Excerpt from the Short Story - Mac's Character Arc

Excerpt from

Mac's Character Arc

Sixth Grade

Her parents had told her this school was the best in town as far as academics were concerned. Plus there was the awesome scholarship program. She was getting a great opportunity for nearly-free.

So when they had gotten the call – mid-semester – that a spot was open, her dad had joked, “We can’t afford not to send you there!”

“What if they try to convert me?” Mac had asked.

Her dad had laughed. “You are too strong of faith and stubborn of mind for that,” he had told her.

“Then what if I convert all of them?” she had asked.

He wagged his finger. “We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it.”

She smiled at the memory, but she couldn’t help but think that a Jew going to a Catholic school sounded like the beginning of a bad joke.

But really, why am I anxious? she thought. I don’t care what everyone thinks of me. I know my mom and dad love me. And I have G-d. What else do I need?

Still, she clutched her sweater, over her heart.

“Hi-yee,” came a way-too-chipper voice.

A girl with a high ponytail, stylish glasses, and a uniform pressed to perfection, stood in the doorway to the school office where Mac was waiting.

“I’m Becky,” the girl said, extending a hand.

Mac took it.

“I’m your new class representative,” Becky bragged with a wink. “And I’ll be showing you around today.”

“Thanks. I’m Mac.”

Becky led her out into the hallway and started gabbing away. “These are the lockers, obviously,” she said. “And you have the first floor bathrooms down there. Warning though, you can smell the boys’ bathroom all the way out here, so you might want to hold your breath.”

She laughed at her own joke.

“I don’t know what your old school was like, but the teachers here are super strict. They assign a buttload of work every night, too. Don’t get me wrong, they’re mostly nice, but then I usually obey the rules and get good grades. I’m totally weird like that.” She finished with a flourishing laugh.

Mac knew that she was socially obligated to chuckle or at least feign a smile. But Mac wasn’t into feigning. If there was one thing she didn’t like, it was insincerity. And if there were two things she didn’t like, they were insincerity and manipulative social games.

She thought she should keep her thoughts to herself, but then she remembered the words written on the left shoulder of her sweater:

“I made myself dumb in silence; I was silent from good although my pain was intense.”

It was meant to remind her to speak words of truth at all times.

So she did.

“Dude, have you ever noticed how many people describe themselves as weird?” Mac said in what she hoped was a chummy tone. “But if you think of it, that’s impossible by definition. If everyone is weird, then weird is normal and no longer weird.”

“Oh,” Becky said with a forced smile. “Right.” Then she contrived a playful and happy tone. “I guess I’m not really weird.”

Mac could tell that Becky’s pride had been wounded. She hadn’t meant to hurt the girl. She just wanted to be honest. Still, she kept talking.

“I think most people use it as a self-deprecating tactic when what they really mean is, ‘I’m unique.’ But they’re afraid they’ll be mocked for their differences, so they put themselves down before others can do it.”

Becky stared blankly at Mac a moment.

“What I’m saying is that I won’t make fun of you for being different,” Mac said.

Becky finally let out a pleasant – but phony – laugh. “Oh wow,” she said. “You’re… funny.”

Uh-oh.

Mac knew what that meant. That meant that Becky didn’t like her. They passed a few unbearably awkward moments in silence.

“So who do you have for your first class?” Becky asked, all sweetness and bubbles again.

Mac studied her paper. “Math with Ms. Ilges.”

Becky’s eyes widened. “Oh, Ms. Ilges,” she repeated, pronouncing the name as eel-guess. “Warning,” Becky said, “she’s super cranky until third period – when she finishes her third cup of coffee.” Then she lowered her voice to conspiracy level. “Most people call her ‘ill-gas’ behind her back.”

She laughed again. But Mac didn’t feel like laughing with her – though she almost always enjoyed a good play on words. If there were three things Mac didn’t like, they were insincerity, manipulative social games, and unkindness.

“I’m sure she’s just recovering from long nights of grading papers and tests,” Mac said, defending the unknown Ms. Ilges’ honor. “I mean, I get it that people love bonding over a common enemy, but I bet Ms. Ilges makes a lot of sacrifices for her students.”

Becky’s face was stiff as a marble statue.

Yeah. One thing was clear: Mac wasn’t making a new friend.

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