Trade Mistakes

11

That weekend, everyone just so conveniently decided to go bowling. Since I was left handed, and I'd broken my left arm. I had to sit out and watch them.

I was sitting in the back at a table, and saw a girl a few tables away who was also wearing a cast- on her right arm.

She looked to be about my age, and had wavy, honey blonde hair that she had tied back with a ribbon. She had blue eyes and tan skin and freckles dotted her face. She looked like she'd spent her whole summer at the beach. She was wearing a red blouse and a black skirt.

The girl looked up and noticed me, and she smiled and gestured for me to go over there- so I did. "Heya! I'm Georgia!"

"I'm Lizzie," I replied. "So, how'd you break your arm?"

"Fell off my bike. How about you?"

"I got hit by a car."

"Ooh, you win." Georgia laughed.

I felt my heart skip a beat when she laughed. She was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. I wanted to make her laugh again.

"Is that why you got those stitches, too? And why your face is so beat up?"

"Kind of," I smiled awkwardly. "I also got beat up about two weeks ago."

"Aw, I'm sorry."

Georgia seemed like one of those girls that when she said 'I'm sorry' like that, she meant it. She was one of them genuine kind of girls.

"It's alright." I assured her. "So, you from 'round here? I ain't seen you, but then again, Tulsa is pretty big."

"Nah, I'm from California. My daddy moved me and my momma out here 'cause he was tired of being out there." She said. "Don't get why he'd choose Oklahoma, of all places. No offense."

I shrugged. "I get it. Oklahoma's pretty boring."

"So, who are you here with?" Georgia asked.

"Oh, my brothers and their friends. I was kinda forced to come along."

"You couldn't stay at home with your parents?"

"Oh, my parents are dead." I said. "It's just me and my brothers, but we get along alright."

"Aw, that's gotta be awful. I'm sorry."

I brushed it off. "Don't be."

She frowned slightly, but was soon back to smiling. "Are you starting at the high school this year?"

"I'll be a sophomore, actually. I skipped sixth and seventh grade."

"Ooh, I caught me a genius." Georgia teased, and I blushed.

Did I like her? I couldn't. Being gay was wrong. There was no way I could be. I was supposed to go on a date with Curly- even though he stood me up- I couldn't be gay. I didn't like her, and I wasn't gay.

"Well, howdy, Curtis."

"Get the hell away from me, Shepard." I stood up to try and appear taller, but it was no use- Curly was 5'11, and I was 5'4.

He scoffed. "You really thought I woulda wanted to go on a date with you? What kinda dumbass would want to date you? You don't have any friends, your personality is worse than your clothes, and no one likes a girl who thinks she's better than everyone else."

I felt my face getting red and my eyes burned as I fought back my tears. Georgia looked concerned, and I could tell she wanted to say something.

"Do we have a problem here?" Darry said in a threatening tone. He cussed out Curly, who just looked angry and stormed off. I was staring at the floor, and a few tears streamed down my face. They burned the skin that was still raw around the stitches, and Darry took me outside. "Come on, let's go home, hon."

"No, you were having fun, I'll be fine."

"No, Lizzie, you're crying. We're going home."

For the first time in a while, it was just me and Darry. It was rare to get a moment alone with anyone at home. I sat next to him in the front seat. Everyone else was staying behind, probably because Darry made them. I knew he felt bad for me. I didn't want him to feel bad for me. I didn't want anyone to feel bad for me.

"Hey, you okay, Lizzie?"

I shook my head. I was still crying silently, and I hated it.