My Marjorie,
The Girl.
“Beautiful, Clarisse, I think that was enough for today.”
Clarisse smiled wearily and wiped the sweat from her brow, “You think so? I’m pretty sure I could put in some more work.”
Marion smiled at her daughter, a mirror image of her when she was nineteen, “No, that’s plenty.”
Clarisse panted, trying to catch her breath. She’d been practicing her routine nonstop. Julliard was only a year away; she had a scholarship and was working as hard as possible to keep it. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and she wasn’t going to waste it. When she’d gotten the letter, both she and her mother cried, her father told her that this was the proudest he’d been.
Dancing was her entire life, it was her escape. She could be herself when she danced, she could let herself be free. Unlike when she was at school, at school, she was hated for being herself. Clarisse had no friends. She was just some weird French girl. Some weird dyke.They’d ridicule her in the hallways, shove her into lockers, corner her in the bathrooms.
At home, her parents thought she was fine. They thought that she hung out with her friends all the time, when in reality she was always at the local pet store, it was called ‘Pet Shop’. She didn’t work there, but the owner loved her. She was allowed to take the pythons out of the cages and tell curious customers about them. That was her second passion, animals.
Clarisse took a shower and got dressed, getting ready to go to the Pet Shop. It was Friday night and she didn’t have any plans, as usual. She headed downstairs and kissed her mother’s cheek, “You going out to Theresa’s again?”
“Mhm, but I’ll be home tonight, love you.” Marion pecked her cheek and nodded her head, “Later honey. Have fun.”
Marion never asked questions. She never asked for Theresa, Janine, or Danielle to spend the night. She didn’t ask her to bring them home for dinner, and she never asked about boys. When Marion was driving home, she’d seen Clarisse at the Pet Shop without Danielle, but she didn’t ask her about it. She never asked questions.
Clarisse walked into the Pet Shop, a smile playing on her delicate features. “Hey Jonah.”
Jonah, the owner, looked up and smiled at her. His arms were covered in tattoos, ears stretched, and he had a small ring in his left nostril. He was a pretty decent guy. He had a dry sense of humor and loved to mess with his customers, especially Clarisse. That girl was amazing, in his eyes. Gorgeous, fun, and she loved reptiles, a definite plus in his books. There wasn’t a huge age difference between the two. She was nineteen (the government messed with her records, she had to go back and do another year of school) and he was twenty-two. He specialized in reptiles, but still had an area for bunnies, ferrets, and birds.
“Clarisse, didn’t think you’d show up,” she leaned against the counter and smiled lightly, “Of course I’d come. It’s Friday night, where else would I be?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged his shoulders and flipped the page of his magazine, “Out drinking, ruining your chance of getting that scholarship, normal teenage shit.”
She laughed and shook her head, walking over to the ferrets, “Nope, I’m a good kid.”
He walked out from behind the counter and stood next to her, “Kid, you gotta live a little.”
Clarisse stayed silent and nodded her head. Picking up one of the smaller ferrets and holding it to her chest. Her parents wouldn’t let her have any pets, they were ‘too distracting’. She put the ferret down when a customer walked in, a pretty little thing too. It made butterflies flutter in Clarisse’s heart.
“Hello,” her voice was beautiful. It was soft, Clarisse detected a slight French accent.
“Good evening fair maiden,” Jonah bowed slightly, causing the girl to laugh lightly. Clarisse loved it, she’d do anything to hear that laugh again. “Is there anything in particular you’d like?” He asked.
“No, just browsing. I just moved here and wanted to look around the area.”
She glanced at Clarisse, her glassy blue eyes bore into Clarisse’s hazel ones. She felt honored that such a pretty girl would even look at her. “H-Hello,” she felt stupid for stuttering. The girl probably thought she was a fool now.
Jonah moved back behind the counter, ‘interested’ in his magazine once again. The girl moved closer to Clarisse, she started panicking. Do I look alright? I should have worn the blue shirt. Wow, she smells great, “I’m Marjorie,” she said sweetly.
“I’m Clarisse, excuse me for being nosy, but do I hear a French accent?”
Marjorie blushed lightly. The light pink twinge looked beautiful against her pale skin. Her hair was bleached to an unnatural shade of white blond. It was short and choppy, barely reaching past her ears. Her cheek bones were high, lips full and pouty. She was a little bit shorter then Clarisse and rail thin, simply stunning.
“Yeah, been living in the states for about six years now. Are you French?”
Clarisse nodded, “I moved here a couple of years ago,” she bit her lip and nervously ran her fingers through her hair, “You going to Charleston High?”
Marjorie nodded, an excited look on her face, “I’m starting on Monday, are you going there? I’d hate to be alone the first day.”
Imagine being alone all the time, Clarisse thought to herself. “I’ll sit with you,” she offered.
“Great!” Marjorie embraced Clarisse tightly, the smell of coconuts flooded her nostrils making her knees weak. She awkwardly patted her back, “Totally.”
Marjorie pulled away, the excited look still on her face, “Cool, well I gotta go. I’ll see you Monday?”
She was already out the door before Clarisse could say anything. Jonah glanced at her, an odd look on his face. Clarisse didn’t see it. She was staring at the spot were Marjorie had been standing. He flipped another page of his magazine, a little more forceful this time.
“Clarisse,” he snapped. She looked up, shaking herself out of her trance. He stared at her, the look still on his face, “You better stay a good kid, hear me?”
She nodded her head, confused by what he meant. “I am a good kid,” she mumbled.
Clarisse walked over to the snakes, she thought about Monday. She hoped that all the kids would just leave her alone, she didn’t Marjorie to think that she was some kind of freak. She didn’t want to lose her first real friend after one day. Well, she’d always have Jonah. She glanced back at him and flashed a smile, it caused him to smile and chuckle.
Clarisse smiled wearily and wiped the sweat from her brow, “You think so? I’m pretty sure I could put in some more work.”
Marion smiled at her daughter, a mirror image of her when she was nineteen, “No, that’s plenty.”
Clarisse panted, trying to catch her breath. She’d been practicing her routine nonstop. Julliard was only a year away; she had a scholarship and was working as hard as possible to keep it. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and she wasn’t going to waste it. When she’d gotten the letter, both she and her mother cried, her father told her that this was the proudest he’d been.
Dancing was her entire life, it was her escape. She could be herself when she danced, she could let herself be free. Unlike when she was at school, at school, she was hated for being herself. Clarisse had no friends. She was just some weird French girl. Some weird dyke.They’d ridicule her in the hallways, shove her into lockers, corner her in the bathrooms.
At home, her parents thought she was fine. They thought that she hung out with her friends all the time, when in reality she was always at the local pet store, it was called ‘Pet Shop’. She didn’t work there, but the owner loved her. She was allowed to take the pythons out of the cages and tell curious customers about them. That was her second passion, animals.
Clarisse took a shower and got dressed, getting ready to go to the Pet Shop. It was Friday night and she didn’t have any plans, as usual. She headed downstairs and kissed her mother’s cheek, “You going out to Theresa’s again?”
“Mhm, but I’ll be home tonight, love you.” Marion pecked her cheek and nodded her head, “Later honey. Have fun.”
Marion never asked questions. She never asked for Theresa, Janine, or Danielle to spend the night. She didn’t ask her to bring them home for dinner, and she never asked about boys. When Marion was driving home, she’d seen Clarisse at the Pet Shop without Danielle, but she didn’t ask her about it. She never asked questions.
Clarisse walked into the Pet Shop, a smile playing on her delicate features. “Hey Jonah.”
Jonah, the owner, looked up and smiled at her. His arms were covered in tattoos, ears stretched, and he had a small ring in his left nostril. He was a pretty decent guy. He had a dry sense of humor and loved to mess with his customers, especially Clarisse. That girl was amazing, in his eyes. Gorgeous, fun, and she loved reptiles, a definite plus in his books. There wasn’t a huge age difference between the two. She was nineteen (the government messed with her records, she had to go back and do another year of school) and he was twenty-two. He specialized in reptiles, but still had an area for bunnies, ferrets, and birds.
“Clarisse, didn’t think you’d show up,” she leaned against the counter and smiled lightly, “Of course I’d come. It’s Friday night, where else would I be?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged his shoulders and flipped the page of his magazine, “Out drinking, ruining your chance of getting that scholarship, normal teenage shit.”
She laughed and shook her head, walking over to the ferrets, “Nope, I’m a good kid.”
He walked out from behind the counter and stood next to her, “Kid, you gotta live a little.”
Clarisse stayed silent and nodded her head. Picking up one of the smaller ferrets and holding it to her chest. Her parents wouldn’t let her have any pets, they were ‘too distracting’. She put the ferret down when a customer walked in, a pretty little thing too. It made butterflies flutter in Clarisse’s heart.
“Hello,” her voice was beautiful. It was soft, Clarisse detected a slight French accent.
“Good evening fair maiden,” Jonah bowed slightly, causing the girl to laugh lightly. Clarisse loved it, she’d do anything to hear that laugh again. “Is there anything in particular you’d like?” He asked.
“No, just browsing. I just moved here and wanted to look around the area.”
She glanced at Clarisse, her glassy blue eyes bore into Clarisse’s hazel ones. She felt honored that such a pretty girl would even look at her. “H-Hello,” she felt stupid for stuttering. The girl probably thought she was a fool now.
Jonah moved back behind the counter, ‘interested’ in his magazine once again. The girl moved closer to Clarisse, she started panicking. Do I look alright? I should have worn the blue shirt. Wow, she smells great, “I’m Marjorie,” she said sweetly.
“I’m Clarisse, excuse me for being nosy, but do I hear a French accent?”
Marjorie blushed lightly. The light pink twinge looked beautiful against her pale skin. Her hair was bleached to an unnatural shade of white blond. It was short and choppy, barely reaching past her ears. Her cheek bones were high, lips full and pouty. She was a little bit shorter then Clarisse and rail thin, simply stunning.
“Yeah, been living in the states for about six years now. Are you French?”
Clarisse nodded, “I moved here a couple of years ago,” she bit her lip and nervously ran her fingers through her hair, “You going to Charleston High?”
Marjorie nodded, an excited look on her face, “I’m starting on Monday, are you going there? I’d hate to be alone the first day.”
Imagine being alone all the time, Clarisse thought to herself. “I’ll sit with you,” she offered.
“Great!” Marjorie embraced Clarisse tightly, the smell of coconuts flooded her nostrils making her knees weak. She awkwardly patted her back, “Totally.”
Marjorie pulled away, the excited look still on her face, “Cool, well I gotta go. I’ll see you Monday?”
She was already out the door before Clarisse could say anything. Jonah glanced at her, an odd look on his face. Clarisse didn’t see it. She was staring at the spot were Marjorie had been standing. He flipped another page of his magazine, a little more forceful this time.
“Clarisse,” he snapped. She looked up, shaking herself out of her trance. He stared at her, the look still on his face, “You better stay a good kid, hear me?”
She nodded her head, confused by what he meant. “I am a good kid,” she mumbled.
Clarisse walked over to the snakes, she thought about Monday. She hoped that all the kids would just leave her alone, she didn’t Marjorie to think that she was some kind of freak. She didn’t want to lose her first real friend after one day. Well, she’d always have Jonah. She glanced back at him and flashed a smile, it caused him to smile and chuckle.