Bryanna Mcintosh

                                                                                                                period 5 

                                                       Unique Hair   

          Over the summer I was anticipating my first year of high school, it was only three weeks away, I was so excited that I was becoming a young adult and would have more responsibilities to carry on. August twenty third is the first day a school at Belmont High School; I marked the date as big as I could on my calendar so everyone who walked in my room could see. Just one week before school the started, the last week of my junior high years, the week that me and my best friend Leslie was suppose to  our last minute shopping, Leslie tells me that her mom had enrolled her into privet school and she doesn’t stat school till the twenty eighth, she thinks she would be more focused. I was devastated, how could her mother separate us, we spent our whole lives growing up together, as what she told me programmed into my brain, the first thing that came in to my mind was, who was I going to hang out with on the first day of school.

            “Mom she’s the only true friend I have” I say through my river of tears.

“Don’t worry Amanda, I’m sure you’ll make plenty of friends” my mom says trying to cheer me up. “Here eat some Jell-O, it’s your favorite.”

“But it won’t be the same, nobody knows me like she does, nobody”

“How about you go in your room and write down the pros and cons about all your friends, that should help, but don’t take to long tomorrows you first day of high school” she says sounding so excited.

            Maybe my mother was right; it will kind of help me take my mind off of the whole situation. Hum, who do I  like enough to call my friend? I begin to write, first there was Brittney, pro: she’s a good listener, con: her  breath stinks, Cynthia, pro: she’s pretty, but not prettier than me, con: her boobs are bigger than mine, not going to work, she’ll take all the attention away, Reba, pro: she has a lot of the same interest as me, con: she’s kind of over weight; as I thought of all my possible friends none seem to match up to Leslie. As I prepared for tomorrow the last thing I remembered thinking was, damn I guess I’m going to be that loser girl.

            When I first woke up I felt chills run through my body, I took my shower and brushed my teeth, while I stood in the front of my closet I wondered, how do they dress in high school? Shit, I have nothing to wear, I just threw on some cute straight legs my famous stars and strap shirt with some sandals, this will have to do. As we took a longer route to the high school my mother had her i’m going to tell you something important face on.

            “Amanda are you having sex” she said randomly.

“What I just, I never— ’’

“Because if you are just let me know so we can get birth control I mean you birth control.” She had a sigh of relief.

“No mom, I haven’t even had a serious boyfriend yet but I promise I’ll be safe don’t worry”

As I stepped out the car I seen tears rolling down her face and mouthing “my baby is all grown up”.

                                          *                *                   *

Three weeks had passed and I was starting to fit in. I hung out with the older crowd, mostly tenth and eleventh graders. I talked had been talking to Leslie everyday and told her about this junior boy that I had a major crush on, his name was Robert and he was oh so fine. Robert was about five feet eleven inches tall with a caramel complexion and green eyes , of course he was the star quarter back and all the girls jocked him. Leslie told me about how all the guys at her private school where nerds who all were competing in a competion to see who could grow the most arm pit hair in one month.

             “That is so disgusting, have they ever heard of hygiene?”

“Girl, you don’t have to see it everyday at p.e, it’s such a turn off, watch I’m going to make my boyfriend shave his arm pit hair.” she said sounding so mad.

“Sucks to be you” I say some what trying to rub it in her face.

  As I layed in the bed I wondered how many guys at school had mountains of arm pit hair.

             The next day as I sat in third period, the kid the called “Stoned” wore a sleeveless shirt, as he raised his hand and out the corner was patruding arm pit hair. Oh my god I can’t believe I’m seeing this first hand. This was so intriguing to me for some reason I got so lost in it, staring bugged eyes, wondering how long it took him to grow this bush, does he cut it, does he smell it, as these random thoughts run through my head I stopped to think I had to see more I had to know more, this is now my new side project.

     Over the next couple of weeks Amanda had her mind only on one thing, armpit hair. After a while Leslie got feed up with all the armpit hair that Amanda constantly talked about, she soon stop answering Amanda’s calls trying to avoid her.

            “Hello Leslie? Pick up, I know your there, anyways today Connor Gray had curly armpit hair, I swear it looks just like--’’

As the door slammed she heard groceries hit the floor and a door slammed but she paid no attention to it as she goggled images if armpit hair.

            “Amanda gets your tail down here right now!” she yelled in an angry voice.

Damn what the hell does she want now? Amanda thought.

    “Don’t worry I already cleaned me room” I assumed she was going to say.

“I just got off the phone with your teacher, he told me that you got F’s on your last two test and you haven’t been turning in your homework, what’s going on?”

“Um, I have mom, he must have me confused with another student, I’ll talk to him tomorrow” nervousness ran through my voice.

“Yeah because if not you’ll be on punishment for two months and I mean it!” she left me standing there in shock that she would actually punish me.

            The next day in Mr.Ogswell stared at me, my mind drifted to think that he was trying to picture me necked but I knew that wasn’t it. As I turned my head, trying to avoid any awkward eye contact between Mr.Ogswell and I Morgan a semi-popular boy whisper my name.

“Pssss hey Amanda, Amanda” trying to whisper but everyone still hears him and turn to look.

As I try to ignore him, he just keeps whispering my name.

“What the hell do you want” I say irritated now.

I don’t believe he was thinking because for a split second he began to speak loudly to catch everyone’s attention, even Mr.Ogswell. He then proceeded to raise his arm while taking his left arm out of his shirt. He didn’t flash me his hairless chest, no worse but to my enjoyment, his armpit hair. It got even more badly when Mr.Ogswell escorted him out of the class room and he yelled.

“Yeah I know you liked it, you loved it, weirdo.”

I was as embarrassed as everyone laughed. Oh shit what I do now, just play it cool nobody cares. As I came back to reality, I could tell they did care in a way, only because they weren’t the ones being embarrassed.

            The bus ride home, nobody wanted to sit by me like I was the stinky kid in the back of the bus. I felt the tears running down face, past my neck, and to the collar of my shirt. The first person I wanted to tell what happened did the usual and avoided me in my time of need. Damn I really don’t have any friend, not even my best friend.

I began to cry some more and more until I cried myself to sleep.

            Seven weeks, one hundred and fifty seven armpits, and eight bad grades later, my whole life was going down hill. I was so obsessed with boy armpit hair, it texture, color, even sometime the way it smells. I had let a stupid hobby turn into obsession; to me it felt like crack. It started off as a one time harmless thing and that turn into an addiction, I had to have it or I just wouldn’t fell right, this led to obsession, if you didn’t have it, you began to have withdrawals, I lived off of armpit hair.

            I began to distance myself from everyone and everything. My mother didn’t know why I change she just tells everybody it’s just a, faze. I had no friends but myself, I talked to imaginary people, I couldn’t tell if I was doing it to scare off people who would stare or if I was really that alone and had to resort to a one on one conversation with myself. Amanda, did you see that jerk off in his sleeveless shirt, his armpit hair is straight, yuck. Amanda you must be blind, he is freakin Hot!!!.    

            As for school, the friends I once had, all gave me letters they slid through my locker saying that it would be too embarrassing to be seen talking or in presence on me. I just thought if they don’t want to be my friends fuck them, I don’t need them! I took my seat in the back of the classroom of all my classes; you can get a better view of armpits depending on the way you were positioned. Even though my grades were beyond horrible, I enjoyged going to third period because it was right before lunch and my secret crush was three seats up and one row over to the left. Kameron Davis, the six foot two basketball star. Most girls liked his handsome looks or his swagger but no not I, Kameron had the most impeccable armpit hair I have ever seen. It was a chestnut brown, and slightly curly. I was in love, sometimes after he’d practice I would stay after just to watch him and imagine how he would look hairless.                                                             The basketball games were the best, it was like armpit heaven, the way the put their arms in the hair gave me a chance to get a good shot and put it in my collection. If anyone asked why I was taking photos I would simply reply: “It’s for Photo”.  When I felt depressed, the photos gave me a boost of energy, it was my own personal happy place.                                                                                                                                                            “Amanda, can you come down stairs for a second” my mother called for me.

“yeah mom, what do want I’m typing my paper”                                                                                    “ what is this?” from behind her back she pulled my ultra secret box of armpit hair photos,  “ I know you’ve been having a rough time at school and with your friends, but what is all this?” you could hear the crackle and she was going to burst into.               

I was speechless, should I lie should I tell her? my mind raced with so many thoughts not knowing which one I should say.                                                                               “Well do you have an explanation, Amanda answer me tell me what’s going on, please”

As my heart sanked into my chest, I took a big gulp and began to tell her everything. From the fall out me and Leslie had too the incident in Mr.Ogswell class, I felt if I was going to tell her I miles well let her know every last detail. After I laid my soul on the table for my mother to see, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders and I was relived my addiction.                                                                                                                                      One hour, twenty three minutes, and eighteen seconds later my mother was crying a river saying “why didn’t you come to my, why didn’t you tell me, are you on crack” over and over, then she asked me why did I do it. I couldn’t give her an answer at that moment because I didn’t know. Why did I take this up as a hobby, an interest, an obsession? I sat there speechless thinking to myself, trying to figure out my answer and when I did, I simply just didn’t know, I just didn't.