Grape Bubblegum

by Beth Bowland

  There were several cars already surrounding Richland Heights Community College, where the competition was being held. I was silent and kept my eyes closed during the ride over. Walking in the building, the chemical smell of cleaning products overtook me. Down the hall there was a lone janitor pushing a cart. We arrived at the door of the auditorium. My parents and Auntie went to find seats, but not before showering me with a bunch of kisses and hugs.

  Several voices came towards me from around the corner. Hoping there would be some familiar faces, I headed towards them. When I saw Mrs. Thompson, I relaxed a little.

  “Beatrice, I know you’ll do well. Just remember to relax and take your time with each word,” Mrs. Thompson said to me before heading into the auditorium.

  After stopping by the registration table to grab my number, I made my way backstage with the other competitors.

  Checking out the competition, I felt old. It seemed as if the majority of the kids present were fifth or sixth graders. I then remembered my upcoming fourteenth birthday next month. I was still young but old compared to this bunch. Approximately thirty-five students were participating. I recognized one of the kids from a recent news program. Apparently, he was some type of child prodigy and star pianist. He looked like he had his game face on, so I actually felt intimidated by him.

  “Yeah, Bebe!” Shannan’s voice echoed around the room.

  As soon as I saw her, I started laughing. She had on a baby-blue T-shirt with Bebe Regional Champ #1 across the front, written with one of those glittered glue sticks.

  “Hey! I’m glad to see you. Thanks for coming,” I said.

  “Girl, you knew I’d be here, and there’s a bunch of kids from school here as well.” Shannan spun around modeling her T-shirt.

  “I like!” I said, admiring her artistry. “Was Joel excited about the basketball game today?”

  “Yeah. He was excited and nervous. I can’t believe they’re playing in the state championship. How cool is that? It’ll be late tonight before he returns. He’d better call me as soon as he arrives.”

  We were interrupted when an older woman instructed us to have a seat.

  “Okay, well I guess this is it,” I said, taking a deep breath and letting it out.

  “Good luck, Bebe.” She gave me a quick hug before leaving.

  We all found seats and got quiet.

  “I’m Mrs. Vanderbilt and one of the staff members here to assist you during the competition.” She spoke for several minutes, going over the rules. “If any of you need to visit the restroom, now would be a good time to go.”

  Probably ninety percent got up. We had quite a bit of time before the competition started, so I didn’t rush. Instead, I walked down the hall and looked at the items in the trophy case to keep myself busy. When I turned around to head back to the main room, I saw Spencer coming towards me. Although shocked, I welcomed the familiar face.

  “Glad I caught you before you went back in,” he said.

  “Surprised to see you here,” I said.

  “I wanted to see you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, really. I’ve missed talking to you.”

  I caught the child prodigy kid staring at us, like a little kid who’d caught his sister doing something and was going to run and tattle. Spencer and I went further down the hallway. When I glanced back, I saw the child prodigy smirk.

  I looked up at Spencer, and he was staring at me intently. What was going on in that mind of his?

  “Beatrice, I know why you’re upset with me. I was wrong that night. Let me explain what happened.”

  I shrugged my shoulders and nodded for him to continue.

  “Mitzie was crying and upset after Francis attacked her. I was only trying to calm her down. It was never my intention to take her behind some locker and kiss her. Kissing her was nowhere in my plans. I don’t even like her like that. I was trying to get her to find her mother, so she could tell someone what happened. Then the next minute she kissed me.” Spencer grabbed my hands and looked me in the eyes. “I like you a lot, but I didn’t know how much you liked me. You’re the one I want as a girlfriend, but I never knew how to ask you.”

  I pulled my hands out of his and turned my back to him. Guys are such dorks!

  “Spencer, if you liked me so much and wanted me as your girlfriend you wouldn’t been back behind that locker smooching with Mitzie!” My voice went up an octave. I turned back around to face him.

  His shoulders slumped. He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it and sighed. “I know, you’re right.” He looked at the ground. “It was the first time I’d been kissed. In my mind I knew I shouldn’t, but my lips didn’t stop.” He took a step towards me and held my hands again. “Beatrice, I’m sorry! The guys made me feel like I was some big shot, but I felt bad because I’d hurt you, and I tried to turn it around by saying we were not officially boyfriend and girlfriend to make it sound like I wasn’t so in the wrong. I really am sorry.”

  I looked him in the eyes and saw sadness.

  I thought about it for a moment. “Okay, I forgive you,” I said slowly.

  Spencer smiled. “Will you be my girlfriend?” His green eyes twinkled at me.

  What should I say…Yeah or would yes sound better? What about, sure, you got it?

  “U-uh…uh,” I stammered. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

  Spencer grinned and hugged me. Butterflies filled my stomach. He pulled back for a moment, and then leaned in.

  Oh! I thought, brace yourself, girl. You’re about to get your first kiss. I closed my eyes and felt his lips touch mine. He stopped for a moment, then kissed me again. This time I could taste his grape bubblegum. My face warmed and my stomached churned into knots. The kiss was everything I’d imagined. Time seemed suspended and birds were chirping…Well actually, it was someone blowing a whistle. I then remembered I was at a competition that was soon to start.

  We pulled apart and started laughing.

  “I’ll see you afterwards,” Spencer said. “Good luck.”

  I immediately started blushing like crazy.

  I think I’m in love, I thought to myself after he left. I couldn’t wait to tell Shannan. I felt tingly all over and light as a feather. My mind replayed the kiss again, and I still tasted his grape-flavored lips. I closed my eyes for a moment to allow everything to settle in. I couldn’t stop smiling.

  Someone shoved me, hard, and I was violently snapped back into reality.

  “Hey!” I yelled.

  When I opened my eyes, Francis was standing in front of me.

  Where’d she come from?

  She grabbed my arm and pulled me around the corner. I couldn’t stop my feet from moving…I thought about Mitzie and how Francis had beaten her up. Now it was my turn.

  Francis pushed me so hard, my back slammed against the wall. I was in shock, and my mind was racing. She stood inches away from me. The grape kisses were now a faded memory. Everything felt surreal. Her breath blasted my face, and it smelled of cigarettes and alcohol.

  “Listen to me, girl, I don’t want to hurt you, but I will! You and your mother better stay out of our business.”

  She grabbed my hair and pushed me down on the ground. I braced myself for her punches as I kicked at her, but none came at me. When I looked up, she’d gone.

  After a few moments, I stood up. My legs felt wobbly. The room was spinning. I couldn’t slow my breathing down. I’d broken out in a sweat. I headed toward the main room where the other competitors were. I heard voices but couldn’t understand what was being said. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. I saw Mrs. Vanderbilt, and I opened my mouth to tell her what had happened, but the words wouldn’t come out.

  “There you are, Beatrice. Come on. The competition has begun. Take your place on stage.” She took my arm and ushered me through the door.

  Lights.

  Bright lights were everywhere, shining on me.

  Applause.

  “No, Beatrice, the next row
,” I heard Mrs. Vanderbilt whispering to me.

  Stumbling to my chair, I sat down. Once again, I tried to calm my breathing. My side was hurting from where I’d hit the floor.

  An audible awww came from the other side of the lights. Someone had misspelled a word. The competition had started? When did it start?

  I sat in my chair, still dazed, until I heard Mrs. Vanderbilt’s voice again.

  “Beatrice. Beatrice. You’re next. Get up and go to the mic,” she said.

  I made my way in front of the microphone.

  Lights.

  Applause.

  I blinked several times trying to come out of my daze.

  “Phrygian,” the announcer said. My heart starting pounding.

  Get it together, Bea.

  “May I hear the word again, please?”

  “Phrygian,” he said once again.

  I wish they would dim the lights some. They’re hurting my eyes. Thousands of multi-colored spots appeared in front of me.

  I reached up and rubbed my eyes. “P— h—ri—gian, Phrygian,” I said slowly.

  I heard a gasp come from the lights.

  “Incorrect!” the announcer said.

  What? Incorrect.

  The colored lights returned. Surrounding me. Spinning around my head. Millions of them circled around me. Suddenly, giant black spots came at me. They started eating up the multi-colored spots. The darkness was still hungry and changed its focus to me. Closer it came…

  The darkness swallowed me up.

  Chapter 18

  “BEATRICE.” I HEARD MY MOTHER SAY.

  Someone placed something that felt cold and wet on my forehead. My body felt like lead, and my head hurt. I kept my eyes closed for a few moments longer, then slowly opened them.

  “Is she breathing?” Auntie said.

  I was no longer in the auditorium. I tried to sit up, but still felt woozy.

  “Bea.” My mother called my name again.

  “Do you think she’s on drugs?” Auntie asked.

  I looked towards my mother. She was three shades of pale. “Mom?”

  “Yes, sweetie.”

  “What happened?”

  “You fainted,” she said.

  “You hit the floor like a sack of rocks,” Auntie added, then shook her head. “Are you doing drugs?” she asked.

  “Drugs? No!” I tried to sit up once again.

  Looking around the room, I was thankful no one was in there except for my family. Remembering what had happened earlier with Francis, I started to cry. I was scared and just wanted to go home.

  “Beatrice, we think you just put too much pressure on yourself to win this competition, and it caught up with you,” Dad said.

  I cried even harder because they knew nothing of what had happened. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell them.

  “Bebe,” Shannan cried, rushing into the room and hugging me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” I replied.

  My parents started talking to the Kirkpatricks, who had just walked in, to let them know I was okay.

  “Shannan, I’m in trouble,” I whispered to her.

  “What’s wrong? What happened? I knew something was wrong with you as soon as you walked up to the mic.”

  “I can’t tell you now. Could you come over? Then I can tell you everything.”

  “I’ll bring my stuff and spend the night.”

  “Did you see Spencer?”

  “Yeah. He’s really concerned about you. They wouldn’t let any of the students back here to see you. I only got in because I was with my parents.”

  “Oh, man. Could you let him know I’m okay and that I’ll talk to him later?”

  “Sure, Bebe. I’ll see you in a few.”

  I allowed Dad to help me to the car. This was so not how I expected my day to go.

  Shannan dumped her duffle bag and pillow near my closet door. I walked into the room right behind her carrying freshly delivered pizza. Extra cheese, fresh tomatoes, half banana peppers, the other half with black olives. Ugh! I didn’t see how she could eat banana peppers, and she despised black olives. Placing the pizza on my desk, I opened the box and checked to make sure none of those gross peppers where trying to contaminate my side of the pizza.

  “Bebe, I really do believe this afternoon would have played out differently if you hadn’t gotten that kiss before Francis approached you.” Shannan scooped up a slice of pizza and placed it onto a paper plate.

  “Wooo, hot, hot.” I fanned my mouth with my hand. That’s what I got for chomping down on a hot pizza. “Ya think?” Taking a sip of my Coke, I took a seat on my bed across from Shannan.

  “Yeah, I do. I think you were just caught way off guard. Otherwise, it would’ve turned into a slugfest. I know you. When you’re mad, you react pretty fast.”

  “She scared the crap out of me. You should’ve seen her face. It was all twisted and crazy-looking.” Crinkling my face, I tried to imitate the look in order to paint a picture for her.

  Coke spewed from Shannan’s mouth, and she fell over laughing.

  “It was nothing for her to pull me around that corner. She’s what Auntie calls a sturdy gal.”

  “Bebe.” She sat straight up. “Tell me about the kiss!”

  I started giggling. I’d almost forgotten about that. “It was the most wonderful kiss I’ve ever had.”

  Shannan raised an eyebrow. “Girl, it’s the only kiss you’ve ever had.”

  “Hmm, yeah, I guess that’s true.” I filled Shannan in on more details as we continued to devour the pizza.

  Ring, ring. Ring,ring.

  I hopped up and grabbed my cell phone. It said boyfriend on the caller id. “It’s him.”

  “Your boyfriend?” Shannan grinned.

  Boyfriend, me? Boyfriend. I tried to stop giggling long enough to answer the phone. I pressed the speakerphone button.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Bea. How are you feeling?” Spencer asked.

  Shannan started making smooching noises behind me. I hit her with a stuffed bear that was lying near me.

  Feeling embarrassed that he saw me faint, I murmured, “I’m fine.” There were lots of background voices coming through the phone. “Where are you?” I asked.

  “At the school. The team made it back, so my mom drove us over.”

  “Well…” Shannan yelled in the background.

  “Hi, Shannan.” Spencer replied to her.

  Shannan pulled the cell phone in her direction. “Stop keeping us in suspense. How’d they do?”

  “We won. Joel’s the man, thirty-seven points.” Shannan and I started dancing around the room. I happened to look at the clock, and it was already eleven p.m. Man, this day had flown by.

  “Hey, my mom’s ready to go, gotta run,” Spencer said. “Bea, I’ll call you in the morning.”

  “Okay. Bye.” I closed the phone.

  Shannan was grinning from ear to ear. “State champions! Joel will act like a ham the rest of the year. I’m so happy for them.”

  “Yeah, he’ll probably charge us for an autograph.”

  Chapter 19

  EXCITEMENT FILLED THE AIR as I walked down the hall. Everyone was hyped. The basketball team players were now school celebrities. I silently hoped the state basketball championship win would overshadow my fainting, and no one would bring it up.

  I thought about the drama from this weekend. I got a boyfriend: pure greatness. My first kiss: pure sweetness. Threatened and smacked around: totally foul.

  “Beatrice.” It was Spencer. My boyfriend. He walked over to me and held my hand. “Can I walk you to class?” He blew a giant bubble, and I popped it with my finger. He laughed, his eyes twinkling.

  “Sure.”

  He’d snuck and called me when he’d gotten home Saturday night, and we’d stayed on the phone until my battery started beeping. That was around three a.m. If my parents knew, they would’ve freaked. I never told him about Francis, and I told Shannan not to tell Joel. Spencer
also officially asked me to the eighth-grade formal. Shannan fell asleep five minutes after he’d called. Afterwards, I tried to wake her up to fill her in, but she was snoozing too hard.

  When we arrived at my class, Spencer kissed me before leaving. I was in heaven. I don’t think I heard a word Mr. Dodd said during class. My mind was on Spencer and his grape kisses.

  During lunch, I finally caught up with Joel. As I walked over to the table, I heard him retelling the highlights of the game.

  “S’up, QB?” he asked.

  “Congrats.”

  “Thanks. I hear you had some excitement this weekend. Wassup with you passing out?” He started laughing.

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Please, don’t remind me.”

  He got up and gave me a hug. “Well, you should’ve known I’d give you a hard time.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  “Kane finally made his move, huh?” Joel grinned.

  “Uh, yes.” I blushed. “So…uh, when are you going to make your move with Shannan, and tell her how you feel?” I asked, putting him back in the hot seat.

  He smiled. “Soon.”

  “Really?” I was shocked.

  He nodded. “My parents are throwing me a party this weekend at the Westlake Lodge.”

  “Cool.”

  “Yeah, so pass the word around. It’ll be a nice kickoff for the start of spring break.”

  “I will and congrats again.” We parted ways. I headed over and ate lunch with some girls from Mrs. Freutenstein’s class. I didn’t see Shannan, but knowing her, she was probably doing something for some committee.

  Sitting in my chair, I tried to stop my leg from bouncing. Jumpy nerves.

  Mr. Webster’s class was about to begin, and I silently hoped Craig wouldn’t show up. Anxiety nudged me again and again throughout class. My prayer had been answered, no Craig. I was unable to breathe until I walked out into the hallway.

  On my way to Mrs. Freutenstein’s class I saw Craig stumble into the hallway from the boys’ bathroom. He went beside some lockers and fell. Several students saw him. Only a few, including me, went over to him.