That Time When

I take a good look in the mirror at the fresh dental work that done a few hours before. My mouth still swollen kinda bloody. I close my eyes try to get the embarrassment out of my head but I can’t. I got hit in the face with a football in the cafeteria in front of everyone. All I remember is hey look…at curtains. Out cold woke up with Karen next to me explaining the story.” Kyle was right there throwing the football to Spencer and you were walking and next thing ya know BAM! It was epic I mean it almost in slow motion. You don’t remember?”

I shake my head. Still looking in the mirror at my newly implanted tooth. I wonder if people will notice. It’s not like anyone has noticed me until now. Why now? Why like this? I toss the mirror beside on the bed and lay backward looking at the stars on my ceiling. I get two days off from school so at least there’s that but unless something big happens between then and now I’m screwed. The butterflies dance in my stomach turning it into knots. I see Karen moving out of the corner of my eye but I choose to tune her out I can’t deal right now. After all this time of being unnoticed and to have this be my mark. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

“Jessie?”

I open one eye and look at Karen her curly red hair covering most of her face, “You are going to be so popular now.”

I sit up in confusion “I’m going to be known as the girl whose tooth got knocked out in the cafeteria!”

“By Kevin and Spencer! It’s going to be amazing!”

I laughed despite my mouth throbbing. It’s not like either one of them noticed me before we’ve known them since elementary school, since kindergarten, since forever and they’ve never noticed me before. Jessica Who?

“They’re not going to care,” I mumble.

“They will just wait and see.”

I roll my eyes and look at the stars on the celling drifting off.

“Jessie, Jessie wake up!”

I wake up to Karen shaking me. “Guess who’s down stars? Guess who?”

I rub my eyes and shrug my shoulders in confusion.

“Kevin is down stairs! He came to see you!”

She grabs my brush from the knight stand and start brushing my hair like a mad woman.

“I wish you wore makeup,” she says.

I fan her away with my arms and slowly glide downstairs. Kevin was sitting there on the sofa with my parents rubbing patches our dog who has his head placed Kevin’s lap. Both of my parents were listening to his apology and story about how I got hit in the face with a football.

“I’m not sure what happened Spencer was supposed to catch it but he didn’t and Jessica came out nowhere. I’m sorry. How is she?”

“I’m fine,” call out.

They all turn to look at me surprised that I’m there.

“I’m fine,” I repeat.

“Uh, um that’s good. Um I mean everybody were worried about you that ball hit you pretty hard,” Kevin stammers.

My parents both tap each other and go into the kitchen giggling and chuckling like children. I roll my eyes. Kevin looks down at shoes and at patches I never seen him like this. I look at his massive muscles in his sweater perfect skin and six-foot frame that towered over me.

“Um I’m glad to see that you’re ok.”

“They had to replace my tooth,” I blurt out.

His face turns red. He keeps looking down at patches who is laying on the floor by the fireplace.

“I heard I mean I’m sorry about that Spencer is a terrible catch,” he laughs a little. I don’t laugh with him so he stops.

“Well I just came to say sorry and to see you were ok. I guess I’ll see you at school.” He proceeds to walk towards the door.

“I won’t be at school at for a few days. I mean I can’t because…”

“I can understand that,” he says, “If you need something…um like ice cream or something let me know.”

I nod. He walks out of the door to his black SUV it’s starting to snow damping his sweater a little I watch him drive away. I’m not sure why I stood there.

“Why were you so mean?” Karen shouts from the stairway.

I keep staring at the accumulating snow on the ground. I couldn’t answer the question.

(I hope you enjoy this story more to come)

Peace and Stay Creative,

Trish