junior high crush travesty

VII.

In seventh grade and overlapping into eighth grade, I had a crush on this kid named Charlie. He was short and skinny and always had a slightly runny nose and wore this crayon-red sweater all the time. Nonetheless, he was slightly higher in the junior-high social hierarchy than I, (with my screen-printed kitten T-shirts, modified-bowl cut hair, chubby flat-chested body and thick glasses) and was therefore embarrassed by my even-just-at-a-distance crushing.

In eighth grade, the P.E. teachers instituted a twice-weekly 3/4 mile run for all students. Most of the girls complained, whined, and wound up jogging petulantly for the first 1/4 mile lap and then walked in little gossiping clumps. For some reason I took up the challenge and actually tried to run these jaunts, and this is when I discovered that I did have some latent athletic ability hiding in me. After a few weeks I was usually beating all the other girls, and most of the other guys. The gym teachers would write the top three male and female finishers from each gym period on the chalkboard for everyone to see. It occurred to me that this would be the perfect chance to raise my status in the eyes of Charlie, who had gym the same period as I did.

Finally the day came when I crossed the finish line just ahead of him. My name would be on the board; I would be admired! Charlie was standing just in front of me, complaining that he had just missed the 3rd place guy spot. This was my chance: Hey, it's not such a big deal, I said, expecting that he would notice how well I'd done, and a conversation would begin.

He turned around slowly and glared at me malevolently. What would you know? Maybe I wouldn't care either, if I was fat and slow. And walked away.

I was crushed. I'd run faster than him! The chalkboard proved it! But while I could have disputed the "slow" part, I was, in the cruel junior-high society, indisputably fat. I was depressed for weeks; though when it lifted, I no longer had a crush on Charlie.

Tuesday 29 January, 12:32 PM