How to Ruin My Teenage Life

by Simone Elkeles

Page 10

 

  I remember back to when my mom took me to my first ballet lesson. Id begged for her to sign me up and practically dragged her to Miss Gerties Dance Studio where Jessica was already taking lessons. My mom paid the hefty tuition, bought me ballet slippers and a cute leotard, and off we went to the first class. Only there was one problem: I refused to go inside the studio. For some unknown reason (even to me) I cried in the car until my mom dragged me kicking and screaming into that studio.

  She forced me to go.

  In retaliation, I sat in the corner of the studio and refused to move even one pink ballet-slippered foot the entire time. This routine continued lesson after lesson until the costumes came in for the recital. My class danced to a song called "The Buzy Bees. " We were little bees with black and yellow sparkly sequined leotards and black springy sparkly antennas. What can I say, all those sparkles would turn any reluctant kid into an instant ballerina just waiting to go on stage. The day those costumes came in, I stood up from my usual spot and danced and buzzed around as if I was making up for lost time.

  Those ballet lessons made me learn one thing:

  My mom is a patient parent beyond belief. And shell wait anything out until I cave.

  "Amy, I know its not easy for you. Too many changes in such a short time. " She looks up at the sign to Modern Maternity. "Should we just go back home? Or go bra shopping for you? I can do this another day. "

  "No, were already here. You might as well get some clothes that wont strangle the baby. " Besides, I dont want to go bra shopping with my mom. Shell probably pick out those big hefty white ones that resemble tablecloths with straps.

  Mom needs no further encouragement. Shes out of the car as if someone was pushing her enlarged butt forward. I swear, my mom used to have a body an aerobics instructor would be jealous of. Now. . . well, lets just say shes changed a lot.

  I follow her into the store, silently hoping the salesperson doesnt mistake me for the customer.

  "Can I help you ladies?" the short and perky salesperson asks, looking from my mom to me and back.

  My mom touches her stomach again. "Well, Im about three months along now and am outgrowing my clothes already"

  The lady claps her hands together. "Are we looking for casual or business attire. . . or do you need something for a specific occasion?"

  Id like to cut the word "we" from the womans vocabulary.

  "Casual. And business. "

  While the lady shows my mom around the store, I follow in silence. To be honest, though, some of the clothes arent too bad. And before long my mom is trying the stuff on, making me go with her into the dressing room.

  On the bench I catch sight of something weird. Its like a cream-colored pouch with strings coming out of it. "I think someone left something in here," I tell the saleslady, pointing to the strange object.

  "No, theres one in every dressing room. Its to strap to your stomach to make you look five to six months pregnant. "

  I cant help the giggle that escapes my mouth. My mom shushes me, then closes the dressing room door. "Can I try it on?" I ask.

  Before my mom can stop me, I pick up my shirt, tie the pouch around my waist, and pull my shirt back down. "Thats not really the image I want of my seventeen-year-old daughter," Mom says, eyeing me rub my tummy like she does.

  I wonder what it would be like to be pregnant. A baby growing inside your body until it can survive on its own. Turning sideways, I check myself out in the mirror. Do I want kids? I mean, I feel sorry for my parents that they have to deal with me. Sometimes I think Im not normal, that Im long overdue for a psychotherapist to straighten me out. Then at other times I feel like everyone else is a mashed-potato nutcase and Im the only sane one.

  Maybe Moms banking on this new kid to be the normal one, the one whos freak-out resistant.

  I stare at my moms stomach as she tries on a black and white suit with a stretchy panel in the front of the pants. It makes me realize what a big deal this must be for her. Shes not just getting big; shes creating another human being, one shell be responsible for forever.

  "You can touch my stomach if you want," she says.

  I do, but I dont. I remember I used to lay my head on her stomach and laugh as I heard gurgling noises coming from it. Now theres a baby growing inside there. . .

  I guess she senses my hesitation, because she takes my hand and places it on her bulging tummy. "Can you feel it moving?" I ask.

  "Not yet. "

  I gaze at my hand on her belly, close to my half brother or sister. As much as I know its weird for my mom to have a kid, Im feeling unusually protective of it right now. I pull my hand away; this is getting a little too weird for me.

  She tries on a big white shirt with an arrow pointing down saying Future Physician. "What do you think?" she asks, holding her arms out wide to give me the full view.

  "I think its weak sauce. "

  "Weak sauce?" she says, scrunching up her face in confusion. "New slang I dont know about?"

  "You know. . . same as lame. Its all about the sauce. If its bad sauce, nobody likes it. "

  "Is this one lame sauce?"

  I dont correct her and tell her its weak sauce, not lame sauce.

  Now shes holding out one that says Almost done.

  "You can get it, but Im not going out with you in public if youre wearing it. Dont they have one saying Im a Dorky Mom?"

  "I didnt see that one on the racks," she says, teasing me.

  In the end, she picks out a pants suit for work, one dress, two pairs of jeans, and three T-shirts that dont have writing on them. I swear, before my mom was married and actually had a job, she dressed like she was a Vogue model. She knew everything about fashion and taught me so much. Now, my mom got married, quit her job, and seriously does not know whats in. I hope after the baby is born shell change back into the same mom I had before.

  "Are you staying over for dinner?" she asks when were on the way back to her house.

  "Sorry, cant. Im going to some Jewish teen group thing with Jessica. "

  "You sure about this Jewish route, Amy? Marc and I were discussing it the other day, and we just dont understand this sudden interest in conversion. "

  Mom doesnt understand that during my trip to Israel last summer I changed. Its like I found a missing piece of myself. Its a small piece, but sometimes I feel like when I find the missing pieces of myself I get closer to being whole. "Its not sudden, Mom. "

  "What does your father say? From what I know, hes not all that religious himself. "

  I look out the window, fighting the urge to argue with her. Converting to Judaism is something I feel strongly about. It has nothing to do with my dad or my mom. It has everything to do with me. To argue and try to make her see my side is pointless. My mom has her own opinions about organized religion and I dont share her view.

  When Sofia gave me a Jewish star pendant, I felt something Id never felt before. A connection to people I had previously not acknowledged. And when I climbed Masada, it really hit me. My dad is Jewish, so half of me is Jewish. To ignore it suddenly felt like it would be dissing a part of who I am. I admit, learning about Judaism and reading the Tanakh (that would be the Torah and learning about the numerous Prophets) isnt easy. And, to be honest, I dont totally agree with or understand the Torah.

  Rabbi Glassman encourages discussion, even disagreements. Which is great, because Im disagreeable by nature. I question everything, like why Abraham really was going to kill his son. And its obvious men wrote the Bible (its a bit male-centered if I do say so myself. ) But did the stories actually happen or were they made up? "Dad supports me. "

  "But cant they consider you Jewish because your father is? Its seems silly to have you go through months of classes--"

  "Theyre not making me do it, Mom. " She just doesnt get it. Or maybe she doesnt want to get it. "I dont have to convert. I want to convert. Just. . . leave it alone, okay?"

  Mom shrugs. "Okay, o
kay. I just want you to be happy. "

  "Then stop nagging me about religion. Nag me about something else instead. "

  Looking at me sideways, my mom smiles. Oops, I should never have said that. Because. . . you guessed it, she takes me to Sallys Intimate Boutique on the other side of town to get me fitted for bras.

  Mom drives me back to the condo in the city after the bra run. I kiss her goodbye, get out of the car, and attempt to hide the girly pink bag under my arm. Its gotten so cold I pull my coat tight around me, but catch sight of Nathan standing on the curb with a bouquet of yellow tulips in his hand.

  Im still watching Nathan as my mom drives off. When the public bus heading to Evanston stops at the corner, Nathan gets on without a backward glance.

  Hmm.

  I wonder if hes going to see Binky. . . I mean Bicky. Not that I believe hes actually dating that girl in the picture in his room.

  I still havent figured him out. Why is he staying at his aunt and uncles house? If its not temporary, why is he still living out of his suitcase? If its not temporary, why is he going to my school? The whole thing doesnt add up.

  Shaking thoughts of Nathan from my head, I run up to my condo before my dad gets home. Hurriedly, I check my dads still-open PJSN account. The only problem is hell kill me if I set him up on another date. I have to come up with another scheme, something creative.

  Ive heard about speed dating, where a person goes on a bunch of three-minute dates in one night. Hmm. . . maybe I can convince Maria to host one of them at Perk Me Up! one night. I must admit I have the best ideas.

  My dad walks in the door just as Im closing out the PJSN account. He asks me about my weekend without him. I ask him about his trip. We eat dinner together while playing shesh besh, which is Hebrew for backgammon. Its something we both like to play. We even have a little rivalry going on.

  I answer the phone when it rings after dinner, knowing before I even check the caller ID that its Jessica. "I need best friend advice," Jess says.

  "Me, too. I need to know what I should wear tonight. " I mean, I havent been to a youth group meeting in. . . well, never.

  "I thought you were going to wear your Fuego jeans and that heather-gray top you got last week at Saks. "

  I lay down on my bed in frustration, petting Mutt who just jumped on my stomach and almost knocked the wind out of me. "I was, but decided against it. I was thinking about wearing my long print skirt and a plain white shirt. "

  Theres a big huff on the other end of the line. "Amy, you dont have to dress religious for the group. "

  "Come over and help me pick something to wear tonight. Please? Ill do your makeup for you and listen to your Mitch problems at the same time. "

  Jessica loves when I do her makeup. She will absolutely come over. I know her weakness is the two Ms--Mitch and makeup. For the double Ms, shell go through the torture of finding a parking spot on the overcrowded Chicago streets.

  "Um. . . Im picking up Miranda Cohen first," Jess says.

  "Miranda Cohen?" I ask. "The girl who hyperventilated when we ran the mile in gym last year?" Poor Miranda. The Diet Coke she drinks just doesnt erase the other crap from her system.

  "Mirandas in the youth group. "