CHAPTER 26

Narges took a deep breath.

"It covers my whole body and my head… I mean hair. I feel safe in it. Like I'm feeling safe right now. I didn't notice how tight it was. Mikayla took pictures of me, getting out of the water, sitting on the poolside. You could see my… nipples? The outline of my… you know?"

"Camel toe…"

"Catherine, please… she sent the pictures to half the school. Some Telegram groups. Everybody knows I am like… big…"

"That's horrible. What kind of person does something like this?"

"Mikayla. She is exactly the type of person who does something like this."

"Ti… I told mine. Do you want to tell me yours?"

Ti shook his head. "No. It's really nothing. But I don't want to…"

"OK, here's mine. I cut you a deal: if yours is worse than mine, you don't have to tell it. Deal?"

"OK."

"A while ago… Well, actually, a long while ago, I kinda hooked up with a senior."

Narges: "Josh…"

"Yes. Doesn't matter. I didn't know that he was also dating Mikayla at the time. I really didn't. We kinda made out and he was… very rough. Made me do things I didn't want. But I really had a big crush on him. A senior was making out with me… who cares if he is a bit out of line, right?"

She looked at us. I tried to give her a reassuring smile… but… Cat, dammit…

"He didn't like that I was… inexperienced. Unskilled. I didn't want him to leave. I didn't like what he did but I still wanted him to stay and do more of it. And I did what I thought was… very sexy. To show him that I was into him. Was his."

Cat took a deep breath. Looked at Ti. "I hope you understand that I haven't told this to anyone. Not even Nana. If you can't beat it, you tell yours. Do we still have a deal?"

"OK."

"I was wearing yoga pants. Grey. Kinda thought they showed off what little I had… downstairs. And when he was about to leave, I asked him to look at me. He did. And I peed my pants."

Ti's mouth fell open. "What?"

"Judge me all you want. I thought this was hot. Like really hot. I had never done this for anyone. I had dreamed of it. I had tried it alone at home to see what it would look like. I thought it looked beautiful. The way it spread like a flower. Ran down my legs. It did look beautiful.

Josh looked at me, took his phone out, snapped a couple of photos, and left. It took me a minute to throw a dress over my soiled pants and run after him. Just around the corner, I could see that he had thrown up. Guess he didn't find it sexy…"

Nana: "Catherine, I'm so sorry. You never told…"

"No. It was the most embarrassing thing I ever did. I don't know what I was thinking."

"But what does this have to do with Mikayla?"

"He must've shown her the pictures. And since this day, every few weeks, I get a message from some anonymous account or email. Always one of the pictures. She didn't share them - I think she didn't. But she's dangling them over my head."

"How do you know it's her?"

"Because I know. Josh went off to college about a year ago. He doesn't give a fuck about me or school. And I see the way she's smiling at me."

"Fuck, I'm really sorry. Cat. That's…"

"Well, does it beat yours?"

"I guess…"

"So, spill it. Truth. Ti, what happened at the 5-mile run?"

"Mr. Coogan makes us run five miles. Especially on hot days. Every time, I either tapped out or passed out. I'm not very… athletic. Mr. Coogan laughed. Other kids laughed.

Last run before summer break. I wanted to make it. Just once. Show him. Show them. It was like 100 degrees out there. But I kept running. More like walking. I didn't stop. Just this one time I would make it and then they could all go fuck themselves. Last mile. Cheerleaders training in the middle of the football field, most of the other kids had already crossed the finishing line. I was still running. Walking. Mikayla… started walking next to me. With her pom-poms. Cheering. One-Two-Three-Ti! I kept walking. She kept cheering. One of the other girls filmed us. I've seen the video. It looks like I'm about to have a stroke. I'm so wet with sweat… There's spit running from my mouth. And Mikayla is dancing around me, throwing her legs up, cheering. I don't know who has seen the video. I think a lot of people have."

Narges: "But you made it to the finishing line?"

"Yes."

Narges scooched over to Ti and took his hand.

"I would've tapped out on this run, too."

Cat: "So would I".

"You made it to the end. Someone like Mikayla will never understand what this means. All she can do is sneer and bully. Forget about her. On this day, you finished a 5-mile run."

Ti looked at Narges. A long look. It felt like the air was crackling.

"I'm very proud of you, Ti."

"Thank… Thank you, Nana."

Narges didn't move back. She sat next to Ti and they were holding hands. Finally, a wholesome evening.

"So, what now? You got us here, we all told our stories. What now?"

"I don't know. It's not like I have a plan or something."

Narges and I both looked at her.

"No, I really don't. But I'm happy I'm here with you and we could tell each other the truth. Our truth. I don't think I could've told it to anybody else. Not even you, Daddy…"

"What? Cat: Truth! Daddy?"

I interjected: "I'm her boyfriend."

"What? Dude, you're like 50…"

"Ouch… not quite… but yeah…"

"What the… I mean… how long…"

Cat: "This Christmas will be our 8-year anniversary!"

"What???"

"Just kidding. But we do have an anniversary coming up. In about 2 ½ hours, it will be one day."

"I really… I think I need to leave…"

"Pretty judgemental for someone holding hands with a sandnigger…"

Ti looked at Narges. She squeezed his hand. Or more like: she squeezed his finger. Her hand looked tiny compared to his.

Narges looked at him: "Mountain nigger…"

She leaned against him. "Ti… Truth. I like you. Do you like me?"

"Yes."

"Ti… Dare. Will you dare to stay even with a weird couple like those two?"

"Yes."

"I'm very happy. Do you want to put your arm around me?"

"Yes."

Narges looked like a doll with Ti's arm around her. His upper arm was almost the size of her upper body. She cuddled up against him.

"You are very wet, Ti."

"I'm sorry… the spicy food and…"

"No, no, I like it. You smell nice."

Cat looked at me. Smiled. Damn.