Tyger Lilly

by Lisa Trusiani

  Lilly had always thought of herself as nothing special. Average height. Average build. Average brown shoulder-length hair. An ordinary, run-of-the-mill girl.

  Lilly was surprised when she looked in the mirror. She looked different in this suit. She straightened her shoulders, stood a half-inch taller and admired herself. “I look like somebody else.”

  When Lilly reached the pool, her class was swimming warm-up laps. She stepped onto a racing block, curled her toes over the edge and crouched. She threw herself forward. It was a shock diving into the cool water. She surfaced and began to swim.

  Lilly reached the end of the pool where Isadora floated. Lilly stood up waiting in case Isadora wanted to swim ahead.

  “Where did you get that?” said Isadora pointing to Lilly’s new suit. She flicked the ruffle.

  Another girl reached the end of the pool. “What’s the holdup?” she asked.

  “Lilly forgot her bathing suit,” laughed Isadora. “She’s wearing her underwear.” Isadora called to girls in the other lanes, “Look at Lilly! She’s wearing her underwear. Silly frilly underwear.” Isadora chanted, “Silly frilly Lilly. Silly frilly Lilly.”

  Lilly’s cheeks burned. She looked around at the other girls. Everyone wore a one-piece racing suit that fit tight as skin. Miss Brightman blew her whistle and yelled, “Get moving, girls.”

  Lilly plunged into the water and swam. Isadora’s laughter was drowned out, but Lilly couldn’t quiet her own anger. Although Isadora had teased Lilly every day since kindergarten, Lilly never grew accustomed to it. Hot anger welled up inside.

  Lilly jabbed the water hard and plowed through, catching up to Isadora. Where Isadora was concerned, Lilly tried to be inconspicuous. She didn’t want Isadora to notice her. But this time Lilly broke her own rule. Instead of slowing down and trailing behind Isadora, Lilly brushed the bottom of Isadora’s fluttering feet with her fingertips and swam past. Lilly made a point of passing Isadora again and again. Isadora kicked harder to stay ahead but Lilly raced past anyway.

  After class, Miss Brightman called to Lilly, “You swam hard today, Lilly.”

  “I wish I was a better swimmer, Miss Brightman,” stammered Lilly.

  “Your stroke may not be as polished as some of the girls who’ve had years of lessons but you have something that can’t be taught.”

  “I do?”

  “I saw a glimmer of it today,” said Miss Brightman. “There’s a fighter in you, Lilly. You should let that tiger out of the cage more often.”

  “Okay,” murmured Lilly, not quite understanding. She entered the locker room. As she stood on the cold, damp floor in a chilly, wet bathing suit, she felt warm from the inside out. Her favorite teacher liked the way she swam.

  Lilly went into a shower stall and turned on the water. She carefully rinsed her suit and hung it outside the stall. Lilly closed her eyes and let warm water spray her face and hair. After Lilly finished her shower and dressed, she reached for her bathing suit. It was gone! She dropped to her knees and searched the floor but didn’t find it. Isadora! thought Lilly.

  Lilly threw open locker after locker searching for the bathing suit. The locker room echoed with the sounds of clanging metal. She looked at the clock. She was late for class. What would Mr. Stinchfield do to her? She opened another locker and found the bottom half of her suit. After searching longer, she glanced at the clock and decided to look for the top after school.

  “This is what I get for swimming faster than Isadora,” thought Lilly, racing to the classroom. As she hurried in, Mr. Stinchfield was busy writing on the chalkboard. Lilly slipped into her seat.

  “You’re late, Miss Wilder,” said Mr. Stinchfield with a hiss. “Tardiness carries a price.” He spoke without looking at Lilly. Without hesitating, he continued to write math problems on the chalkboard. Lilly felt as if eyes in the back of his head stared at her. He continued, “The Four-Corners are occupied for now, Miss Wilder,” he said.

  “Yes, sir,” murmured Lilly. She looked at the four corners of the classroom. There was a student in each one. Mr. Stinchfield punished students in the Four-Corners.

  “I didn’t hear you,” breathed Mr. Stinchfield.

  “Yes, sir,” said Lilly crisply. She trembled. Students in Mr. Stinchfield’s class dreaded being sent to the Four-Corners.

  Lilly looked at Billy Pardon, who was in the nearest corner. Billy’s eyes bulged as he looked at a colorful gumball machine, the kind found in old-timey department stores except this machine was filled to the top with horseradish stew balls. Billy pushed another penny into the machine and turned the crank. A pile of slimy stew balls rolled into his hand. Billy closed his watering eyes, wiped his runny nose on his sleeve and stuffed a stew ball into his mouth, followed by another and another.

  “How many?” asked Mr. Stinchfield.

  “Ich-y, ir,” mumbled Billy through sealed lips. He looked like a blowfish.

  Sixty stew balls, thought Lilly. That must be a record. I didn’t know anyone’s cheeks could stretch that far.

  “Enough, Mr. Pardon,” said Mr. Stinchfield. Billy spit stew balls into a bucket. Gum chewers were always sent to that corner. Although no one knew what Mr. Stinchfield would use to fill up the gumball machine, one thing was certain… it was always a revolting surprise.

  In a far corner, Dotty kneeled on pistachio nuts. The more she shifted her weight hoping for a less painful position, the more nuts she cracked with her knees unless that cracking noise was her knees. Mr. Stinchfield gave this punishment to kids caught running.

  In the opposite corner, Angela balanced a stack of books on her head. Mr. Stinchfield said it helped remind all students to use their heads, meted out to those who gave an incorrect answer to any of his questions. Poor Angela, thought Lilly. Her head wobbled as though attached to a spring. Lilly knew that if Angela used even one finger to steady the pile, Isadora would tattle and Mr. Stinchfield would add another book. Angela tried to steady herself by holding her breath. While Lilly watched, Angela the Bobble Head turned the color of cooked beets.

  Tabitha stood in the fourth corner doing relatively easy time. Tabitha had a habit of talking too much. This time, Mr. Stinchfield superglued her mouth shut. In the past, super strong duct tape didn’t work. Tabitha had licked the tape until it fell off. So much licking gave Tabitha very chapped lips. With Superglue, it appeared she had no lips at all.

  Lilly copied equations from the chalkboard onto her paper. She didn’t want to think about the punishment Mr. Stinchfield would concoct for her.

  “I’ll repeat myself for the benefit of Tardy Lilly.” Mr. Stinchfield looked at Lilly. “You all have fifteen minutes to finish these equations – except Dorian who will come with me to fill out some forms.” Lilly hoped Dorian would be careful. So far she hadn’t seen his tail, and she hoped no one else had either. Lilly watched the door close behind them.

  Lilly looked at the equations she’d copied. She wished she were home to tell Tobias about her bathing suit being stolen. There was so much she wanted to talk to him about.

  Lilly heard giggling. Then someone said the word, Lilly. Lilly looked up. The giggling swelled. A shimmering, white blur whizzed through the air and hit a girl in the head. The girl grabbed it and tossed it back to Isadora. My bathing suit! thought Lilly.

  Lilly lunged for it. A boy who was closer grabbed the bathing suit top and threw it to Isadora. Lilly ran after it.

  “Monkey in the middle. Monkey in the middle,” chanted Isadora, throwing it over Lilly’s head. “Lilly is a lily liver. A lily-livered scaredy cat.” Isadora laughed while she sang.

  As the bathing suit soared overhead, Lilly flew into the air and snagged it. She landed, clutching her damp suit and trying to catch her breath. “What is going on, Miss Wilder?” thundered a voice from the doorway.

  Lilly jumped. Mr. Stinchfield walked toward her hissing, “How dare you turn my classroom into a circus?” Lilly tried to stuff the wet bathing suit into her pants pocket. But being one size to
o small, her pants couldn’t take it.

  “Trying to hide the color of your stripes, Miss Wilder?” snarled Mr. Stinchfield.

  Everyone else pretended to work on equations except Dorian who stood in the doorway looking shocked.

  “So,” mused Mr. Stinchfield, “you wanted to put on a show, Miss Wilder?” He drew his thin lips into a grimace. “Stay right where you are. There’s no good hiding you away in a corner. I’m in the mood to see a show like yours.”

  Chapter 8

  Lilly faced the class. Mr. Stinchfield told everyone ‘eyes forward.’ Dorian sat at his desk, waving his hand. “Mr. Stinchfield,” called Dorian. Lilly gave Dorian a warning glare but he didn’t pay attention. “It wasn’t Lilly’s fault. I saw them throwing her bathing suit around.”

  The children around Dorian leaned toward him. Lilly could hear their frantic whispers, “You’ll get us all in trouble.” And, “Shut up, why don’t you?” Dorian grew quiet and watched.

  “Go ahead, Miss Wilder. Entertain us. Give us your show,” said Mr. Stinchfield with a laugh. Lilly looked at him. “Stage fright?” he mocked.

  “Isadora, help us out.” Mr. Stinchfield smiled. His eyes twinkled meanly. Isadora jumped up and walked quickly to Lilly. She pulled at the bathing suit in Lilly’s hand.

  Lilly grew hot with rage. Her eyes flooded and burned but she refused to let go a tear. A voice inside said, “Let them have what they want. Get it over with.” Lilly unclenched her fist and allowed Isadora to pull the bathing suit from her stiff hand. Lilly looked at Isadora’s determined expression. Lilly looked away and stared at the wall.

  Isadora put the bathing suit on top of Lilly’s head. She tied the straps under her chin. The ruffle hung around Lilly’s face like the frill on a baby bonnet. Isadora returned to her seat, smirking broadly.

  Lilly closed her eyes but opened them instantly for in that moment, she saw herself as everyone in the class must see her. She saw her ridiculous self, standing with a wet bathing suit stretched tight over her head. She wanted to disappear. Lilly stared at a spot on the wall. The spot grew blurry.

  Lilly refused to cry. She thought about her feet. She felt the solid floor beneath her feet. She thought about her hands. She squeezed her hands into fists and felt the flesh and the solid bones of her fingers. She thought about her breath. She breathed in deeply. Lilly’s breath flowed into every space of her being and filled her with an incredible lightness. Lilly breathed out. As light as her breath, Lilly slipped outside of herself and away. Lilly floated feeling nothing but lightness.

  The first time Lilly floated away was without warning. Forced to stand in front of the class with Mr. Stinchfield shouting at her, five-year-old Lilly had simply and suddenly floated away. She floated outside of herself to a place where Mr. Stinchfield’s words didn’t hurt. It was a place where Lilly felt safe.

  Now, Lilly floated above Mr. Stinchfield and looked down at the top of his head. It was completely bald except for a thin rim of dark hair. His scalp dimpled in places. Without fear, she looked at his pasty face, graying brown mustache – and the one eyebrow running unbroken above his mud-colored eyes.

  When Lilly floated, sounds seemed distant. While her classmates listened to Mr. Stinchfield rant, Lilly heard a muffled voice. She saw him wave his arms. What a spectacle.

  Mr. Stinchfield kept Lilly standing before the class in her wet bathing-suit bonnet while he reviewed the equations on the board. It wasn’t until she saw Dorian and the others gather their belongings that Lilly realized school was over. Lilly heard the bell ringing faintly, as if miles away.

  Lilly breathed in slowly. She thought only about her breath. Her nostrils flared as she filled the deep-down well of her lungs. Lilly flowed in with her breath. Soon she felt solid again.

  Lilly looked away from the spot on the wall to find Dorian standing in front of her. Lilly struggled to remove the bathing suit from her head but the knot remained stubbornly clenched.

  “Wear this,” said Dorian. He pulled off the sweatshirt he’d worn all day and handed it to her. “It has a hood.”

  Lilly yanked it on fast. “Thanks, Dorian.”

  Lilly grabbed her books and her backpack and ran. Much later Lilly realized the extent of Dorian’s generosity for in giving Lilly his sweatshirt, Dorian had given away the secret of his tail.

  Chapter 9

  Lilly rushed home expecting to be ambushed at every corner. She hurdled through the open window into her room at breakneck speed, ducking her head at the last moment. She felt greatly relieved to have seen neither hide nor hair of Isadora. With an explosive thud, Lilly’s foot hit the bedroom floor.

  “TO THE CANOPY!” screeched a startled Tobias flying to the chandelier. “Good Heavens, Lilly. Careful whom you CR-RUSH!” Lilly looked down to see her foot next to Gwendolyn, an exceptionally beautiful creature if you like iguanas. Lilly did like iguanas and was sincerely sorry she’d nearly maimed one, especially Gwendolyn.

  “What has you racing like a panicked antelope?” asked Tobias.

  “Nothing,” fibbed Lilly. “I just wanted to get home.” Lilly dropped her backpack and yanked off Dorian’s sweatshirt.

  “What is this contraption on your head, Lilly?”

  “My new bathing suit.” Tobias watched Lilly try to untie the bathing suit that held her head in a stranglehold. It didn’t give. She grabbed the back of the suit and pulled forward hoping it would slide off. Still the suit didn’t budge. “PRRROVOKED! My mind is prrrovoked! May I offer a suggestion?” interrupted Tobias.

  “Scissors?” asked Lilly.

  “DRRRASTIC! Equally drastic, my dear,” said Tobias. “Why don’t you ask your mother to help you?”

  “My mother, Tobias? You must have noticed my mother is in another world. How would I explain this to her?”

  “I’m currrious-currrious how you will explain it to me, Lilly.”

  Lilly looked impatiently for a pair of scissors and found one in a box of broken crayons. She grabbed the dull safety scissors, eased the tip between her chin and the bathing suit and began to saw back and forth.

  “I think Janie’s teeth are sharper than those,” observed Tobias.

  “I’d rather not have my chin chewed off by a guinea pig,” whispered Lilly through gritted teeth. “Even if she didn’t mean to hurt me.”

  “So, what is this all about, Lilly? Did one of your classmates dare you to wear this silliness on your head?”

  Silliness. The word reminded her of Isadora’s chant, “Silly, frilly Lilly.”

  “Was there any benefit to you, my dear?” asked Tobias.

  “What are you talking about, Tobias? My teacher made me wear my bathing suit on my head in front of the whole class.”

  Lilly continued, her voice trembling, “And now I’m going to cut my first and only new bathing suit.”

  “RRRRELEASE! Release those scissors!” cried Tobias. “We will find another escape rrroute.” Tobias drew himself up and strutted across the floor. “Lilly, I am outraged. Your teacher did this to you? The one I saw yesterday? What was his name again, Stinkfield?”

  “Stinchfield,” corrected Lilly.

  “I am going to school with you tomorrow. Stenchfield will answer to me. He had no right to do this to you.” Under his breath, Tobias muttered, “Scoundrel… coward… bully…” He paced side-to-side in angry strides atop the bed rail.

  “Mr. Stinchfield does what he wants, Tobias. No one in his class has any rights.”

  “FACE THE CONSEQUENCES, YOU FIELD OF STENCH!” shouted Tobias. “I will attempt to rrreason with him, Lilly. But be forewarned, if Stinker is unrrreasonable I will resort to physical measures. This beak has served as a weapon before. One solid tweak can break a human nose. I am old but I am not extinct yet.” He pronounced this with a raised wing like a general leading the charge. No troops listened but Tobias won the attention of most of the animals in the room.

  Lilly interrupted, “Thank you for wanting to stick up for me, Tobias, but there isn’t an
ything you can do. Besides, I’m afraid if you come to school, Mr. Stinchfield might turn you into parrot stew balls or worse.”

  “What could be worse?” said the lime green parrot turning greener.

  Lilly sat on the edge of her bed and allowed Tobias to use his bone-breaking beak to gently pull at the knot under her chin. More than once Janie chattered. Tobias explained to Lilly that Janie was complaining. She thought Tobias was taking too long and she wanted a turn to help Lilly. Tobias didn’t answer Janie. Minute after tense minute he worked until with one final tug the elastic top sprang free. Lilly took a deep breath. She smiled expanding her jaw for the first time in an hour. “Ouch,” she moaned rubbing her face.