I am the Skeleton in the Closet

Alone

Even without Elmo moving at the start, the beginning of sixth grade was a big transition. Though the middle school only housed two grades, it was so much larger than my elementary, probably about double the size. I remember the first day of school being stressful. Since this was the one middle school for the entire district, a half a dozen schools fifth graders moved here for sixth grade. Walking down the overly crowded halls attempting to find my locker was the hardest part over all. My locker was hidden in plain sight in the middle of two other lockers that were painted the same ocean blue in a hallway of clones spanning from the main entrance to the emergency exits at the end of each hallway. The trick was to not look at the actual locker but to look at the stainless steel inscription posted just below where the locker met the sturdy red brick to see the six digit number identifying the home of each student's books.

Since there were so many children pouring in and so few that actually knew what to do the school separated us all into teams. They were cleverly named team A, B, C, D and E. They were also cleverly split up by the alphabet. I was on team B with a last name starting with G. Classes and locker positions were determined by this split up. Team B's classes were held in the far back left corner and all of our lockers were spaced around them.

Unfortunately, this was also about the age many of us started puberty. Left and right there were children dealing with the unfortunate voice cracks and tendencies of aging youth. Learning about the pleasures to be had between a man and a woman, and beginning to lust after it themselves. I was never really given "the talk", but many other children's parents had an opposite approach. My first encounter with the sexual organs of a male happened the first day, in the first class, as I sat in my first desk.

It was Language Arts. The teacher was a petite brunette who looked like she had just gotten out of college. She had left us out a number of cards naming us to our seats. Everyone milled about for a moment as they tried to find their place. A few even traded their cards for others having already known a number of others in the class. Eventually I found mine in the back right corner. Per my usual, I got there early and putzed around on my mp3 player watching and evaluating each student as they mendered about.

My eyes wandered until they rested on a girl a few seats in front of me. She looks nice enough, maybe I could befriend her now that Elmo's gone. I was starting to plan an opening line when another student came up behind me. Not these hooligans. I sighed realizing he was part of the group I had been trying to ignore as they rambunctiously laughed and pranced around their desks. The one that came up to me was bald and wearing bright red baggy sweatpants to match his sagging black shirt. Maybe if I just ignore him he'll think I didn't notice.

"Hey.... Hey?" He waved in front of my face.

Well there goes that. I took out one of my earbuds. "Huh?" I turned towards him with a disinterested stare.

"You wanna see em?" He started, obviously holding back a laugh. His friends were waiting by the door just watching us, waiting.

"See what?" I was baffled. I don't think I want to know.

"Just.... Do. you. want. to. see. them?" He enunciated louder as if I hadn't understood the question. His friends burst out into a fit of laughter buckling over and covering their mouths. Eyes pried up to look at me.

"Ummm... I don't know.... See what?" I asked once again, now more afraid of the answer.

"Des NUTS!!!" He exclaimed suddenly pulling his sweats tight to his junk and standing on his tiptoes for a minute before bursting out in similar hysterics as his friends. "SHE LOOKED AT IT!!" He exclaimed proudly to numerous high fives.

I grabbed my eyes and ducked my head forward in a mix of amazement and confusion. What even was that?!

The girl I had just been watching turned and as I opened my eyes again she mouthed Oh my God! Towards me as he ran off. "I can't believe he just did that!" She looked appalled. "Megan, by the way."