“It’s a human!” they cried.
I sat on the steps. “What are you playing?”
“We’re sea nymphs,” explained Carmella, peeking out from behind an azalea. “A fisherman caught us in his net and took us to his hut. He believes we have the magic to grant him wealth and eternal life. We escaped, but we need to find our way back to the ocean. And we’re terrified of human beings.”
“Want to play?” asked Harmony.
“Yeah, play with us,” said Carmella.
“No thanks…. Well…sure!”
“We’ll get you dressed,” said Harmony. By the time Harmony and Carmella had wrapped me in silks and woven flowers into my hair, Peggy was calling them in to get ready for their dance class. I sat on the steps, still in costume, with Banjo sleeping at my feet.
“Interesting outfit.” I turned to see Chord standing at the fence. “Hey, guys, come here. You won’t believe your eyes.” Zander, Jazz, and Sharp appeared next to Chord.
I felt awfully silly but put on a good face. I stood up, bowed, and said, “I’m a sea nymph trapped on land and searching for the ocean. This is my sea horse.” I gestured toward the sleeping dog.
“You’re weird, Jane,” said Chord.
“Actually, she’s not. She’s as normal as they come, which is what makes this weird!” said Zander, shaking his head. Why did I feel he’d insulted me by calling me normal? Wasn’t normal good?
I scratched Banjo’s neck to hide my embarrassment.
In second period on the first day of eighth grade, Emma slipped into the seat next to mine. “How’s it going?”
“Okay. Chase was in my science class. He looks as good as ever. But we have assigned seats and I’m in the front row. He’s in the back. He didn’t even speak to me.”
“And you’re surprised? Jane, he’s a snob.” Emma opened her notebook and wrote the date neatly at the top of the page. Then she looked at me. “Don’t forget about your goals. Did you write down all your assignments? I’m accepting no excuses.”
I yanked my homework pad out of my backpack and slid it across my desk. “It’s the second class of the first day. I have no assignments.”
Glamour
S omeone grabbed my arm as I scanned the school hallway looking for Emma. “Jane?”
I turned to see a tall girl whose hair was dyed so auburn it was nearly purple. I looked at her quizzically, saying nothing.
“Don’t you remember me? Second grade?” she asked.
“Um…I barely remember second grade,” I answered.
“I’m Jenny Danielson. Sat next to you. I’ll never forget the time you taped a ‘Kick me!’ sign to Mrs. Perkins’s back. She was furious. And you actually laughed. I though she was going to hit you.”
I studied the girl standing before me. “Jenny Danielson?” She was striking, even if it was mostly paint and dye and hair gel. Her makeup made her cheekbones look like they’d been sculpted by Michangelo, and her brown eyes were lined and shadowed like Cleopatra’s or those of some other exotic princess. Her hair was short and spiky and bold. “Didn’t you move away midyear?” I asked after sifting through my elementary school memories.
“Yeah. West Coast. L.A. and then San Diego. We’re back, though. My dad got transferred with his last promotion.”
“You look so different,” I said. “So stylish.”
“You haven’t change one bit. Even your hair is the same. I’d have recognized you anywhere.”
Self-consciously, I ran my fingers through my hair. “Never really thought about it,” I muttered.
“Jenny.” Chase McClusky slipped his arm around Jenny’s waist.
“See you around, Jane,” she said as she breezed away with Chase in tow. A few steps later, they both turned to glance back. I heard Jenny giggling. I blushed and walked in the opposite direction, choosing to take the long way to science class.
Dear Bubba,
Not another Barbie girl. Yuck! Even back in second grade Jenny Danielson acted like she was French pastry and I was moldy bread. And naturally,
I sat on the steps. “What are you playing?”
“We’re sea nymphs,” explained Carmella, peeking out from behind an azalea. “A fisherman caught us in his net and took us to his hut. He believes we have the magic to grant him wealth and eternal life. We escaped, but we need to find our way back to the ocean. And we’re terrified of human beings.”
“Want to play?” asked Harmony.
“Yeah, play with us,” said Carmella.
“No thanks…. Well…sure!”
“We’ll get you dressed,” said Harmony. By the time Harmony and Carmella had wrapped me in silks and woven flowers into my hair, Peggy was calling them in to get ready for their dance class. I sat on the steps, still in costume, with Banjo sleeping at my feet.
“Interesting outfit.” I turned to see Chord standing at the fence. “Hey, guys, come here. You won’t believe your eyes.” Zander, Jazz, and Sharp appeared next to Chord.
I felt awfully silly but put on a good face. I stood up, bowed, and said, “I’m a sea nymph trapped on land and searching for the ocean. This is my sea horse.” I gestured toward the sleeping dog.
“You’re weird, Jane,” said Chord.
“Actually, she’s not. She’s as normal as they come, which is what makes this weird!” said Zander, shaking his head. Why did I feel he’d insulted me by calling me normal? Wasn’t normal good?
I scratched Banjo’s neck to hide my embarrassment.
In second period on the first day of eighth grade, Emma slipped into the seat next to mine. “How’s it going?”
“Okay. Chase was in my science class. He looks as good as ever. But we have assigned seats and I’m in the front row. He’s in the back. He didn’t even speak to me.”
“And you’re surprised? Jane, he’s a snob.” Emma opened her notebook and wrote the date neatly at the top of the page. Then she looked at me. “Don’t forget about your goals. Did you write down all your assignments? I’m accepting no excuses.”
I yanked my homework pad out of my backpack and slid it across my desk. “It’s the second class of the first day. I have no assignments.”
Glamour
S omeone grabbed my arm as I scanned the school hallway looking for Emma. “Jane?”
I turned to see a tall girl whose hair was dyed so auburn it was nearly purple. I looked at her quizzically, saying nothing.
“Don’t you remember me? Second grade?” she asked.
“Um…I barely remember second grade,” I answered.
“I’m Jenny Danielson. Sat next to you. I’ll never forget the time you taped a ‘Kick me!’ sign to Mrs. Perkins’s back. She was furious. And you actually laughed. I though she was going to hit you.”
I studied the girl standing before me. “Jenny Danielson?” She was striking, even if it was mostly paint and dye and hair gel. Her makeup made her cheekbones look like they’d been sculpted by Michangelo, and her brown eyes were lined and shadowed like Cleopatra’s or those of some other exotic princess. Her hair was short and spiky and bold. “Didn’t you move away midyear?” I asked after sifting through my elementary school memories.
“Yeah. West Coast. L.A. and then San Diego. We’re back, though. My dad got transferred with his last promotion.”
“You look so different,” I said. “So stylish.”
“You haven’t change one bit. Even your hair is the same. I’d have recognized you anywhere.”
Self-consciously, I ran my fingers through my hair. “Never really thought about it,” I muttered.
“Jenny.” Chase McClusky slipped his arm around Jenny’s waist.
“See you around, Jane,” she said as she breezed away with Chase in tow. A few steps later, they both turned to glance back. I heard Jenny giggling. I blushed and walked in the opposite direction, choosing to take the long way to science class.
Dear Bubba,
Not another Barbie girl. Yuck! Even back in second grade Jenny Danielson acted like she was French pastry and I was moldy bread. And naturally,
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