Class dismissed/half school day first day continued

After our principal told us class was dismissed, everyone poured out of the army barrack schoolroom 

I remember the sounds of running feet pounding on the wood floor as they ran 

And I remember dissolving into that hard wooden seat not wanting to have to face that boy again. 

There was Caroline to my left at her desk and another girl she sat next to; I forget the other girl’s name. But before I was there, Caroline and the other girl were friends. I think the other girl was blonde and from the Midwest that’s all that I remember about her, besides that she looked typical girl from the Midwest and she had a bright magenta coat you could spot a mile away. 

Both their dads worked at IBM in those days it was a joke that it stood for I’ve Been Moved because of how often their employees changed locations for their work, but that was how they knew each other, which was why they were friends as they knew each other from another European country. 

The other three girls in our class were from Japan. They didn’t speak any English at all and they sat in the back together. It’s funny, but—during recess, I played with them and we would just go by the swings. Before the boys started making things terrible for me. But it was all Sargent’s doing

Caroline liked to play rugby too. And she was better than most of the boys. Except for Sargent. So during recess Caroline would play rugby with the boys and —because I can’t recall her name, I’ll call her Middy (for midwest)—and Middy would trail after Caroline and just watch in the field. 

But that was later 

Today, on my first day there was ice skating and from moment I sat down next to her in class after she gathered my composure and book bag and helped me to the desk she was mumbling nothing but,

“we’re going to get let out to skate on the canal…. It’s frozen perfect….we’re getting a half day…. “

How did she know? 

She always knew things. And she always came prepared. 

“Hey,” she said swinging her bag and looking at me, “don’t you want to go ice skating?”

Like—no. Not really. I wanted to say. Not if that Caligula freak boy is going to be at large out there

But there was also the bad ice skating incident I’d had taking lessons back in Florida at the Fontainebleau Hotel that made me phobic to ever try again. It was an embarrassing accident that haunted my preteen life

 But I said, 

“no. I don’t have skates.”

“You can use mine!” Middy seemed way too fast to offer, in my opinion, “I think we might be the same size!”

Caroline wouldn’t have the same shoe size. Caroline was a giant. She towered over all the boys, except for Sargent; but she was still obviously taller than him too

“But don’t you want to skate?” I asked Middy more hopefully that she might 

“I prefer sliding in my shoes! It’s more fun!!” And she did really say that. I remember this because that is exactly what she did when we got out there. 

“Come on!” Caroline encouraged me

I did not want to. 

But I went with them to the canal where everyone was. We sat down on the ground and changed out of our shoes. It took ages to lace up. 

Then Caroline and Middy dragged me to the icy canal because I wasn’t used to walking on frozen grass on ice skates. And I do remember standing there in that frozen canal and freezing and thinking ‘I’m standing on a canal where fish swim and looking up at the grass….” 

while trying to find balance with the horizon on slippery ice the two girls flanked me across the canal. Me mostly leaning on Caroline because I didn’t trust these ice skates and shivering when 

BAM!!!!

I hit the ice face down!!!! 

Slam! No warning 

I felt the shove that threw me…. down

But I thought it was Sargent 

    instead I was looking up —up—up ….snd there stood way up there —it was a tall boy with bright red hair and bright red face. He stood there grinning at me this challenging smile. Who was he? And why did he throw me down? 

The hair, the skin and the accent would tell me he was from England as he said,

“that’s the only way you’re going to learn—on your own,” and he stood there and crossed his arms over his chest. Right before he took off like an Olympic skater showing off to me

followed by all the boys in my class. And that was the moment. After that, Steve never left me in peace—he was forever hassling me, pulling my hair, stealing my hat, playing pranks, chasing me across the school yard

 but I only pretended not to like it. Unlike Sargent