In Between Codes

Chapter 12

The classes were going relatively well for Tamy. With Samantha whispering helpful hints through her hidden earpiece, she'd even aced a surprise math quiz.

But then came English class.

The class had just finished The Lord of the Flies when Ms. Davenport asked if anyone wanted to comment on its themes.

"Talk about the impact of humankind on nature," Samantha suggested.

Tamy raised her hand. "I think—"

But Jordan—a scrawny, thin kid that sat in the corner—cut her off immediately, launching into a loud speech about "loss of innocence."
Tamy tried again, only for him to talk right over her, ignoring her completely.

"Ms. Davenport," Tamy said, frustrated, "it was my turn—"

"Let him finish, please," the teacher said. "You can speak afterward."

Tamy sat back, stung.

Samantha whispered gently,
"Let it go. He's being read as 'strong' and 'decisive.' You're coming across as 'abrasive' and 'difficult.' Not worth pushing."

Tamy lowered her eyes. "Why is that so?" she murmured under her breath.

"Becasue that is how an assertive woman is perceived"

"But I'm still me," Tamy whispered.

"You are," Samantha said softly. "But to the world, you're seen as a girl now—it goes beyond clothes and makeup, it is about how to are treated and fit in society." 

"Then how do I get a man to listen to me?"

"You'll figure it soon enough." Samantha replied.

The rest of the discussion moved on without her, but Tamy barely heard it. Samantha's words lingered, an uncomfortable reminder of how differently people reacted to her now. 

As the class wrapped up, Tamy found herself relying on that quiet voice in her ear more than ever. Her support was a lifesaver, but there was a catch.

Samantha had started picking up behavioral cues from Tamy's mommy. Now, on top of helping her with academics, the AI had taken it upon itself to correct Tamy's posture, her gestures, and every little "unrefined" habit it deemed unladylike. It was getting a little annoying. Still, Tamy put up with it. After all, with Samantha's help, she didn't have to care too much about academics and which allowed her to focus on what truly mattered: cheerleading.

In her mind, Tamy dissected each move of the Rewind over and over in her mind, playing it out step by step. She had to nail it at the next practice, no matter what.

Her concentration was only broken when she ran into Zoe and Angie during chemistry class. They weren't particularly into sports—cheerleading was never their thing—but their friendship had a comfortable rhythm, one that made Tamy forget about the pressure for a while.

Zoe kicked off the conversation. "So, I've been really into witchcraft lately," she said with an excited grin. "Potion brewing, specifically. Ever since we made that nail polish in chem, I've been hooked. It's like, my new thing."

Tamy and Angie exchanged curious looks.

"What kind of potions?" Angie asked, her eyebrows raised in mock disbelief.

Zoe's grin widened. "Oh, you know—liquid luck, love potions, healing and even invisibility. Pretty fun stuff!"

Angie snickered, then had a mischievous idea. "You should make Mr. Lopez fall for Mrs. Whitaker," she suggested.

The three girls burst into laughter at the thought, imagining the absurdity of it.

"Girls," Mrs. Whitaker said from the front, arms crossed and eyes narrowed behind her glasses, "this is a chemistry class, not a comedy club. Please stop talking and pay attention."