FIRST TIME ON STAGE
I was running for 7th and 8th grade student body president against my boyfriend, Pershing Hodgson, whom everyone (mostly the girls) adored – star athlete, smart in school, AND handsome. There was a lot of campaigning from my group of girls against his group of boys, and then came the day we had to each get up in the auditorium and tell the students how great we would be, so please vote for me.
I stood on the stage of the school auditorium, said my piece – lost the election – and afterwards there was this thing my younger sister, Vivian, told me she would never forget. From the audience, all she and friends could focus on was my shoes, and the way the toes turned up. That’s all that could be seen — not even the ankle socks I had on — just the toes of those brown oxfords. This scene was from their vantage point in the first few rows in the audience. Well, she and her gang teased me like forever about it. At least they managed to release lots of endorphins, which is very healthy to have happen, while I fumed and dark clouds gathered around my head.
When I look back, I think a lot of my so-called girl friends just plain old voted for “Puss” Hodgson. Well, for one thing, he was a lot cuter than I.
