tell you all this stuff about getting extra batteries, canned food, a can opener. If something happens, I’ll get the stuff.” She smiled at me like she was my protector.
When I looked around the room, I realized that I didn’t see a bathroom door. “Where’s the bathroom?” I asked suspiciously.
“Out there,” Adrienne replied casually, throwing her keys on the desk.
“Out where?”
“Down the hall.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
She shook her head. “Geez, you really are a little princess.”
I raced down the hall and saw the familiar public restroom symbol, the circular head with a triangle underneath that indicated the dress that all women supposedly wore. Either that, or we were supposed to have bodies shaped like triangles.
I pushed open the offensive door to find four bathroom stalls, four sinks across from them and four shower stalls, two of which had flimsy, mildew-covered curtains hanging on rusty rods. The other two had no curtains at all!
“Oh no,” I breathed, no, panted , my eyes wide with shock. Who would even consider taking a shower without a curtain? Those had to be for the exhibitionist girls who wanted everyone to look at them, like the ones in the high school locker room. I always tried hard not to look at those girls. Sometimes I couldn’t help it. They were so distracting, though. Even if I closed my eyes, I’d open them and find myself face-to-face with a bare torso or belly button or something farther south that would surely lead me to hell. I’d feel so badly for seeing anything, I’d want to rush to church immediately and pray away my guilt.
When I returned to the room, I paced the floor and kept exhaling with my hand covering my mouth. I must’ve looked like Norman Bates in Psycho when he’s just realized he’s murdered a woman in the shower.
“I can’t do this,” I exclaimed. “I can’t handle public restrooms!” I was a step away from breathing into a paper bag, too caught up in my own drama to notice there was another crisis already in progress—Adrienne was kneeling on the floor with a wadded up tissue in her hand.
“You’ll handle it,” she replied. “At least it’s not coed.”
“You don’t understand. I nearly failed gym class because I wouldn’t change into shorts in front of the other girls.”
“Nearly?”
“Yes. The coach let me write a paper detailing the benefits of cardiovascular exercise instead.”
I suddenly noticed that Adrienne was looking for something underneath the desk. I didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was. A giant Florida-sized roach emerged from underneath the desk and scurried across the floor. I screamed and jumped on my bed. “We have roaches!”
“Calm down. It’s just a palmetto bug.”
“I don’t care where it’s from! It’s a bug!”
“Just be glad it’s not the kind that flies.”
“What?” I couldn’t imagine such a thing. I might as well be going to college in South America.
“Oh yeah,” she said, clearly relishing the moment. “Some fly right at your head.”
“You’ve got to be kidding!”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “You’re hysterical.” With sharp precision, her boot caught the traveling bug. The resulting crunch was more than I could stand.
“I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Nah. You don’t wanna throw up in a public restroom. Someone might hear.”
I glared at her. The bug wasn’t the only vile creature in the room.
“Could you get me another tissue?” Adrienne was impatient.
Slowly, reluctantly, I skirted the crime scene and headed for the door. I returned with fresh tissues in hand, offering them to her from a distance. “I’m sorry,” I said. “But that bug’s so ugly it makes me want to cry.”
Adrienne looked up. “Now, c’mon. How would you like it if someone said that about you?”
I shrugged. “They probably do.”
“I doubt that.” There was a twinkle in her eyes that made heat rush to my face again. I lowered my
When I looked around the room, I realized that I didn’t see a bathroom door. “Where’s the bathroom?” I asked suspiciously.
“Out there,” Adrienne replied casually, throwing her keys on the desk.
“Out where?”
“Down the hall.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
She shook her head. “Geez, you really are a little princess.”
I raced down the hall and saw the familiar public restroom symbol, the circular head with a triangle underneath that indicated the dress that all women supposedly wore. Either that, or we were supposed to have bodies shaped like triangles.
I pushed open the offensive door to find four bathroom stalls, four sinks across from them and four shower stalls, two of which had flimsy, mildew-covered curtains hanging on rusty rods. The other two had no curtains at all!
“Oh no,” I breathed, no, panted , my eyes wide with shock. Who would even consider taking a shower without a curtain? Those had to be for the exhibitionist girls who wanted everyone to look at them, like the ones in the high school locker room. I always tried hard not to look at those girls. Sometimes I couldn’t help it. They were so distracting, though. Even if I closed my eyes, I’d open them and find myself face-to-face with a bare torso or belly button or something farther south that would surely lead me to hell. I’d feel so badly for seeing anything, I’d want to rush to church immediately and pray away my guilt.
When I returned to the room, I paced the floor and kept exhaling with my hand covering my mouth. I must’ve looked like Norman Bates in Psycho when he’s just realized he’s murdered a woman in the shower.
“I can’t do this,” I exclaimed. “I can’t handle public restrooms!” I was a step away from breathing into a paper bag, too caught up in my own drama to notice there was another crisis already in progress—Adrienne was kneeling on the floor with a wadded up tissue in her hand.
“You’ll handle it,” she replied. “At least it’s not coed.”
“You don’t understand. I nearly failed gym class because I wouldn’t change into shorts in front of the other girls.”
“Nearly?”
“Yes. The coach let me write a paper detailing the benefits of cardiovascular exercise instead.”
I suddenly noticed that Adrienne was looking for something underneath the desk. I didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was. A giant Florida-sized roach emerged from underneath the desk and scurried across the floor. I screamed and jumped on my bed. “We have roaches!”
“Calm down. It’s just a palmetto bug.”
“I don’t care where it’s from! It’s a bug!”
“Just be glad it’s not the kind that flies.”
“What?” I couldn’t imagine such a thing. I might as well be going to college in South America.
“Oh yeah,” she said, clearly relishing the moment. “Some fly right at your head.”
“You’ve got to be kidding!”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “You’re hysterical.” With sharp precision, her boot caught the traveling bug. The resulting crunch was more than I could stand.
“I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Nah. You don’t wanna throw up in a public restroom. Someone might hear.”
I glared at her. The bug wasn’t the only vile creature in the room.
“Could you get me another tissue?” Adrienne was impatient.
Slowly, reluctantly, I skirted the crime scene and headed for the door. I returned with fresh tissues in hand, offering them to her from a distance. “I’m sorry,” I said. “But that bug’s so ugly it makes me want to cry.”
Adrienne looked up. “Now, c’mon. How would you like it if someone said that about you?”
I shrugged. “They probably do.”
“I doubt that.” There was a twinkle in her eyes that made heat rush to my face again. I lowered my
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