Devonne Brown

Karma Whispers

Gina whispered, “I’ve got your back.” She nudged Peggy and Debbie toward Lois, a see-through rabbity little girl. In the 6th grade, Gina, Peggy, and Debbie ran the second best clique to be in, but it was the biggest, it had seven girls in it. Gina was its leader, she already wore a 38 C, Debbie wore a D, and Peggy, though she was as tall as Mr. Masterson was flat-chested. Everyone thought she was a giant boy who wore makeup and great clothes. Secretly, she smoked her mom’s Kent cigarettes, she’d steal the big butts out of the ash trays, the snipes too.

“Tell her, Debbie,” said Peggy, “you said you’d do it.” Peggy and Debbie were walking too slowly to suit Gina. She didn’t like their hangdog expressions either, they looked like they’d been told their parents were dead.

“I’ll do it, watch and learn,” Gina said. So of course, Debbie and Peggy stood there like store manikins, heads turned down. Gina strode over to where Lois was talking to Mrs. Wheeler. She was going to tell Lois to fuck off forever in front of the teacher? Gina had balls.

Debbie and Peggy watched in awe. Gina pulled Peggy, and Debbie to Mrs. Wheeler, then Lois, and the other three, with a polite “Excuse us,” and a giggle, as Gina walked the three of them out of Mrs.Wheeler’s  hearing distance.

“Lois, you’re too weird. You look too different, too pale and skinny, and your ideas. God, if you say one more weird thing about something, I’m gonna “thoat punch” you. You just can’t hang around us anymore. It’s just not working out,” Gina said.

Lois’s bluish pink eyes filled with tears behind her thick glasses, but they didn’t spill. She just turned around and walked down the hill toward the flagpole, away from Gina and Debbie. Gina and Debbie returned to Mrs. Wheeler, who wanted to know why Lois went there instead of coming back. She waved at her to come back over.

Lois smiled, waved, but shook her head no. “I’ve got your back,” Lois heard a loud whisper. She whipped around. “I’ve got your back,” again, a fast turn. “I’ve got your back,” she heard the voice one more time. 

“Hello,” a hippy chick in striped socks, red platform shoes, and the most contagious grin she’d ever seen, stuck her hand out, “I’m Karma, I can’t wait to hang with you and meet the girls. We’re going to have so much fun.”