UNCOMFORTABLE

“𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕤𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘… 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕦𝕡𝕤𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦.” – ℕ𝕚𝕥𝕪𝕒 ℙ𝕣𝕒𝕜𝕒𝕤𝕙

Charlotte Cane

▀▄▀▄▀▄🄲🄷🄰🅁🄻🄾🅃🅃🄴 🄲🄰🄽🄴▀▄▀▄▀▄

“Yo man, Kelly is such a bitch, Alex.” Suddenly bursting out from a bathroom stall was Kevin.

Kevin was Alex’s best friend. He was a tall ginger haired, tattoo ladened, and jock built kind of person.  They were always together, despite being complete opposites of each other. Kevin had a reputation for, ‘certain’ things, certain things my mother would likely have always used to say: ‘no good done when you’re doing all wrongs and no rights’.

I always try not to think badly of him, but some days it’s highly difficult to manage much.

“I can’t even believe that bitch.” His vocal voice echoed through the bathroom while he swaggered out from the stall, his attention direction partially to Alex and the other zipping up his pants.

I shut my eyes from the uncomfortable sight of Kevin with his hand around his groin as struggled with his pants zipper.

Kevin groaned and continued talking. “She won’t stop bitching about this whole Angela situation.” “I keep telling her I fucking hate when—WOAH, whaat the fuuck?” His eyes locked on to me and before I could hurry away, he zoomed towards me.

Suddenly, right in front of me, he glanced at Alex with a lazy smirk. “Yo, you dickwash, Alex! Why didn’t you tell me!” He sang with a laugh. “I didn’t know our favorite Amish church girl, Char-Char was here.”

Deadlocked by an insane amount of dread and gruesome fear, I found myself standing absolutely still in place as Alex threw an arm around my neck. For a second, I think I stopped breathing as a disturbing realization was growing the butterflies in my stomach; I was in 3 nightmare places I never in my life wanted to be. First, I was standing in the boy’s bathroom an unfortunate 2 feet away from the bathroom door. Second, I compromised by tense, unyielding fear I was facing Alex Trebek, who stood a mere 10 steps away. Third, I was being nearly grappled by Kevin Mascher as he got his arm comfortably around my neck blade.

And the unspoken fourth? I was alone, in the boy’s bathroom with the school’s most known boys.

If only I can die right now and here.

My mind was frying as I tried to focus on looking at the floors, but my panicked eyes were going everywhere.

“I don’t think she’s Amish, Kev,” Alex replied, pulling his phone back out.

“Fuck, really?” Kevin’s voice blared in my ear. “Then why does she dress like this?” He tugged the collar of my turtleneck sweater while his eyes briefly observed my ankle length pattern skirt.

Alex glanced at me before looking back at his phone.

“You have to agree with me that any girl that dresses like this—.” He tugged my shirt again. “Is either a virgin or a conservative.”

“Damn.” Alex looked up from his phone, and I could see a look of disapproval growing on his face. “Fucking hell dude, she’s right next to you.”

I couldn’t find my voice. I couldn’t find my strength. I couldn’t find anything except the fear that paralyzed me.

I could feel Alex’s breath tickle the top of my head as he coarsely laughed. “Nah Char and I are chill, right Char-Char?”

It felt like his eyes were knives stabbing into my skull. I could feel him watching and waiting for my reply, but all I could do was keep my eyes against the ground and my head hanging low.

“And, that’s how you know you’re bothering her Kevin.” Alex remarked, a notification binging on his phone.

“I ain’t bothering her. If she had a problem, she would say something.” He tightened his arm around my neck, and it felt as if he was constricting my already restricted movements. “And besides, I’m just messing around.” His booming laughter shook me. “Ey?” He roughly nudged me. “You know I’m messing around right Char?”

I felt like I was suffocating, and my heart felt it was going to explode in my chest.

“Come on, man.” Alex put his phone away again and stepped over to us. “Stop bothering her and let her go.” He gave Kevin a sharp glare. “Besides, Kelly wouldn’t be happy to hear how you’re all over another girl.”

“Okay, okay, knight in shining armor.” He slid his hand off my neck, and for a moment I felt like I could breathe again.

“I’ll leave the damsel be, only if someone can explain why and how our friend, Char,” he paused to stare at me, “is in the boy’s bathroom?”

Kevin’s eyes watch in me a way I can’t describe other than it makes my skin crawl.

I have to grit my teeth to hold myself together and deny the deadly terror attacking me as Kevin peered at me.

“I don’t know many girls who just end up inside of the boy’s bathroom. Did you follow us into the bathroom, Char?” Kevin’s smirk grew almost sinister. “You trying to give us Heather Mackey? A little Heathertime joyride before class?”

Starring me directly in the eyes, he made some gesture with hand and his mouth that I could assume by his cackling hoots and smile, it must’ve been referencing something inappropriate. “Is that it, Char?” he questioned with another laugh.

“Kevin, come on.” Alex firmly snapped at him, and to my relief it drew Kevin’s eyes away from me momentarily. “She just came into the bathroom by mistake, don’t harass her alright?” Alex said.

“I’m not harassing her, we’re just talking.” Kevin threw his hands up defensively. Innocently, he batted his eyes and smiled.

“Then let her get out here,” Alex grabbed Kevin’s arm. “I’m sure she’s been wanting to leave for a little while now.”

Every second in this bathroom was stabbing anxiety and panic into me. The only thing that was even keeping me at bay now was Alex stepping in to help me. More than anything, that alone comforted me, knowing that he was helping me.

“Okay, okay, chill man.” Kevin shook off Alex’s grip and directed his eyes back to me. “You can go if you answer me one question. Spitter or swallower?”