Chapter Three: Get it together
(A/N: Before you read this, make sure and review and give me some feedback. Love it? Hate it? Is it boring you? Tell me so at least I know you read it... --NL)
Alli Bhandari
I rushed up into my room, running with such force that my hijab was falling off. I had gotten my hands on it, finally. "Light, white, and right pigment correction." I read out loud to myself. I felt a sense of urgency arise in my body.
I was so ready to put it on then and there, as if somehow my skin would magically start to lose its pigmentation. Even if it did work instantly, ICE had already elected someone else to go to the convention on behalf of our chapter, Shahela.
I closed my eyes, imagining how different things would be for me if I favored my mom more and my dad less. I could be like one of the girls in the Bollywood movies, like the Indian Beyonce or Tyra Banks. Total awesomeness.
I dipped my finger into the canister, not even bothering to read the instructions. Instead of applying the cream immediately, my phone started to ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey, its Leia … I'm really sorry about what happened. I was so stup--"
"It was cool. Just … lay off on the drinks next time." I cut her off, anxious to get started on something that was a little more important.
"Yeah, so you wanna go back there next weekend?" She offered as I held back a laugh. She was way crazier than I had imagined.
"Claire would never go for that. She about died after you got those free drinks." I answered. "By the way … how did you do that?"
"Feminine charm." She joked. "I think we'd be better leaving Ms. Edwards behind anyway…" Her voice trailed off as I left it at that.
"Cool." I responded looking back at the bleaching cream that was calling my name. "I'll see you at school then okay?"
Armando Felix Gutierrez Martinez-Hassan
Holly Sinclair. She was the best-looking thing I had seen in a while. Maybe it was because most of the Degrassi girls were brunettes, but I was digging the blonde hair and how tight her cute little body looked in that cheer uniform.
I knew that once my transformation took off, she would totally be into me but I couldn't wait until then. I really wanted to get to know her … now, so I pulled some strings and basically memorized her schedule. Not the smoothest thing I could come up with, but I was really into her.
So when Monday morning came I rushed to her third period class, waiting at my locker and hoping for the right chance to talk to her. As I opened my locker, I nearly tripped over something beneath my feet.
"Want to watch where you're going?" A petite brunette griped, standing up as I looked at her speechless.
"I'm sorry."
"And obviously suffering from delayed reaction syndrome." She rolled her eyes. "Let me guess … you're on the football team?" She shook her head in disgust as my defenses went up.
"Now let me guess, you're a stoner skater chick? Didn't anyone tell you that the '80s are over?" I commented, referring to her big hair and combination of fishnets and long shorts. What was this girl?
"No, but I see fat and stupid are still in." She answered, scowling at me. This chick kept me preoccupied long enough to miss my chance with Holly J. I could see her tight little body bouncing down the hallway as if she owned it, and to me, she did.
"Better go chase after your cheerleader." The other girl commented as I took her advice, fast run-walking towards Holly. I had to catch up with her.
"Excuse me." I said to person after person until I was almost directly behind her.
"So is it just me or does Mia totally suck as Captain? I soo should've gotten that title." I heard her gripe to her friend Anya. I just trailed behind them closely, waiting for my moment, but then a blonde guy showed up and their attention went to them.
I chickened out and watched from the sidelines. That could be me. That should be me. I took out my cell phone and sent a message to Riley. 'did u get that stuff from ur cuz? need some asap.'
Leia Bai
"And these are some pictures that Claire and Alli so kindly took of me … and here's some video." I showed Danny everything. "I swear, I'm so sorry for calling you up all hysterical and shit. I was so … gone and I didn't even pre-game." I explained to him after football practice was over.
This time, I was waiting for him in his hiding place and not the other way around. Believe you me, I would only go into the deep depths of the very smelly boys locker room for a true friend.
"You could get in big trouble for hanging out here." Danny said, flipping through the pictures on my laptop with a huge grin on his face. "These are awesome."
"Okay, okay. That's enough. You're supposed to be telling me that I'm slipping on my game, not congratulating me for my club outburst." I rolled my eyes, closing the top to the computer. "Let's go already."
"Fine, but I want more details."
"What more do you want to know?" I asked as Danny tossed his gym bag over his shoulder. "I hooked up with some guy who used to go here who's like seven years older than me, and I almost did him on the dance floor in front of everyone."
"Yet, you're going back to that club."
"I have to. I need to talk to this dude." I explained.
"Why?"
"Because I came off as a sloppy drunk and that's not me. And I threw myself all over him when I didn't have to." I answered with a sigh. It didn't help that this guy was totally hot and that I completely wanted to finish what I started … deep down. So far, I was doing good though.
Besides the club guy, I hadn't kissed or hooked up with anyone. The only guy in my life for the last month was Danny and there was nothing going on there.
"You want him." Danny smirked. "I can tell … you said he used to go here?"
"Yeah, we actually got a picture of him." I answered, neglecting to say that I had added it to my "wall of hotness". He was right in between Mario Lopez and Kasar from Big Brother. Ultimate hotness! I hopped into Danny's car, opened up the laptop and flipped until I found one of him.
"I can't see anything, because your face is smashed into his." Danny complained.
"Okay, then …" I flipped some more until I found a clear one. "See?"
"No way … you hooked up with Sean Cameron."
"So? Is that bad?" I wondered, confused.
"That's my sister's best friend's ex-boyfriend." He laughed. "And you're right. He's like 7 years older than you."
"But he's really hot." I admitted as Danny frowned, turning away from me. He hated whenever I talked about how hot someone was, unless I was talking about so girl he was into, he got mad. "I know you hate this, but I can just like imagine the feel of his arms around my body … but it's just imagining."
"Sure Leia."
"I'm serious. I've been so good so far. Founder of dance team, All As and Bs … well maybe just Bs, but that's cool. This is my year."
Armando Felix Gutierrez Martinez-Hassan
"You don't have to stop walking. I know you've been following me." An all too familiar voice chilled my spine. Holly J. This isn't how I wanted our first face to face talk to be. I'd started using that stuff that Riley got for me, but I'd only lost fifteen pounds. Hardly anything to talk about when I was so close to being 300 pounds again.
"I-I'm sorry."
"So I've got a stuttering fool breathing down my back?" She eyed by coolly. "Save your fantasies for someone who's desperate enough to need them."
"Look, I wasn't following you." I lied, trying to muster up some dignity.
"No. You just became my shadow and now you're back to your normal self." Holly J. responded, looking me up and down. "What are you like … new here?"
"Yeah, I'm actually on the football--"
"Save it. I didn't mean for you to answer that." She shrugged. "Look, if I ever catch you following me around again or speaking to me with that slurry Spanish accent again, I'll turn the whole school against you so quickly that you'll never be able to live it down, got it?"
"Yeah. I--"
"Good. Now run along chubbo." She smirked as I tightened my jaw. I felt so stupid and embarrassed at this moment. I wanted to pound something, hit anything, but I couldn't show my anger. Not now, not yet … what the hell, I could.
I waited until Holly J. was gone and then pounded the shit out of the lockers next to me. It was way after 5:30 and mostly everyone was gone, or so I thought.
"Crazy much?" The same annoying chick from a few days ago, interrupted my outburst.
"What are you still doing here?"
"Stalking Holly J., just like you." She paused, looking at me and waiting for a response. "As Spanish Club board member, I have to seek out members and your name came up. You're a Spanish tutor … you are Armando, right?"
"I go by Felix."
"Okay … Fefe it is." She smirked. "Here's a flier. We're meeting up to plan a big Hispanic Heritage Carnival thing. We need lots of people that speak Spanish. There aren't a lot here so--"
"Do you even speak Spanish?"
"I speak better Spanish that the most Spaniardized Spaniard. I just spent the last four years of my life studying in Spain." She answered. "So … can I count on you to be there or not?"
"Look, I don't know, football is--"
"No one is going to care about football in a couple of months. We're reaching out the Spanish-speaking community and planning a boatload of stuff to help people learn French and English. Now, you're either a part of it or not."
"Yeah. Whatever." I agreed, shrugging off my anger from earlier.
Leia Bai
I was doing the most teeny-bopper-ish thing ever by showing up here. But I'd brought along thing new chick I ran into for reinforcements. Angie. She was pretty relaxed about a lot of stuff, a little too philanthropic for me, but very non-judgmental.
She didn't even give me the 10th degree about where we were going. Angie just went with the flow. "Do you want me to come in?"
"You can, but it'll just take a second."
"I'll be in … that store." She pointed to some random shop I had never noticed before, but I just shrugged and continued my way back to the club. I was surprised that I could remember where it was. I was so intoxicated that night, in a completely bad way.
"Excuse me can you tell me where … Sean Cameron is? I called to see if he was working today." I asked the first man I saw, looking completely disheveled and I knew it. I looked like Dirty Dancing gone bad, but dance team practice ran a little long today.
"Yeah, he's right there…" The guy pointed me in his direction. "But we have an age limit here and … you're too young for this club."
"It's not even fully open yet." I complained, looking at my cell phone. It was a little after seven. The guy held his hands up and shrugged. "Fine, well then can you have him come out?"
"I'm only half surprised to see you here. If you're trying to get in tonight--" Sean began, but I stopped him soon after.
"I'm not. I came by because what I did was so … embarrassing and I didn't want you to think that it's what I do all the time. It's not." I explained, pressing my lips together nervously. That's not what I wanted to say to him.
"You drove across town to tell me this?"
"I actually didn't drive." I looked down for a second. If I said I didn't have my license yet, he would know I was super young, but if I just altered the truth a little bit. "I came with my friend Angie. We rode down here together."
"Okay. Apology accepted." Sean shrugged as if it were done, but it wasn't. I didn't want it to be.
"And you're right about getting in again." I added. "But this time, no drinking for me. Please … I'll be eighteen in like three months." I explained lying so naturally that it seemed to be a genuine truth.
"See you in November then." He started to walk away, his tight biceps disappearing from my view.
"No, please. Look, I promise not to go crazy this time. Just tell me … when do you work again?"
"Saturday." Sean shook his head as if he couldn't believe he was falling for this and honestly, neither could I.
"Will you let me and a couple of friends in again?" I asked as he shrugged.
"Depends on if you come up with better IDs or not." He answered back, continuing to walk away. I was seeing this as another adventure, a fun chase for a hot prize.
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