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Milly ran after Zahra. She could make out her fluorescent orange helmet in the distance. Milly was puffing, pink, and she could feel her heartbeat, but she didn't stop running after Zahra. They needed to talk. They were friends, not enemies.
It was overcast, and it started to spit. A storm was coming. Milly thought she had lost Zahra but then noticed an orange smudge on the park playground. Elementary school kids were being called off the playground by their parents as the rain intensified. Zahra was the only one left sitting on the swings. She hung there like a dying flower.
Milly approached Zahra slowly. She felt like there was a repulsive force pushing her away.
"Hey! Are you okay?" Milly said awkwardly.
Zahra looked up. She was crying. Her cheeks were wet, and her eyes were red and puffy. She was anything but cool.
She tried to make a brave face, "I guess you've never seen me like this... I'm pathetic..."
A month ago, Milly had nothing nice to say about Zahra. She was her tormentor. But now she was nice. She sang with Milly and even shared her lunch with her. She was a completely different person. Milly wanted to believe that the old Zahra was nothing but a facade, but she was not sure who this new person was.
"You're not pathetic," Milly said.
"How can you even say that? I made your life a living hell for years," Zahra said.
Milly didn't have an answer; instead, she sat on the swings next to her and thought for a while.
"I never wanted to be Tarzan, but I guess I didn't try to be different. I don't really know what I want to be. Then I met Viraj and Stevie. They are the best friends I could have ever asked for. I guess... I want to be your friend too - so I forgive you!" Milly said.
"You do?" Zahra said.
It began to rain heavily. Zahra grabbed Milly's hand and took her under the slide for shelter. The rain pelted down on the metal slide, but they were dry underneath. They held hands for a moment - Zahra's hand was soft and warm - Milly quickly let go.
"I'm sorry I bit you," Milly said.
Zahra laughed, "I remember that. Was it third grade? Actually, I think we were here at this park."
Milly biting Zahra had been the incident that forever labeled her as the wild girl at school. She wished she could take it back.
"We were never friends," Milly said.
"Yeah, you came to my house a few times - my mom didn't let me hang out with you after you bit me," Zahra said.
"Oh… I don't remember that," Milly said.
Zahra paused for a moment. It was like an icy knife had stabbed her in the heart. She wanted to say something.
"The reason I have been so weird these past weeks is that my grandma died," Zahra confessed, "and I have been so lost without her."
Milly looked at Zahra and hugged her. They sat in this embrace, and Zahra burst into tears. She cried for a long while on Milly's shoulder. She had been holding it in all this time.
"I miss her so much," Zahra said.
Milly had never lost anyone. She wasn't close to her grandparents; they lived in different cities. Zahra had been hurting for this long. She didn't tell anyone, and she was alone. Milly felt like she had to protect Zahra.
"I was so terrible to you and everyone. Popularity is so shit," Zahra said, "If my grandma could see me now, she'd see how much of a loser I am."
"You don't have to be that way - you can choose," Milly said, "that's why I am choosing not to be angry anymore."
Zahra looked at Milly and laughed, "When did you get so wise?"
Milly smiled. The rain ceased, and the sun emerged. They got up from under the slide and walked to Zahra's bike.
"Come hang out with us at FilmSoc after school - room 31B if you need a break from Rosa and the Villain Squad," Milly said.
Zahra laughed, "Villain squad? They really are like that…
“Hey Milly… I want to sing with you again.”
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Zahra turned from foe to friend. She wanted to sing with Milly. She thought about it a lot that night. What would they sing? She imagined them singing together in the school musical. She had a funny feeling in her chest that she couldn't quite figure out.
Bzz! She got a message from Angela: "Hey buddy! Meet in the theatre at lunch tomorrow?"
Milly couldn’t believe she had to have a big buddy. She didn’t need one!
Milly met Angela Wu in the theatre at lunch and now she was regretting it more than ever. She was the girl who kissed Fred. Angela was half-Chinese and half-white; she had brown wavy hair and white skin with freckles on her nose, but her features were distinctly Asian and delicate. She was thin and tall, and Milly thought she looked a lot like an alien.
"I love your name - Millicent Clarke. It's like a writer's name, ain't it? Do you write?" Angela said.
"It's Milly… I don't write," Milly said.
Angela talked in a sort of funny way - like she was a talk show host on Family Feud.
"I write music for the musical," Angela said, "and I heard you sing. I'd love to play something for you."
This was all happening so fast. Maybe she was comfortable singing in front of Stevie, Viraj, and even Zahra, but not Angela.
"I don't think I can…" Milly said.
"Sure you can - and you will," Angela smiled, sitting down at the piano.
She began to play a classic ballad - "Love Dream" by Sunny Davies. How did Angela know Milly's favorite shower song?! Was she an alien after all with mind-reading powers? Milly tried to hum silently, but the words couldn't leave her lips. Air was stuck in her throat. She turned to leave, and Fred entered the room.
He met eyes with Milly and smiled, "Hey, it's Queen. I haven't seen you in a while."
He was as slick as ever in his retro jacket, but now he had a buzz cut.
"Um… Hi," Milly said, walking past him and out the door.
"Milly, where are you going?" Angela called out as she left.
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Milly thought she had seen the last of Angela, but she was wrong. The next day, Milly was grabbing her lunch from her locker when Angela jumpscared her. She popped her head from behind the door and stared at Milly intensely as if she were a hard math problem. Then she cut to the chase.
"You don't like me," Angela said, "why?"
Milly was speechless from Angela's boldness.
"Why?" Angela repeated as if she was the bad cop in an interrogation.
"I don't know," Milly said, "I just saw you kissing Fred earlier, and I felt weird talking to you."
"Oh? Yes! I remember," Angela said, "he is my boyfriend - and you want to steal him from me?"
"No! I have never even talked to a boy, let alone steal one!" Milly said.
Angela stared at Milly for a moment and then smiled.
"I am just pulling your leg. You don't have to be scared of me. People say I am a bit eccentric. I don't disagree with them, I am cuckoo, but I think I am a good sort, you know?" Angela said.
"I don't hate you… I was just so sudden with the singing, and I can't sing in front of people," Milly said.
"Sure you can. I will help you," Angela said, "Come now. Let's have lunch together - and no boyfriends allowed."
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