Freakboy (7 page)

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Authors: Kristin Elizabeth Clark

BOOK: Freakboy
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But what does it matter?

U of C or Berkeley,

good schools for math,

UW–Madison,

the school Andy's hoping for;

his whole family's gone there.

I glance over at him

hulking on the floor

next to my bed

controller in hand

playing an old-school game.

                      “We could live together,”

                      he says, eyes glued to the

                      screen. “You'd bring the PS3,

                      —I'd bring the Xbox.

                      “We wouldn't have to worry

                      about sharing a room

                      with some weenie.”

I want to pause Mortal Kombat

shout, puke, something—

the thought of rooming with anyone …

What if he knew

about trans-thuggy me?

What would he do?

I can't see

next year at all

and really,

why bother thinking ahead?

I'm a freak and my future

is        totally            screwed.

I take a shot,

push my kill streak to five,

lean back.

“Sounds good,” I say.

And I'm sorry the game is over.

Wednesday After Conditioning

I hang around

outside the girls'

locker room.

I'm scrambled

strung out

scared but

missing Vanessa

adds to the

turmoil factory.

Lately it's mostly been

ILY texts between classes,

forbidden looks in wrestling,

lame excuses for taking the bus home.

It's felt too weird

I've
felt too weird

for close contact

and now my arms

hurt with wanting

to hold her.

She finally appears,

fresh from the shower

damp hair in

a ponytail—

smiles to see me—but,

                     “I have to go to

                     the airport to

                     get Grand-maman.”

“Paper to write,” I say.

She leans in.

                     “Thanksgiving night

                     we'll have all the

                     time in the world.”

Her dark eyes are steady.

She's already told me

about the Smiths' empty house …

I don't look down

when her fingertip

brushes my chest.

There's no mistaking

exactly what

we'll have

all the time

in the world

to do.

I breathe her in,

         the wanting

                    overpowers

                              the awkward.

Soft lips

touch mine

before

she walks

away

and

that word

gets quieter.

Vanessa has no idea

I'm a massively confused

vandalizing menace.

With her I'm

someone else

something else

and I can

grab that

feeling

hang on like

it's my opponent trying to

get out of a double arm bar.

Thanksgiving night

is the night.

(Angel)

Mama's Sweet Corn Stuffing

sits on the table; she'd be proud.

Turkey, sweet potato pie,

spaghetti, onion rings.

I check out the offerings

of my sisters-in-spirit,

Denai, Brandy, Chantal.

Not bad for a bunch of girls

(used to be) from the street.

Gennifer's not here

'cause she's spending the night

with her boyfriend—lucky.

But, Girl, we're lucky ones, too.

Roof over our heads, even if it's five

in a two-bedroom apartment

and seems like there's always

someone in the bathroom.

Legally employed … mostly.

Brandy sells a little pot,

adds to what she

gets as a telemarketer.

         She's saving for surgery.

We're lucky to be giving thanks

with the family we've chosen.

Show the world

your essence

and you find out

faster than a

five-dollar hand job

who's family

and who's not.

The ugly-ass

Sperm Donor

who beat the crap

out of you for

dressing like yourself?

A cracked rib

the least of the pain.

Who sent you to

“Hoods in the Woods”

after your mama died?

Thinking they'd teach you

how to be a man—

like learning to catch fish

and dig a latrine

to shit in

could change your DNA,

your soul.

Who You Are.

The asshole

who threatened

to call the police

after he threw you out

just 'cause you snuck back

to see your

baby brother

and the little guy used to

cry and beg for you to stay

because he lost his mother

and his sister the same year,

                  then he was the lost one?

No, the Sperm Donor

is NOT family.

I count my

blessings and

thank God.

(Vanessa)

It's the American Way

of an American holiday.

Mom jokes that my father and Uncle Michel

have embraced it too fully since

moving here twenty years ago.

Too much turkey, stuffing, gravy,

mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie.

Before they settle down

to snooze in front of the TV,

Dad waves me over to commence

the Thanksgiving ritual of gently rapping my leg

with his knuckles to hear if it's hollow.

             “Where does such a little girl

             hide so much food?” he asks,

             eyebrow cocked, fake puzzlement.

“I'm not telling you!” I play along, jerking away

while he tries to hang on and we tussle.

Yeah, it's dorky and we both know

I'm too old for the game—

but I think he thinks it's fun

to see the disapproval radiating

off Grand-maman.

             “Lucas! She's a young lady,”

             his mother scolds.

My father catches my eye,

winks, then shares a smirk

with Uncle Michel.

             “Strange, no? A young lady

             with a hollow leg she hides food in!”

             My father gives me one last tickle.

I walk back into the kitchen

to tell Mom I'm going out

but she's already (discreetly)

headed upstairs

probably to escape Grand-maman,

who follows me, practically

catching me with her claws.

                        “Where is your young man?”

“Home.

I thought I'd go hang with him

for a couple hours.”

                          “Let him come to you.

                          Men chase women,
chérie
,

                          this is the nice way.

                          They run from the ones

                          who get that wrong.”

I nod (respectfully) and

sit down at the breakfast bar,

flip the pages

of
Sunset
magazine

                                        with my right hand.

Rub the toothed edge

of the Smiths' house key

                                        with my left.

She finally heads upstairs herself.

I know how

to deal

with Grand-maman.

You wait her out.

It may not be the nice way—

planning to shed virginity

in my neighbors' house—

but I know Brendan'll agree

it's nicer than doing it in the car.

You Know It's True

I never had a boyfriend

before there was    
B r e n d a n
.

It wasn't because I chased anyone.

I'm confident the reason    
i s

because there was this perfect

person waiting for me.    
M y

ideal. When we're together, we're

the only people in the    
w o r l d
.

At the Smiths'

Suddenly, weirdly

shy with one another

we sit on the floor

backs against the couch

huge blank screen in front of us

packet of condoms next to us.

              “We could just watch TV,” he says.

And I can't tell if he's serious.

“If that's what you want.”

I try to make it sound flirty,

which works because

            he gently, gently

                         touches that spot

                                     behind my earlobe

leans in

            and softly, softly

                         kisses my lips.

Somewhere a clock ticks.

            “Are you sure about this?”

“I love you.”

            “And I love you.”

“Then yes.”

Mouth again

brushes

lingers

longer

deeper

his shaking fingers

unbutton my shirt.

Mine

shake

too

a joyful shiver

when I

touch him.

(BRENDAN)

No Guidebook

Her lips

sweet

tongue

sweeter still

skin

to skin

thrumming

joy

And no way to prepare

            touching

            her

            softest

            neat

            tucked up

            away

            jealous

            want

            washes

            wait

Please, God

hold

held

meld

hers

mine

all one.

            Prayer answered.

The Next Morning

Banana pancakes

with fat-free whipped cream

fill the Styrofoam container

wedged flat in my backpack

their warm smell

mingles with the crisp bite

of eucalyptus

from the tree I climb

outside Vanessa's

bedroom window.

Glass tapped,

curtain pushed aside,

window opened,

entry granted.

                     “It's not the fifteenth.”

                     She's smiling.

“Today's just because,” I whisper—

even though her house is huge and

her parents won't hear.

They never do.

A year ago for

our one-month anniversary

I brought her breakfast in bed.

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