I’ll be perfectly honest; I’m not a normal person. I think that a normal person doesn’t exist in this world. But I can truthfully say that I wasn’t expecting this. I could wake up and see Deryn Sharp from Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld pointing to the giant beastie that was known as the largest Darwinist airship/hydrogen breather outside and offering a ride, but truthfully, this was not expected.
Because by the mercy of Zeus, Sara Kim just asked me out. On a flipping date!
“Uh, err, Sara,” Insert nervous gulp here. “I’m a girl…” I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a girl’s face resemble a cherry so much in my life.
“Oh, uh, I’m sorry Suzie, I just assumed…” Sara stuttered and tried to get her sentences right as she did on her first day of school.
“It’s alright, on the fourth day of school, some girls were freaking out when I came into the locker room to change.” I told her. Sara calmed down. But honestly, how could that stop Brian from passing a remark?
“Suzie, if you want to look less like a guy, you shouldn’t wear clothes four sizes too big, grow your hair out, and stop hanging out with those eighth grade guys.” Brian told me. I turned to give him a glare.
“I wear what I want, short hair is easier to take care of, and the guys aren’t that bad.” I replied maliciously. I saw Gabby turn in her seat to talk.
We talked animatedly about which books were the best and wrote on our hands which ones we recommended to each other (I swear she nearly jumped on me for not reading the Hunger Games, and I threatened to call her every day until she read Zombies VS Unicorns). Our new and annoying substitute whose name I shall not say (so let’s just call her Sub) told us to look forward.
“Uh, you, look forward.” Sub directed at Gabby, who just said that Unicorns would win against Zombies (pshaw, as if).
“I know he’s very cute--” Sub started at Gabby who adopted a glare almost immediately.
“I’m a girl.” I interrupted. Sub just kept on going, much to my dismay.
“—I know she’s very cute--” Sub was interrupted again.
You know the sound when something that the entire class thinks is completely a ‘Kodak Worthy’ moment happens and just somehow they all get telepathy in less than a second and let out that ‘oooohhh’ all at the same time?
Yup, that’s what happened. And you know how you get that feeling when you just want to blast your headphones and leave the classroom?
I was never happy enough to hear that bell, because the moment it did, I played my iPod that had the left ear dysfunctional completely blaring SR-71 and ran the hell out of there. I was pretty sure I could hear other students complaining about how I didn’t run that fast during Field Day, but I could care less. I ran over to the gym for my class, but all we did was talk to others or watch a deadly boring movie.
The next couple of classes, I was pretty sure that there were these guys trying to rile me up through my headphones, but increasing the volume made them give up. The periods consisted of resting my eyes and listening to the lyrics of the song “Wondering” by Good Charlotte. I walked into the lunchroom, completely expecting to see my eighth grade friends crowding the table and telling Giraffe that he should ask Sabrina out already.
The table was completely empty. I just remembered that the eighth graders were having graduation right now so they weren’t here. So I just sat there and laid my head on the table while listening to “Fighting” by Yellowcard. Nobody wanted to join me. Frankly, I had no idea that the last day of school would be the worst.
The last two periods went by quickly, but during last period, Brian and Mark thought it would be funny to throw sunflower seed shells at me. I glanced back after the first two, but the third one made me go up to Brian and tell him that once the period was over, school was out, and I was going to hit him. I knew that this was false, but the shells stopped, so I was satisfied.
“Hey Suzie, I heard a girl asked you out.” I turned to see Jake. Jake had teased me since elementary school, and frankly, I hated the guy.
“You couldn’t get asked out if you tried so put a cork in it.” I told him. I really didn’t need this today.
“Hey Jake, this morning the substitute teacher thought that she and Gabby were dating.” David told Jake.
I knew at that moment that Jake was part hyena by the way he howled with laughter.
I kicked him in the shin and turned up my music to its maximum volume. I paid no mind to the fact that my ear drums were completely raw. Who knew that the last day would be the absolute worst?
When I walked by Jake, he stuck his foot out to trip me. I missed it but only barely. I stumbled a little, but I gained my balance enough to run. What did I expect; this was Jake, the guy who ripped my homework whenever he was supposed to pass it to the teacher and only held it with two fingers like it would infect him with something.
David yanked my headphones off and the blaring music rang through the hall.
“You listen to a load of weird music, you stupid tranny.” I hated that nickname. What’s wrong with not wearing skinny jeans and liking baggy clothes? I liked my hair short, so was that a crime? I hated how he used it as an insult; it’s demeaning towards transvestites or LGBTs.
I pulled my headphones out of David’s grip and put them over my ears again.
I ran out of school to try to meet up with Tomboy, Curly, Lovesick, Spikey, Chipmunk, Rainbow Pikachu Unicorn Manatee, or even Nostrils. I only managed to find Giraffe and Penguin, though.
“Guys, where is everybody?” I asked Giraffe and Penguin. Giraffe looked down at me (curse his tallness) and answered.
“Eighth graders got to leave like ten minutes early; we were just hanging around. Everybody left.” Giraffe clarified. I was too upset, shocked, and furious to say anything so I just nodded. Giraffe opened his arms.
“Hug?” I normally would’ve refused, but today was the worst day at school so far. It was awkward and emotionless, but he was the only friend that I saw today.
“If I see you in the high school and you forget me, I’m going to kick you into a locker.” I told Giraffe. He just laughed and turned to leave with Penguin with a nod.
I decided to spoil myself with the five dollars that were scrunched up in my pocket. I bought a cream soda that came in the glass bottle and decided to go to the nearby Recreation Center. Some students from my school stopped me for a second because the soda looked so much like alcohol. Some guys were playing basketball. Jake would usually miss the hoop on purpose to hit me and pass it off by accident. It’s no accident when you see the smirk.
I imagined that a nearby metal pole was his head and smashed the glass bottle on the pole without a second thought. It broke with a beautiful ‘clang’ that was slightly jittery, but still beautiful all the same. The boys stopped shooting to look at me and resumed their game after a second. I knew them, but they didn’t talk to me much.
I sat on a rock behind the Fort Lee Recreation Center and listened to music again. I could’ve dealt with Sara asking me out, or the fact that the Sub thought I was a guy because both have been done before. I’ve been bullied a lot too, but it’s just something that’s hard to get used to. Even after all these years, I couldn’t understand bullies at all.

*All names have been changed to hide identities*