15:24 Tue Aug 26
< Cutsへく
Hobbies And Leisurely Pursuits
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This school had after class activities in all kinds of sports. I learned about it when the homeroom teacher handed out notices in the morning registration period. There it was, in bold ink on real paper in my hands: a way forward. A golden strand of hay in a stack of pins. Possibilities ran through my mind. They might have a martial arts class, track and field or even dance would be great to get some personal and professional advice, and maybe they could adapt the teaching to my needs. It was possible. I can't pirouette in the air and dive and spin like others, but there was plenty I could do on the ground that I'd learned at home.
I was all ready to go with my backpack on and my application form filled in,
all apart from the name of the activity to join. I bounced out the door and headed for the main concourse area.
The ground floor corridors had been decked out with colourful, student-made posters, banners, boards, sign up sheets for those who weren't as well prepared as me. Some of the posters spoke of demonstrations held on the roof and balconies, dotted around the side of the building, the trees and plants there sticking up like tufts of matted hair. The base diving team needed a lot of height to demonstrate how to stop flying at high speed right before hitting the ground. Weirdoes. Where was the thrill in that? I'd find something with skill and benefit.
Even if the vivid paper failed to attract applicants, club leaders with clipboards and pens dragged people towards them for a chat. It was a throng or hovering student bodies.
I tensed at the sight of it all, only seeing obstacles where others saw fun
and…. whimsy,
Dizziness tried to divert my path.
Before I could even locate a stall I wanted to visit, someone shouted "the Damsel" so clearly above the chatter and upbeat music that my vision snapped clear fast enough to give me whiplash.
The buzz of conversation melted into silence. My hea…
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< Cuts へく
Hobbies And Leisurely Pursuits
Of course, all the clubs were dying to have the Damsel join their ranks. With the most popular celebrity on the planet in their club, they would enjoy their
A short but slender girl, with dark skin and long frizzy, black hair thrust a
board in front of me.
"Damsel, please join the basketball club!"
"No, no! Art club is more her style. Damsel?" A Bohemian girl said.
"Don't be stupid." A muscled, brick faced boy shouted. "Football! We'll make you a manager. Only you could represent the beautiful game." The sea of faces grew and grew. Too many of them. All grabbing after the Damsel title again. As well as club leaders, many more were gathering just to see, perhaps using this socially acceptable instance to get a look at me in person. If only one of them had at least done me the courtesy of feigning friendship I might have given a second glance to their teams.
"Er, well, let me look around..." I stuttered, but they kept jostling to be at
the front.
I didn't think it could get any hotter that day but I suddenly couldn't stand it, prickles on my back, limbs shaking with energy that didn't have a place to go. I marched away, concious of not seeming too hasty to retreat. Most of the crowd were nice enough not to follow, even if they didn't mind causing a panic attack, but a couple of eager morons, mainly the big heavy jock guys, wouldn't let a little thing like a girl running in the opposite direction stop them from getting what they wanted.
I had hardly picked up pace when the first of them flew by my side.
"C'mon. I'll let you hold my balls."
Please let that be sports balls.
I jumped to the right and darted off around the edge of the concourse, behind the stalls. Few people remained there. I weaved between the advert boards and slipped between the plants with simple grace. It only struck me as special when a clunk made me risk looking behind me. The boy flew into the standing signs with a satisfying clatter and cry. I all…
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< Cuts へく
Hobbies And Leisurely Pursuits
"C'mon. I'll let you hold my balls."
Please let that be sports balls.
I jumped to the right and darted off around the edge of the concourse, behind the stalls. Few people remained there. I weaved between the advert boards and slipped between the plants with simple grace. It only struck me as special when a clunk made me risk looking behind me. The boy flew into the standing signs with a satisfying clatter and cry. I allowed myself a chuckle.
The Principal's office lay ahead. A pointy faced girl zipped down to block
me.
"If you join the drama club you can play the princess in every play."
Was she serious? Did she believe I enjoyed being tied up and kidnapped? I needed another way out. The flicker of an idea occurred to me before I had even come to a stop; the girl wasn't touching the floor. I ducked into a full slide and went under the human obstacle. I leaned forward before losing momentum and rolled into a run. They couldn't stop me then.
The principal's door opened. He stepped out.
"Bye, sir. See you tomorrow," I said and left him with a surprised look on
his face.
There were probably many surprised and disappointed faces back there, but I didn't care. All they wanted was the Damsel. Not one person had shown interest in me, and if that was the kind of attention I got in a club then I didn't want to be part of them.
So that was it. Yet, another hope had been destroyed. Who knew how long it
would be until I had a new one.
I slowed, plodding towards home, crying. In the quiet of the night the whirr of the cameras drew me for the first time in a while. I had gotten more used to them just as they had learned to keep a distance, out of arm's length and range of any thrown objects. Now, the fact that they had recorded that near assault had me crying even harder. A wet heat flushed my vision. I hadn't finished running away.
How about a cut scene from #TheDamsel? I wanted to have Sara trying to sign up to clubs to advance the training but the flashback chapter was already too long. I still like what I wrote tho #deletedscenes