CHAPTER 3

Slowly, I opened my eyes; soft pillows, clean sheets, and for a moment, I thought, finally, heaven.

Of course I’d make it. Where else would Irish end up?

Okay, snap out of it. Where am I really?

I pushed myself up slowly, still a little groggy.

“Here,” a voice said. “You need to change before you get stained.”

Bless my soul! I nearly jumped out of bed.

But it wasn’t an angel. It was Jimmy.

He walked toward me, calm as ever, and handed me… a sanitary pad.

No! No!. This couldn’t be happening.

I darted my eyes around the room, half expecting the police to jump out of the corners, waiting for me to wake up.

My throat went dry, but I forced myself to speak. “Can I at least look pretty before they take me away?”

Jimmy chuckled, low and amused. “Are you always this dramatic? Nobody’s taking you away. Just go and change.”

Not much of a talker, huh?

I took the pad with shaky hands and slipped into the restroom.

Holy Moses. The place was massive. Shower, water system, marble walls so clean you could eat off them. But why was it so spacious? Where was the bed? Who had bathrooms that looked like mini-apartments?

Focus, Irish. You’re not here to rate the interior design. Don’t stain the wall. You’re not a pig.

I got myself cleaned up quickly, then stepped back out, ready to face my punishment.

I stretched out both hands dramatically. “Call the cops. They can cuff me now. Wait, hold up! Does my face still look pretty? I don’t want the cameras catching me when I’m not put together.”

I rushed to the tall mirror. Checked: Hair, still decent; face, good to go.

I turned back to him, arms out again. “Okay, now I’m ready. One, two, three!”

Instead of calling the police, he laughed. Really laughed, clutching his chest.

“You’re… interesting,” he said at last. “Sit. We have some things to discuss.”

I obeyed, sitting cautiously. “How did you know? I mean… the pad?”

“You mean, how did I know you’re a girl?”

Shit!. He had to say it like that. I nodded anyway.

“Yesterday,” he began, “after I left the lecture hall, I realized I’d forgotten my iPad. I’d left it near the window when I washed my hands. Instead of going through the door again, I decided to come back through the window, which saves time.”

He paused.

“And then I saw you. You were standing, quite stained.”

I closed my eyes. This period is going to be the end of me.

“At first, I thought it was an illness. But then you bent, held your stomach, and muttered, ‘stupid period.’ That’s when I knew.”

He raised his head slightly. “Then today, when you didn’t change into the jersey, my suspicion grew. You probably realized it would give you away.”

He stopped again.

Can he just finish already? The suspense was killing me.

“And at the field,” he added, “when the ball hit you, my eyes were already on you. I acted fast, dragged you out to my car. Everyone else was focused on the pitch, and here we are. You don’t seem to have any balls.”

What. Did he just…? Wow.

“Curious,” he went on smoothly. “Why the disguise? What’s your story?”

I bent my head low, avoiding his gaze. Enough with the questions.

“Fair enough,” he said. “That makes it even more interesting.”

He leaned back. “You’ll move into my room. You can take the spare one. Nobody’s using it.”

And just like that, he turned back to his laptop, casual. Like he hadn’t just flipped my whole world upside down.

“Hey!! Pervert! Why should I? Oh, I see…you liked what you saw, huh? You…”

I bit my lip, stopping myself before I said something I’d regret.

He scoffed. “Relax. You’re not my type.”

“Excuse me? I’m pretty!” I snapped, then quickly sat back down, forcing my face into its most pitiful expression. Behave, Irish, behave.

He didn’t even look up. “If I could catch you in under two days, your roommate will figure it out sooner or later, and you, Idris, if that’s even your real name, will end up behind bars.”

“Then why? Why help me?”

This time, he stood and started walking toward me.

Don’t act funny, Jimmy. Don’t even try. I’ll show you my martial arts skills.

…Did I just lie to myself again? Martial arts? Really, Irish?

He stopped in front of me, a smirk tugging at his lips. “It seems adventurous. I was bored. This will be fun, don’t you think?” He winked.

Earlier, I said he didn’t talk much. I lied, and thinking about it now… he was right. I was clumsy. This was messy; maybe it would be fun living out the rest of college here, in this heaven of a room.

*****

“You’re joking, man! Jimmy can’t ask you that. C’mon, let me show you one of my new songs!”

Sometimes I forgot Dave was trying to be a musician. Key word: trying. If you ever need a trigger for depression, just listen to one of his songs. Poor guy needed better friends.

“I’m serious,” I told him. “I just need to carry my luggage and move into his room. Help me out.”

“You serious? You no fucking play with me.”

His accent got so thick, I almost asked him to repeat himself.

Don’t blame me, I’ve spent half my years in South Africa before coming here. Biracial: Mom’s South African, Dad’s British, but lives in New York.”

“But why, dude?”

“Jimmy’s family, nigga. You know what I say.” I nearly burst out laughing at my own lie, and sudden accent

Dave’s eyes went wide. “No fucking way! You’re related to Wellington? Don’t play with me.”

Was he… rapping now?

Great, just great. Not only was I lying effortlessly, but I was also stacking fake identities on top of each other.

“Yeah,” I shrugged. “You don’t fuck with Wellington. Anyway, I gotta go.”

“I’ll miss you, man,” he said, pulling me into a shoulder hug and another damn slap on the back.

I rolled my eyes. Finally, away from the scary huge prick

*******

“You don’t play with Wellington.”

I muttered it to myself the next morning and cringed. The nonsense just rolled too easily off my tongue.

Jimmy was already dressed. I was sprawled on the bed, enjoying paradise.

“Got unfinished work. See you in school,” he said, leaving me alone in his room.

An hour later, I was back on campus. The stares were noticeable this time, especially from the girls. What was going on?

Then Lilly came skipping over. Just what I needed.

“You’re related to Jimmy Wellington! I knew it! There was something about you, it was love at first sight!”

I was saved only by a professor walking in, dragging her back to her seat.

But his next words knocked the breath out of me.

“I’m not here for a lecture today. We’ve got a competition coming up. A swimming competition.”

I didn’t realize I was smiling until he caught me.

“Idris, you seem excited. Are you good at swimming?”

“Yes!” I grinned. “I love swimming. Different strokes, I’m good at it.”

“Fair enough. You’ll represent this class in the men’s team, with four other men.”

“Very well,” I said, still grinning.

Then it hit me.

Wait. Did he say the men’s team?

Irish, you’ve done it again.

Just wow.

Time to show the world your breasts.