Germ Girl
1944 Words
I clenched my back straps tightly between my fists as I got ready to walk into the school. Justin had already gotten out. His headphone blaring loudly so that even I could hear him playing a Levi on his mobile. I gulped back my trepidation.
“Come on princess. Get a move on. I am late for work.”
“Can’t I go with you?” I asked dad pitifully for the umpteenth time that morning. He sighed wearily.
“You can’t keep hiding princess. Now get out before I open your door.”
I groaned and got out.
“Bye princess.” He said as he pulled away.
“Bye dad.” I said gloomily and trudged to my death.
As I suspected. First day, I got a note posted on my locker. It was from an unknown person who had scrolled, ‘you’re dead meat, (and they used an expletive)’
Oy. Hazel snatched the note from me. Crumpled it and threw it into the trash can. “Pay them no mind.” She said cheerfully and ushered me into our homeroom. The first person I saw there was… I whirled on her.
“He's in our homeroom!”
“Oops.” Hazel said. Also going white.
Levi was sitting in the back row of the class. Amid an entire entourage of students.
“here she comes!” a tall fat boy said gloatingly. “how did it feel to kiss Levi, Smoochie.” He sidled over making kissing noises.
I grabbed Hazel’s arm as she snapped back, “Get lost Kent. Everyone knows you wish he swung the other way.”
“oh. So you’re being gender phobic now!” he glared at her. I sighed through my nose and pulled her away from the phones being whipped out to video.
“He’s not worth it. Come on” and I successfully tugged her to another corner of the room . Just as Sandra, a girl from our old school came up to be offended on Hazel’s part. A big gender fight issued until the teacher came in.
“take your seats.” She said briskly. Kent spoke up.
“Ms. Jonas. I wish to switch classes.”
Ms. Jonas sighed as if it was too early in the day for this. I felt bad for her. “on what grounds?”
“This class is offensive to my l***q community.”
“Oh shut up you big lug. It’s nothing of the sort. You wanted to bully Hazel.” Sandra snapped back. "You're making the l***q community look bad."
“Children. We are here to learn. Kent, take your seat. If you feel offended, please leave my classroom and find the principal. She may be able to better sort your matter through.” And she placed a sheet of blank paper on the desk in front of the class.
“Please pass this paper down and write your names beside the numbers.”
Silently, the class cooperated. Eventually, after what felt like ages, it arrived at our desk.
I wrote my name down and Hazel quickly scribbled hers and it passed down. Finally, the paper had completed the full circle of the room.
“Thank you.” Ms. Jonas said upon receiving it. “Now. Those with even numbers, please stand when you hear your names and go to the left of the classroom.”
And she began calling names. Soon, Hazel got up and joined them at the left of the classroom. Along with Levi and Richard. A boy from my old school.
“The rest of you, find a seat. One in a bench please.” And we obediently trooped to individual seats. This was all new to me. Maybe to everyone, hence the cooperation. No one knew exactly what Ms. Jonas was trying to accomplish. I found one in the center of the class and plopped down. Everyone else were already seated.
“now. Those who are still standing, call an odd number. We’re starting at the back.”
I finally realized she was mixing the class seating arrangement and looked at Hazel with stricken eyes as the chances to my number being picked before she could choose it was very high.
“1.” An emo girl muttered. And she sat beside another girl.
“3” a boy said. And he sat beside a very pretty girl at the back of the class. This continued. Numbers were being called randomly until five of those standing remained Richard having sat beside a guy a few seats behind me. It was Levi’s turn and I prayed he didn’t call my number.
“17.” And I felt my body freeze.
“Sit beside Rose Holmes.” Ms. Jonas said absentmindedly. Unaware of what was likely to happen next.
“No.” we both said at the same time. I was panicky. He was glaring at me.
“Sorry?” Ms. Jonas looked at us.
“Please. Ms. Jonas. Can he pick again?” I pleaded.
“No. Young man. You may be a big time singer but you’re a student of my class. Go and sit beside Rose. No arguments or I will call your manager.”
He glared at me and sat. Both of us as far away from each other as the seat allowed.
Hazel was seated beside Sandra. I looked worriedly at her and she gave a supportive thumbs up. I sighed. Already doomed.
Hazel had said I had fallen into a drama. But in dramas the victims were always smart and poor while the bully would be dumb but rich. I was miserable the entire day as I realized this was far from the case with me. I was dumb and ugly and poor. He was rich and handsome and smart and the gap between us was that much wider. This isn't a drama. It's devastation.
He said nothing to me in any of our classes. Choosing instead to talk to a brilliant girl, Josie, seated right next to him on the other side. He glared at me though. That’s something. And his glaring made the others in the class glare at me too. I was happy he was doing that and not calling me names or anything. During lunch period, I had opted to skip the cafeteria and seek out Justin for advice. When he saw me coming, he excused himself from his friends.
“whats up?” he asked.
“Justin I need your advice. How can I stop being a pariah?” I asked.
“stop breathing.” He said promptly.
“What?” I was dumbfounded.
“Look. Your name is mud even among the seniors. That’s quite a feat you pulled off. I can’t help you because I can be dragged down too. I just got a foothold with the popular kids and I don’t want to ruin it. You’re on your own kiddo.” And he left me in the hallway.
I trudged dejectedly back to class. Even Justin had given up on me. During math, I nibbled on my pen absentmindedly and a hand slapped my pen away.
“Stop annoying me!” he growled.
“Excuse me?”
“Your pen is full of germs. And you have it in your mouth. Gross.” And he left me feeling even more embarrassed as Kent, who had returned to class was sitting behind me. He overheard and leaned over now, “Germ Girl.” And his friends laughed. I glared at Levi who looked back with a satisfying smirk on his face. Damn it. I didn’t even last a day.
“Hello. Leave my friend alone.” Hazel said sternly, “the school has a strict no bullying policy Kent. If anyone calls her that, I’ll report you”
Kent became pink with anger.
“I’d like to see you try, you homophobe.”
“Oh I will you big fatso.”
“Fatso!” Richard laughed and high fived Hazel who grinned.
“That’s it. I’m going to the principal.”
“And tell them what? That your bullying backfired on you?” Hazel challenged as Sandra showed she had the entire thing on video. I didn’t dare bite my pen again for the rest of the afternoon though people still smirked and threw notes at me that all read ‘Germ Girl.’
Dad came to pick us up again but Justin said he’s going over to a friend’s house. I am sure that’s just an excuse not to show he knows Germ Girl. I struggled to get in.
“Dad. Can I transfer schools?”
“no princess. I am a busy man, I can’t be dropping you and your brother to different schools in the morning when one is perfectly fine.”
“But dad…” I whined, hoping to change his mind.
“No. The answer is no.” I was going to tell him I was getting bullied but when he said that, I stopped.
That afternoon, Hazel called.
“Hey girl. How are you?”
“Just fine.” I said gloomily.
“Girl. You’d never believe where Sandra and I went after school!”
“Where?” I asked trying to be interested.
“Well… there is this place behind the school where the seniors go to smoke pot. Sandra knows a guy and he took us to it. Guess who I saw there?”
“Levi?” I asked. Hoping I can get him expelled.
“No. Your brother. I didn’t know he was considered fine in Hope. Now that I know, can I come over? He’s leaving soon and I want to ask for a ride.”
Justin smoking pot? Dad would flip when he finds out. I bit my lip pondering. Deciding to have mercy on my brother, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
“yeah sure.” I told her and she squealed. “thank you! thank you!”
“uh huh.” I manage to say. We hung up and I slouched on my bed waiting for them. Hoping I made the right decision to not tell dad about Justin.
“Dad! Hazel’s coming over!” I yell to him.
“Sure honey!” he yelled back. Satisfied that he knew, I went out in search of snacks.
“when is she getting here?” he asked.
“She took a ride with Justin and his friend.”
He looked at me with raised eyebrows. I grinned.
“We’re not kids anymore dad.”
He smiled sadly, “no you aren’t. Listen I have to run down to the studio for a late afternoon session.” At this I rose my eyebrows. He blushed. He never did late afternoon sessions before.
“ooh. Dad. Is it a date?”
“Something like that.” He muttered.
“Aha. It’s a low-key bootycall!”
“Rosy!” he said. Scandalized. “where did you learn that from?”
“The internet.” I shrugged. He sighed.
“Its not a bootycall. It’s a training session with a rather stunning woman. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He brushed by me, ignoring my waggling eyebrows. “Get down to the store and buy a few things before your friend gets here. We’re all out of food.” And he grabbed his keys, threw some money on the counter and ran out the door.
“Remember to use protection!” I called behind him laughing my head off.
“Rosy!” he responded before pealing out of our garage like a cat with it’s tail on fire.
- Writer
