He's a She

Chapter Seven

            I spit in the sink, and then went to change.  Today I was wearing the same uniform, as it was required.  Black pants, white collard shirt, a neck tie.  This neck tie was a light sky blue and very beautiful.  At about seven thirty, when I was busy doing math and Luke was writing a paper for English, there was a knock on the door.

            “I’ll get that.” Luke got up from his laptop and went to the door.  He opened it and the sound of three guys hooting came in.

            “Hey man,” Darren, along with two other guys that I assumed were also swimmers, walked in.  “Who’s this pipsqueak?” Darren pointed to me before taking out Luke’s swirly desk chair and sitting in it. 

            “That is my roommate.  Charles-”

            “Hatsfend.” I finished.  My eyes were still glued to my paper.

            “Hatsfend?” One of the guys choked over the name, trying to suppress his laughter.  “Where did you find that last name, a hat store?” Man, you don’t know how close that guess really was.

            “Guys, just stop okay?” The one who had just spoken looked the other way.  Darren wheeled his chair up to my bed.

            “So,” he started.  “Are you in any sports?” He asked.

            “No.”

            “Lame.”

            “I-I might join track.” Darren along with the guy who had spoken earlier broke out laughing.

            “T-tr-track!” One yelled

            “Jake, shut up.” Luke proclaimed.  He fell silent.

            “Come on guys,” Darren stated, “let’s leave this twiglet to do his homework in peace.” Darren rose from his chair and all of the guys left through the door.  “Luke,” Darren called back.  “You coming?”

            “Yeah, one sec.” Luke came over to me.  “Sorry about that,” I nodded it off.  “Do you want to join us?”

            “Yes, because being bullied is the number one thing on my to-do-list today.” I flipped the page of my calculus book.

            “Please,” Luke knelt down by my bed.  He puffed out his lip.

            “I’m not going.”

            “I will pay for your breakfast.”

            “I’m not a girl Luke.” Man, how wrong that sounded.  He stayed by my bed.  I glanced over to him and then back to my assignment.  He sat in silence, giving me the puppy dog face. 

            “Fine,” I caved.  What can I say, I am a caver. 

            “Yes!” He shot up from the ground.  He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me off of my bed. 

            We started down the hall alone.  The other three guys had already headed down without us because Luke’s begging was taking too long.  I could hear their chatter from a ways away. When we entered the cafeteria I realized that the only people that were awake enough to talk were the guys that had came into our room, and the rest of the swimmers that were seated at the table. 

            When Luke entered, the uproar grew.  When I came out from behind him, it quickly hushed.  Was I really that low on the food chain?  I hung my head in shame.