Rushed
Aleesha pulled the yellow tape measure out from the bottom of her underwear drawer. The door to her room was closed and locked. Not like anyone was going to come in at six thirty in the morning. But she had to make sure. Her hands trembled as she stood in front of a mirror with the tape measure stretched out between them. Her dark brown eyes didn’t go to her face. Her mind didn’t fret about the way her morning hair stood up on her head like black vines growing towards the sun. Her focus went straight to her chest. Something was wrong. Her shirts weren’t fitting like they used to. Instead of them fitting flush against her, there was a wave. Like an undulating ocean had formed underneath, with waves that swelled with fury. And that didn’t apply just to her upper torso, but her whole body. It was a well timed, inner explosion.
She deftly placed the measuring tape around her back and over her bare chest. She found a number on the tape and read it to herself with a restless whisper.
This was Aleesha’s first day of high school. She knew she should have been nervous about being a freshman, but her jitters had been chased away by other matters. She must have remeasured herself five—no ten—dang, she couldn’t remember how many times. The measurements didn’t matter. While she was in the middle of yet another measurement, her cell phone ringed with the latest song by the Pussycat Dolls. Suddenly feeling self conscious, she snatched up her pajama shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head.
She dug through the backpack she packed last night, and pulled out her phone. She recognized the number. It was her best friend, Lacie. Aleesha answered the phone, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Aleesha!” Lacie said so energetically, that Aleesha felt motion sick from listening to her. She sounded really young on the phone. Like a little girl. “What are you wearing to school today?”
“Uh…”
Aleesha glanced at the outfit she had laid out on the bed. It was a jean mini skirt and a striped blouse with a low v-neck.
“I…I don’t know yet,” she lied.
“You don’t know yet? That’s not like you--You’re always so organized. Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay. I was just making sure. Your voice sounds like you’ve been crying or something. I guess it’s the phone. Well, I called to tell you not to wear your black jeans with that Rolling Stones shirt I bought you, cause that’s what I’m wearing.”
Aleesha laughed. It was hard, though. The muscles in her jaws were so tight.
“You definitely won’t have to worry about that.”
“Great. It would be so bad if we showed up wearing the same thing, know what I mean? See you later.”
“Okay. Bye,” said Aleesha, taking a shy glance at the tape measure in her hand. She prayed that Lacie didn’t have a clue of what was going on.
II
When stepping off the bus, Aleesha couldn’t resist giving the back of her mini skirt a tug. She made sure no one was looking when she did it. Being shy about showing a little leg and skin is so immature.
So she walked on to campus with her head high. The halls were full of people talking. A group of girls in black clothes and with black nails stood in one corner. Computer nerds gathered around the drinking fountain argued about the latest gaming system. A group of guys leaned up against the wall across from the doors to the gym, some looking serious with diamond studs in their ears. Aleesha and Lacie had agreed before to meet in front of the cafeteria, and Aleesha had to pass the gym to get there. As she walked past the guys on the wall, she sensed they were staring at her. She turned her head in their direction for a brief second and smiled. A few of them smiled back.
Her eyes squinched with delight after passing them. She knew she was the type of woman guys like them—or any guy—would like. A woman with curves. In the sixth grade she had observed similar reactions. Girls that underwent the over summer miracle would come back to school with guys drooling over them.
Some students with soft drinks came out the doors of the cafeteria ahead. Not too far away from them Aleesha saw Lacie waving wildly at her. At first, Aleesha was a little self-conscious, but after seeing Lacie, she had a shot of confidence. Lacie wore exactly what she said she would. The t-shirt and the dark jeans fitted her fine, it’s just that—they could have fitted better. She ran to her friend and gave her a hug.
After letting go, Lacie gave Aleesha a second look and said, “You look so cute today.”
“Thanks. You do too.”
Sort of. Aleesha and Lacie had been friends for a long time, but she never noticed how small Lacie was. When she hugged her, Lacie felt so fragile and slight, like her bones would crack from a squeeze that was a little too hard. Lacie’s wiry body seemed remarkably boyish. She was definitely flat, and her knees stood out as the curviest parts on her body. Yet standing next to her, sort of in the background, was a guy.
“Aleesha, this is Andy. We met at the bus stop this morning.”
“Hi,” he said, waving—kind of awkwardly--at her.
Aleesha noticed the way his hazel eyes quickly traced her up and down, as if he was sketching her in his mind. She thought that it may be best if she made a little conversation.
“So Andy, what do you think of high school?”
“Nothing yet--I’ve only been here for an hour, but I don’t think I’ll like it. You’re a senior. What do you think of this school? ”
Aleesha couldn’t hide her shock. Her? A senior? Did she really look like one? She just wanted to run to the girl’s bathroom real quick so she could look in a mirror and make sure. She hoped it was true. It would be awful if he was only another freshman guy feeding a girl a line.
As much as she hated to, she had to confess.
“I’m not a senior.”
Andy did a double take. “You’re not?—Lacie, didn’t you say you have a friend here who’s a senior?”
Lacie shook her head at him and laughed. “I never said that. Aleesha's a freshman like us.”
He rubbed his hand on the back of his head, looking really embarrassed.
“I can’t believe I thought you were older.”
“It’s okay,”said Aleesha with a wide smile. She could get used to it.
***Will Aleesha find love after making her high school debut? Find out when I post part 2***
). If you want to write a coming of age teen novel, start out with something more gripping than a day- in- the- life.
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