Page 7 of Apparently, I’m Torture

A gaggle of freshmen zipped by us, laughing and shoving each other as they ran. Mia’s gaze snapped to mine. “It’s time you let someone help you for a change.”

“But what if I bring you down with me? What if it’s all a disaster?”

She waved her hand in the air. “Oh, don’t be so melodramatic, you’ve clearly been studying too much Shakespeare. Look, if that happens, then Treviboy better pull up his big-boy pants, because neither of us are leaving this place without a fight.”

Well. Who was I to argue with the fiery Mia Walker? It looked like we were taking on Shawn Jackson together.

Chapter 3

Lilly

Friday Morning

Last day of school

South Bronx Classical

Random fun fact about me: I love fun facts.

As a woman with social anxiety, not only did I need medication and coping mechanisms, but I realized pretty quickly that I was also going to be thrust into group situations that were often out of my control.

Enter random facts.

I was fascinated with them as a kid, and used to write them down on small square pieces of cardboard. Eventually, I had a deck I could cart around with me wherever I went. Whenever I could feel my chest tightening, I yanked one out, read it, and repeated it over and over again.

I guess I had a pattern. I did the same thing with my coping song. The difference though? I couldn’t sing in someone’s face. But I could spout a random fact at them to get the conversation started.

It only took one semester to figure out a way to include random facts in my classes. Hence the ‘Fact-Check’ game was born.

“Okay, two points to anyone who can give me a good, random fact,” I bellowed.

Standing in front of my freshman intermediate literacy class, I held a whiteboard marker braced against the firm, glossy wall.

“Your cat can be allergic to you,” Michelle called out. I pointed at her and nodded.

“Someone check that for me please. Blue team, true or false?”

Okay, I could admit it. This silly end-of-semester game had nothing to do with literature, but it was great for warming up their working memory. It also gave them a taste of teamwork, which, in my books, was never a bad thing.

From the blue team, Chris groaned. “Correct.”

“Okay that’s two more points. Great job, red.”

Jessica and Michelle giggled behind their hands while Chris shot me a glare.

“Miss Fares, you aren’t supposed to take sides,” he grumbled.

I held up my hands. “I’m not, I swear. But if you want to beat their four-point lead you’ve got to give me some facts, guys. Come on, what do you have for me?”

Lisa made an “ooo-ooo” noise before throwing her hand in the air.

“Lisa?”

“Oranges have the highest vitamin C count of any other fruit?”

Her hand slowly lowered as she spoke, and the way she ended her statement made me pretty sure there was a severe lack of confidence on her end.

I swung my marker around to Jessica’s team. “Red, time to fact check.”