cubicle. Silly me. I sent a message to the girls that I'll be sprinting myself away from this inauspicious room.

I opened the cubicle's door quietly, never dared to look at a number of boys who had their backs on me. I had my eyes towards the exit. This is now or never. With my head down, I crossed my goal in two big steps. I felt my phone vibrating again as I opened the main door and conveniently ran into somebody. I cursed silently and looked up when I heard my name in a hushed whisper.