Milly Clarke had known Zahra Khan for five years. Milly had moved to Solenello Park back in third grade. She was an invader. She didn't come in peace. Milly lashed out whenever they teased her. They would call her ugly and run. Milly would try to bite their heads off. Not much has changed.
Things got worse when she bit Zahra. This began 'The War'. Milly had detention for a month and had to pick up rubbish on the field before school. Zahra had turned the whole school against her. She was a beast. She was an outcast. Milly acted like she didn't care. Let them hate me… See if I care… But deep down, it was further from the truth.
Now Milly had this brilliant idea. She was to be reborn. It was her first year of high school. There were new kids coming in from all the different middle schools. New people that didn't see her as a beast. She could be different, she could sing, and people would like her. But, there was one big problem. Zahra Khan. She would turn them all against her again.
Milly was surprised when she and Zahra had been paged on the intercom to come to Ms Carruthers' office in free period. Nothing had happened. Ever since Milly had made friends with Viraj and Stevie, the Villain-squad had eased their bullying. The real reason was that Zahra had not been around. She had been absent for the past week. The Villain-squad needed their leader, and Rosa lacked the power to control them. Zahra was charismatic and bold. Whenever she spoke, they followed every word. She was the celebrity of Savanna High.
Milly entered the room and saw Miss Carruthers with her rabbit-toothed smile and curly red hair. She never looked mad. Today her eyes were hopeful.
Two minutes later, Zahra came in. She wore a brown leather jacket and wide orange pants. Her sharp eyes and bob haircut made her look like Cleopatra. Normally she would have a resting smirk as if she had a comeback in her pocket. Today she looked off. Desaturated almost.
"Good. You two are just the girls I wanted to see. I understand that you two haven't always been on the same side. Both of you are brilliant girls, and I think if you two spent a little time together, you'd be good friends," she said.
"Agnes-Graham Elementary needs two students to join Mr Xue chaperoning their dance on Saturday night. I have given your names to help," she continued.
A school dance? With Zahra? It felt more like a boxing match with little candied-up kids to watch.
“The girl from the jungle… Tarzan… Milly Clarke! Versus, the stylish and villainous… Empress of Savanna High… Zahra Khan!”
Zahra didn't protest. She didn't even look at Milly, so Milly also averted her eyes. Saturday would be such a drag…
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"What?! You are going to chaperone the dance with Zahra!" Viraj said.
"Why are you being punished? You didn't do anything wrong," Stevie said.
"I don't think it's a punishment. Ms Carruthers wants us to be friends," Milly said.
Viraj shoved his fingers into his mouth to fake vomit, "You can't be friends with a snake."
"Well, I guess it can't be too bad… Free soda and pizza…" Stevie said.
"I don't think there is going to be free pizza," Milly said.
"That's lame," Stevie said.
"Zahra hates me… and I hate her… So I guess I'll have to bear with it," Milly said.
Now that they were three, Viraj brought out the cards. At lunchtime, they would hang out at the old FilmSoc classroom playing cards and eating lunch. Milly always had tuna sandwiches. She loved fish. Don't get her started on sushi. She could live off sashimi. Viraj's mom was an amazing cook. He would bring fried rice and little meat pastries that he would share with Milly and Stevie. Stevie was addicted to sugar and always had chocolate chip cookies and candy bars. She took a large gulp of her energy drink.
Milly had a question.
"Hey guys… Have you ever seen anyone kissing before?" Milly asked.
"Well… I've been kissing all the ladies…" Viraj said before Stevie hit him on the back of the head.
"Ow…" he said.
"Milly, you saw someone kissing?" Stevie asked, "Tell us everything."
Milly told them about yesterday when she went to the theater looking for Mr Zimmerman and saw them.
"You saw a couple kissing! In public!" Viraj said.
"They were alone… I walked in on them," Milly said, feeling weird about this conversation.
"Did you know who they were?" Stevie asked.
"Um… No… I think they were sophomores," Milly said.
"That's crazy… I always wished a boy would kiss me at school," Stevie said.
"A boy! Any old boy!" he said.
"I didn't say any boy, Chanda! Jeez… I mean the right guy," she said.
Milly had never talked about 'love' with anyone. She was just starting to have these weird feelings. It was always a boy's smile that got Milly. Was finding the right guy even possible for someone like her?
"My plan is to date one of the snakes," Chanda said, "I need to infiltrate their empire and destroy them from the inside," he said.
"Good luck with that," Stevie said.
"I met a boy," Milly said - she had no idea where she was going with this.
"Milly! You are full of surprises. So much drama," Viraj said.
"Who did you meet, Milly?" Stevie asked.
What was Milly going to say? The guy she met was the same boy that she saw kissing another girl. She had dug herself in a hole.
"Um… I am just kidding… it's no one," Milly said.
"Milly tell us," they both said.
"No… no… I was just joking… Honestly," she said.
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Milly's dad dropped her off at the elementary school at 6 pm. Her mother had given her a yellow summer dress. She actually looked cute. If only her face and hair could match. She looked like a cavewoman.
Zahra arrived later on her bike. She wore a shiny black blouse and black pants. Her make-up was pretty, and she wore jewelry - big silver dangly earrings, a silver necklace with a large pendant, and numerous bangles.
"You actually look nice," Zahra said, getting off her bike and chaining it to the rack.
Was that another back-handed compliment? Seems like a running theme for Zahra.
"Thanks," Milly said, "I like your earrings."
"Thanks - they're my older sister's… I'm borrowing them, and she doesn't exactly know…" she said.
It was so strange. It was like they were meeting for the first time.
Milly and Zahra were at the front desk checking off the names of the sixth graders as they came into the hall. The school had hired a DJ who played the top 40 hits. There were rainbow-colored balloons hung up everywhere. After every kid had arrived, Milly and Zahra were put on food and drinks duty. They didn't have pizza, but they did have chocolate cake and soda. The rule was one piece of cake and two cups of soda per head. One chubby boy came back again and again for more, but they weren't allowed to give him extras. Zahra told him to tell no one, and she sneaked him a piece of cake and soda.
They didn't talk. But it wasn't in a mean way. There wasn't any animosity in the air. They were just doing their jobs. When Zahra asked for more cups, Milly would go get them. When Milly found a girl who was sick, she asked Zahra what to do.
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The dance finished at 9 pm. Mr Xue asked Milly and Zahra to go home, but they wanted to help with the cleaning. Then they just hung around until the last of the kids were to be picked up.
Cake-boy was being bullied by two other boys - they were calling him 'Piggy'. He sat there red-faced and sweaty. He didn't fight back. Mr Xue was busy playing games on his phone.
Deja vu. Milly had to step in and give them a smack.
"Don't…" Zahra said, "they are just kids."
Just kids? Kids are evil. Those kids were making his life a living hell. A hell that Milly knew all too well.
Zahra walked over to Cake-boy, "There you are handsome. I have been looking for you."
Then she kissed him on the cheek. He went bright red, and the other boys couldn't believe it.
"Come hang out with us," she said, bringing him over to where Milly was.
What just happened?
They sat there talking for ten minutes about his Legos until his parents came. He would definitely be the talk of the school now. Why did Zahra do that? She was a bully - shouldn't she be encouraging them? There you go! Hit him in the face!
"Why did you do that?" Milly asked.
"What? I didn't do anything," Zahra said.
Zahra waited until Milly's dad came to leave on her bike.
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