Crisco

“Crisco” someone would yell, and they would all laugh.

My greasy hair would fall in my face as I lowered my head.

I’ts hard to look people in the eye when they slap you in the face.

Once, at my old school, two girls got in a fight

over who would get to walk me home.

It disgusted me;

I headed out alone,

making friends with a retarded girl on the way.

She was smarter than them.

Here, I am untouchable.

But it’s all right; I’ve almost mastered invisibility.

It’s only one of my superpowers.

I also have the ability to fail at anything I choose to.

I can beat any kid on the playground,

because I can take more punches than they can throw.

And, by refusing to do any homework,

I’ve forced my teachers to stop calling on me.

We played a game in class.

The teacher divided the room into two teams.

We each had to look up a word a day.

We were competing, for no prize.

I didn’t look up anything.

After three days, I was no longer in play.

On the last day, a sweet, studious, girl forgot her word.

It was the only time she wasn’t prepared.

Her team lost, and she began to sob.

The teacher told her she had done nothing wrong.

She said I should be ashamed, because I refused to play the game.

I thought she should be ashamed, because she made the rules.