Maidenhead

Then Jen said, ‘No, he’s not looking at us. He’s looking at Myra.’

It was mean, how she said my name. She said Myra like she hated me. I stood up quickly and put my knapsack back on. I started to walk fast towards the school and I stepped on her bag by accident.

‘Fuck!’ Jen said. ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’

‘Sorry,’ I muttered.

I felt Elijah from the other side of the street, his hands in the air like a vapour, an angel. My body started to shake. I held the bad pear. I was completely see-through.

‘Sorry,’ Jen mocked me in a squeaky voice.

‘Don’t be so fucking immature,’ I said. I lurched past them, in the direction of school.

‘Oh, don’t be a fucking cunt!’ Charlene said after me.

I stopped and turned around, in shakes. ‘I am a cunt!’ I yelled. They were both crouched down like frogs. I felt the pear skin split at a bruise. ‘And you’re both cunts too!’

I took a look across the street. Elijah walked out, in the middle of traffic, holding his arms out to stop the cars. The wind billowed his robe. He was all happy teeth. I smiled too. Charlene and Jen had out their phones.

Elijah had a beard growing of longish black moss. Cars beeped. He looked totally religious. It was weird he wasn’t wearing a coat. I thought for a second of running, going to the principal. I could’ve even called my dad, who I knew was at home in the basement doing nothing. Jen and Charlene were watching me.

‘He fucking knows her?’ I heard Jen asking.

Elijah grabbed me tight by the wrist.

And I realized that I had made this happen. My thoughts had made this happen.

‘Hi,’ I breathed. His hand was a half-rough, half-smooth piece of ice.

‘What happened to you?’ Elijah peered at my cheek.

The scabs had not completely disappeared but I hid them under my mother’s cream. I yanked my wrist away from him.

‘I’m just hungry,’ I said. I took another bite of the pear.

Elijah leaned in close to me, he got right up close. ‘What happened to you, Angel? You don’t need that crap on your face.’

He reached his finger out and swiped my cheek. Orange stuff came off.

‘I’m not an angel!’

I knew that Jen and Charlene were fucking shocked to death that I was talking to this guy, that I knew this guy. This man was here from Key West for me.

‘Okay, girl, okay, okay. So what are you hiding under there?’

There was mush in my mouth so I just shook my head. I felt the teardrop necklace heavy on my chest.

‘I’m not hiding anything, okay?’ I looked around. Charlene and Jen motioned to me to come over to them. ‘I’m just on my way home.’

Elijah held out a business card. ‘This is where I’m staying.’

I reached for the card but he pulled it away.

‘You want it?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Come closer.’