Brace Yourself

From Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Middle School
BY: By Carole Fowkes
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Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to.
~Mark Twain
His name was Dusty. His blond hair always looked windtossed. His blue eyes reminded me o!
the "olor o! the o"ean# and his smile "ould melt solid i"e. He was a year older than $ was# and
like many o! the %irls in my "lass# $ had a "rush on him. &ot 'ust a he(sso"ute in!atuation. )ore
o! a weakkneedkissmy*illowand*retendit(shim kind o! "rush.
He(d walk into the lun"hroom and all the %irls would si%h in unison. But it was useless. +ord
was he was in,ol,ed with someone at another s"hool. -here had a"tually been Dustyand
%irl!riend si%htin%s.
&ot that $ had a "han"e anyway. $ was double "ursed %lasses on my !a"e and bra"es on my
teeth. )y mousy# thin brown hair and a !ailin% sense o! !ashion didn(t make me any more
a**ealin%. $ was smart and !unny# but that didn(t make me Home"omin% .ueen material.
/ne day# $ was walkin% down the s"hool hall behind Dusty and some o! the other 0listers. -oo
bad 0list didn(t ha,e anythin% to do with %rades. -he way thin%s were# $ was more o! a C1.
Some *a*ers !ell !rom Dusty(s notebook# but he didn(t noti"e. $ *i"ked them u*. -hey looked like
his homework. $ stared at the *a%es !or a moment# admirin% his handwritin%.
$t was my lu"ky day. $(d return the *a*ers and a"tually %et to talk to him. $ resisted the ur%e to
s*rint o,er. $ didn(t want the others to hear me. He went to his lo"ker and $ !ollowed# ho*in% to
im*ress him with my wit# but !eelin% a little like a stalker.
2Dusty#2 $ s3ueaked. He turned around. Breathe. Smile. &ow talk. 2You dro**ed this. $t looks
like it mi%ht be im*ortant.2
He rea"hed !or the *a*er and his hand brushed mine. $ was in lo,e4
2Hey42 He li!ted his head and looked strai%ht at me with those robin(se%%blue eyes and smiled.
2-hanks !or !indin% it. Sorry# but $ don(t know your name.2
$ 3ui,ered !rom my le%s# throu%h my stoma"h and it "ame out in my words. 2$t(s Carole# with an
(e.(2
2&i"e to meet you# Carole with an (e.(2
$ smiled broadly. 5n!ortunately# so broadly that the two rubber bands holdin% my bra"es in
ali%nment *o**ed out o! my mouth and boun"ed o!! Dusty(s !lin"hin% !a"e.
$ stood there horri!ied. 0s the wet# dis%ustin% thin%s rolled around on the !loor# $ wanted a
,ol"ano to e6*lode and "o,er me with ashes. $ so wanted to die. -o make thin%s worse# $ was
sure a *ie"e o! my lun"h# a ham sandwi"h# was stu"k on one o! the bands. )y throat went into a
hu%e s*asm.
Be!ore $ "ould a*olo%i7e# another %uy hollered out to Dusty. +hen he turned his head toward the
,oi"e# $ hun"hed o,er# like maybe he wouldn(t noti"e me sneakin% away as 3uietly as $ "ould. $
always hated those bra"es. &ow they were the sour"e o! my bi%%est shame.
$ didn(t tell anyone about this "atastro*he# not e,en my lon%time best !riend# 8enni!er. $ "arried
the embarrassment with me all day# !i%htin% ba"k tears ea"h time $ thou%ht about what had
ha**ened. $ didn(t e,en raise my hand in "lass# as $ usually did. +hen s"hool was o,er# $ hurried
home by mysel! and "urled u* on my bed# belie,in% $ would ne,er be able to show my !a"e in
s"hool a%ain.
$ was sure by the ne6t day Dusty would ha,e told e,eryone about how $ shot rubber bands with
my mouth. -o my sur*rise and "om*lete relie!# the !ollowin% day no one teased me about the
in"ident. -he s"hool day went by a%oni7in%ly slow# but was !inally o,er.
8enni!er and $ were walkin% home to%ether that day. $ was still a %eek# but be"ause she was ni"e#
and *retty# she was easin% into the *o*ular "rowd. +e were almost out o! the *arkin% lot when
she "alled to three %uys to walk with us. /ne o! them was Dusty. 0s they 'oined us# my *alms
started sweatin% and $ was sort o! di77y. 0ny minute $ knew someone would sna* a rubber band
and Dusty would dod%e it# makin% it all into a bi% 'oke.
8enni!er# always *olite# introdu"ed the boys to me. Dusty was last. He sto**ed her and looked
strai%ht at me. 2$ know you.2
$ knew $(d ha,e to lea,e town.
He smiled. 2You(re Carole with an (e.(2
$ went lim* with relie!. $ "ouldn(t belie,e he didn(t tell anyone.
$ didn(t die !rom embarrassment# and o,er time Dusty and $ be"ame %ood !riends. He ne,er told
anyone about the rubber band in"ident# whi"h %oes to show Dusty was as %or%eous inside as
outside. Still# it took a lon% time be!ore $ "ould look at any rubber band without win"in%.
9ead more: htt*:::www.belie!net."om:$ns*iration:Chi"kenSou*For-heSoul:;00<:=0:Bra"e
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