* * *
Mary Ann Whitely got off her mother’s Buick and quickly stepped on a little girl’s foot when her mother had driven off.
The girl didn’t cry since she knew what would happen if she did. Her fat offender turned back to her and she ran away, frightened.
Laughing, the big girl pirouetted on her heels and walked into the school hall.
Mary Ann was very ugly. Her face could have been that of a chimpanzee’s and her hair had refused to grow longer than a boy’s for some reason of its own. Hence she dressed like a boy and looked like a boy almost every other school day. Whenever she decided to wear a dress, she would increase her bullying and try to be nastier than every other kid in the school, but whenever she opted for a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, her mouth superseded her.
Miss Whitely had no friends. Those who thronged around her did so because they feared her. More so, her mouth had somehow made her a very popular person, and how she loved attention! She created it whenever it was lacking and stole it whenever it wasn’t hers.
At the door leading to the corridor behind the school’s main hall, Mary Ann bumped into Stephanie who was hurrying to class from the girl’s room and this made her angry enough to lift her leg on the little girl’s right foot.
Stephanie was expecting this, though, and quickly withdrew her leg before Mary Ann’s foot thumped on the floor, infuriating her the more.
“Nobody does that to me,” the girl bully yelled and reached out her smacking hand, only to be pushed away by Matthew, who was through the door just in time. “And here comes the knight in shining armor,” she threw at Stephanie’s savior, bystanders beginning to become onlookers. “Too bad you’ll not be with her throughout the day, bastard.” This generated laughter.
“I hate you, Mary Ann,” Stephanie screamed, but her foster brother stopped her from coming forward.
“I am no bastard, Mary Ann,” Matthew coldly told the fat girl standing before him. “I’ve got a father and a mother. Better ones than yours and I hope you know that.”
“Liar,” Mary Ann yelled. “Your mother left you, so you’re a bastard, You couldn’t tell your mom from a whore.”
Matthew wondered where she got those words. “Suit yourself,” he told her. “You’re a misfit anyway, and you’re in my black book.”
“So now you . . . head this school?”
More laughter. More annoying laughter, but without a word, Matthew walked away with his adopted sister. Ever since he’d squarely faced Fat George the other day, everyone had become scared of him. Even Mary Ann found it difficult to air her views about him when they were alone for fear of what he might do in retaliation. Fat George got two bruises on his forehead during the fight and that never looked nice. It was even more terrifying to know that Matthew had given him those bruises. Nobody wanted these ‘gifts’ of his, to say the least, and they quickly made way for him as he led Stephanie to her class.
The crowd dispersed with Mary Ann, but Matthew watched his younger sister walk into her classroom, just to be sure she would be alright. “Call Miss Randall if you’re in trouble,” he advised her and she nodded, turning to him with a smile.
“Thanks, Matt,” Stephanie said and her adopted brother smiled back.
Barbara walked past on her way to class and Matthew turned to follow her. She looked beautiful in a straight green dress. “Hi,” he greeted, but she didn’t return it. “Barbara, what’s the matter?” Matthew realized he was trying to keep up with her.
“You, Matthew,” Barbara finally said, stopping to face her classmate.
“Me?” Matthew also stopped, and Barbara nodded in reply.
“I—I can’t be seen with you . . . anymore,” she stammered. “It’s—It’s okay to be adopted, but I’ll be laughed at if I keep showing up with you in class.”
Matthew was amazed. He hadn’t even told her he adored her and here she was trying to deny him any opportunity. “Mary Ann, right?” he reasoned and she agreed completely.
What Barbara didn’t tell Matthew was that she’d envied him long enough and was tired of doing so. Of course she never knew she was causing so much rivalry between him and Fat George by being his friend, but this wasn’t why she had opted to stop being friendly to him. How she would love to be taken home in an Escalade for once in her middle school life rather than in the regular refurbished school bus. How she would love to have all those nice clothes Stephanie always took for granted rather than the hand-me-downs nobody knew was her elder sister’s because they always fitted her perfectly. How she would love to be the one sharing those yummy meals Matthew shared with her and the others during break. And how she loathed him but pretended to be his friend so that she could enjoy his meals and loathe him the more.
Barbara stayed away from Fat George because she disliked him, but was Matthew’s friend because she envied him. So Fat George hated Matthew the more for this, and Barbara hated Matthew the more for this, and when there’s a single enemy, a certain kind of friendship blossoms between old enemies. Mary Ann was actually the bridge between Barbara and Fat George, and Barbara had agreed to leave Matthew because he insulted this queen of bullies. “I’m sorry, Matt,” she lied. “Don’t wanna get hurt.”
So Matthew walked into class behind Barbara dejected and ashamed of himself. Again, Nora was right. He now felt like an outcast and found himself wondering what others were really thinking of him. If Barbara could leave him because she was told to . . .
Or was she?
It suddenly dawned on him.
She sat directly in front of him, laughing with Fat George and Mary Ann, and she looked less concerned about what he thought of this behavior. She appeared somehow relieved, and even dared him wickedly with her eyes. Not once, but twice! Matthew realized he was seeing a new Barbara and painfully swallowed this bitter truth. She’d been deceiving him all this while! Embarrassed by what he’d seen, he sat down beside Anderson. “Barbara’s joined my enemies,” he wailed.
“And so have I, dude,” Anderson surprised him with. “Sorry dude, but you don’t rock anymore.” He shifted his desk away from Matthew’s and that was significant. The class noted this monumental breakup with roaring laughter.
Even Barbara laughed.
“I can’t believe it,” Matthew muttered under his breath. “Two new misfits in one day?”