Some sh*t is going down at Northwest High, centered around their girl's basketball team. Will Laura figure it out before she falls too deep into the hoop?
With basketball, comes the players...
(inspired by a book on my old account, found the picture...
"Alright, so let's split off into groups," the teacher instructed. I had chosen choir as an elective, despite me already having my fine arts credit, purely because choir at my old school had been nothing but us acting a fool and using donations as an excuse to sell koolaid pickles, when we were really using it for other things.
By the cheery personality of this teacher, I realize that had been a very big mistake. From the beginning of class to now, we had been up and moving and "learning" choir vocal exercises that I knew with ease. It made me weary, it was exhausting, and this was too much to be doing early in the morning.
"I'm definitely switching outta this class," a girl next to me said, then turned to me. "Is it always like this in choir?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. The girl frowned. I guess I didn't have the answer she expected. "This your first time taking choir here?"
"I'm new to the school, so I wouldn't really know much about choir here," I explain and she nodded.
"I came from Michigan," she informed me, a solemn look in her eyes. I was curious about her past, but since I didn't know her well, I kept my prodding respectful. "How come? I just came from Southwest High. I got kicked out," I said.
"My brother was in the military, he um, died. The family wanted a new chance of scenery, I guess."
"Oh. I'm sorry for your loss," I say, not able to think of anything else I could do to make her feel better. "I'm Laura," I introduce myself. We make our way over to a group of kids, and the teacher began explaining what we'll do with this activity. "I'm Rhi," she whispered back.
"...state pronouns and also one thing about yourself."
I turned to my group and we did that awkward thing where we all wait for one of us to go first. Finally, Rhi stepped up. "My name is Rhi. I go by they/them pronouns, and I like to play dodgeball." I blush, not expecting that. Although I'm a lesbian, I hadn't had much experience with people outside of my community and their varying pronouns. I honestly felt bad for thinking Rhi went by she/her. All I could think about was how I hoped I didn't accidentally slip up and call them "her".
We passed around a talking piece that the teacher told us to call Ted, which was really just a white fluffy teddy bear from a couple years back apparently. "I'm passing Ted," Rhi said, the dialogue we were supposed to use whenever we gave somebody the teddy bear.
Rhi passed Ted to me and I fished around the right things to say in my head. "Um, my name is Laura. I use she/her pronouns, I guess. I like to play basketball." A look crossed the other kid's faces in the group, but Rhi's remained open and welcoming.
Wonder what that was about?
"I'm passing Ted," I give the teddy bear to the person to my right. "I have a friend here that goes to Northwest. I met her online back when I still lived in Michigan," Rhi told me. "Her name's Donreneé. I know you just said that you're new here but I was still hoping maybe you had seen her," Rhi told me unsurely, "she got her phone taken so I can't contact her to tell her I'm here today."
"You sure she isn't some old man in a creepy basement waiting to kidnap you after school? She's real right?" I ask jokingly. Rhi cocked out their hip, "Yeah, because I would totallyyy not ask to FaceTime someone I've known for years. I'm not dumb, Laura," they rolled their eyes.
Rhi was pretty tall, but it gave them a nice model height. They wore a black t shirt and a long skirt made out of some sort of fuzzy material that matched their dangling earrings. Their brown skin was clear and they had a few piercings.
"You said Donreneé?" an Asian chick with curled blue hair. "She's in basketball with my best friend."
"Right now?" Rhi asked.
"Yea. I'm Polly by the way." We all reintroduced ourselves again. "I can text my friend to tell Donreneé where y'all can meet up at or something," Polly shrugged. "Yeah, I'd really appreciate that." While Rhi and Polly worked that out, I slipped my phone out and text Jessica.
Me: it's lonely here bsf 😭 Jess👩🏾🦲: ik i told u not to replace me but if it must b done 😩 Me: neverrr 🏴☠️ arghhh Jess👩🏾🦲: nvm u a crackhead. GOODBYE 😅😅
"Are we participating in our group or our we on our phone?" the teacher asked me.
I really could've pimp slapped the fuck out of Mrs. Pecker, but I promised myself I would behave.
At least for my first day.
"We not doing-
"Heh, heh. Come on, Laura," Rhi grabbed me up and brought me back over by Polly, away from the piano. They must've sensed that Mrs. Pecker was finna get cussed the fuck out. "Talking bout some are we participating, shit you are, but I'm not. Fucking bitch," I breathed out slowly.
"Is it true you came from Southwest?" Polly asked me curiously, ignoring my entire angry rant. I was done with this Southwest versus Northwest crap. Shit, we all have to be at school. This ain't a fucking competition. "Yeah. Is that gonna be a problem?"
Rhi looked unsurely between me and Polly.
"What's wrong with going to Southwest?" they asked. "Nothing," Polly shrugged, leaving our intense stare battle. "A lot of Northwest kids pick on the Southwest kids for not having as much money or because of how they act down there." Polly turned back to me. "But it's just another school in this district to me. I have no problems with Southwest. I had just heard the rumor and assumed," she shrugged.
"Assumed what?" I ask defensively.
"Polly just probably assumed you were gonna be like all the other Southwest kids," Rhi laid a hand on my shoulder. "But, whether Laura is like them or not, let her prove how she really is to us here."
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Here, we got Rhi! They're 5'9, a Gemini, queer, and a lot to handle! Rhi is your local blunt friend who isn't afraid to sit down the tea cup and let it spill. They're in 12th grade and moved from Michigan to Redwillow, Houston, Texas this year. They were born on June 17, 2004 and their full name is Rhi Jan Tempest.
