Thursday Thirteen #7

Thirteen Things about Clarence From last week’s 13 I wrote some minis and one was about this girl: 10. It was one of those afternoons where the rain just didn't quit. The school bell rang and teenage schoolgirls started pouring out of the front entrance. Some ran to the bus stop, others headed straight for their parents who were waiting in cars on the side of the road. One group of girls, laughing and running from one cover to the next, headed off towards the shops, followed by Paloma, who was always straggling behind. I think I’d like to write more about her. So, this week’s thirteen is - Thirteen Things Paloma Did Before She Graduated Got stuck in gym class with nobody that she knew, right at the start of the year. Was partnered off with Marcus for fitness training. Sucks to be me, she kept saying to herself, Sucks to be me… Stared at her face in the mirror, hating her bushy eyebrows, until her mother would scream at her to get out and stop hogging the bathroom. Tried to avoid the principal, Mr Andrews, because he wanted to rope her into school PR bullshit. She hated how he kept talking to her, in front of everybody, like she was some long lost friend – it only made her look geekier than ever. Tried to keep up with her friends. She had no idea how they did it, got good grades, went out all the time, had boyfriends, worked on the weekends… how the hell did they do it? Had to cook dinner every Tuesday and Thursday night, Mum forced her to. And everything she cooked Mia refused to eat. Got into a fight with Jena, who wouldn’t speak to her for three days. It was all over something she was supposed to have said, but she couldn’t even remember saying it. Cried for just about three days. Thought she’d die from being completely friendless. But then Grannie died, and she stopped crying, though she couldn’t explain it. Drank heaps of coffee and stayed up late staring at textbooks and stressing-out. Almost caved and said yes when Marcus asked her to the formal. Hyperventilated in her final chemistry exam. Got her eyebrows done for the school formal, though her mother didn’t approve. Turned up date-less and discovered it wasn’t the major embarrassment she’d expected it to be. And realised that the single girls were having more fun than those with damned boyfriends anyway. Plus, she looked fab in her slinky black dress (with slinky black eyebrows to match). Met Granddad at the beach. Scattered Grannie’s ashes and drank something strong and fiery that Granddad had bought along to keep warm (it was freezing cold at dawn!) They got quite giggly and Granddad told her stories as they watched the sun come up.

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