A Nose for Trouble

Well, summer was over and it was time to go back to school. I'd spent the last six weeks at Grandma's helping her with chores, big and small, but mostly big. Of course we spent some time making cookies and sitting on the porch swing talking about what my dad was like as a little boy, but my days were mostly spent repenting for my actions during gym class the previous year.

I guess I had learned my lesson. In the future I knew that if confronted with the likes of Jayde Walker I would have to find another way to deal with the anger and frustration she generated in me. Grandma and I had talked about it and one thing she told me over and over was finally beginning to sink in - knowledge is power. I think I get it now. Rather than punch Jayde in the nose, as I had done last year and for which I had sacrificed the opportunity to stay home alone over the summer, I would use intelligence as my weapon. And like Grandma said, that's something that can never be taken away from you...and it doesn't leave you with a really sore hand!

It was several days into the new school year before I saw Jayde for the first time. We didn't speak to each other but the glare between us could've glazed pottery. I ignored her and her loser friends Jules and Grace for almost three weeks. I went on about my business, did my homework, tried out for cheer leading and signed up for the spelling bee competition. I'd always been good at spelling but really didn't like to be in front of an audience. This was a step for me, a big step.

Although I was not actively seeking revenge, there was a part of me that secretly hoped Jayde would say or do something that would give me a chance to use my new found power, but it didn't happen. We had a couple of classes together and thankfully sat across the room from each other. As it turned out, she had tried out for cheer leading too, but neither of us made the squad. Probably better that way, or at least better than if we had BOTH made it.

I practiced spelling for weeks and used the flash cards my dad had made for me. Sometimes I would open my lunch box and find new ones tucked at the bottom. He was great about encouraging me to overcome my fear of public speaking. The first competition was in a few days and though I had the jitters, I knew I could spell all the words on my cards and had a good enough understanding of the root form of words that I could wing it on those I'd never heard before.

The day of the first round of competition arrived and was I shocked to see that Jayde was also competing! We were among 25 students who had signed up and I had no idea how well she could spell, but I was about to find out. The eliminations came quickly and much to my dismay, Jayde and I were the two finalists. She shot me a venomous glance and I felt myself shaking in my shoes. I was nervous and she knew it, and that made me more nervous. I felt my mouth go dry and my brain delete all contents. We'd gone through several words by now and I was certain she was going to one-up me and leave me standing there feeling defeated and embarrassed...the very fuel that would be used against me for the rest of the school year.

I barely heard the word presented to Jayde: PHLEBOTOMIST, but I heard her spell it - and she spelled it wrong!! I couldn't believe it, she actually got it wrong and spelled it with an "F"! Oh no, oh yes! And just as I felt my brain refill I heard Grandma's words come back to me: knowledge is power. I held my head high and with a clear and may I say, slightly arrogant voice I said, "Phlebotomist. P-H-L-E-B-O-T-O-M-I-S-T. Phlebotomist."

The class broke into applause and my head was reeling, and it felt great! As my friends gathered round to congratulate me, I saw Jayde out of the corner of my eye. She was walking away with her head down and a look on her face I never thought I'd see on her, one of self-loathing and disgust. I quickly broke away from the crowd and ran up to her, calling her name. She turned and when she saw who it was, turned away again and picked up her pace. I caught up to her and put my hand gently on her shoulder. "It was close, Jayde, and you did a great job. You were some tough competition!" She looked surprised and stumbled in her reply, "I figured you'd be gloating and rubbing my nose in it." And in a split second, we both had the same flashback memory of me punching her in the nose the year before, and we started to laugh. "No," I said, "your nose has been through enough!"