The Girl With One Sock On

The Girl With One Sock On(She'Davia Williams) (Note that the author was 13 years old when she wrote this story.)

Beep ... beep ... beep, went my alarm clock on an early Monday morning. Here I go again, I thought to myself, another tortured day of my boring life at that stupid school. I hate my life. That's when I got an idea.
"Dad, Dad can you come here for a minute?" I yelled.
"What is it?" asked Dad in a panicked tone. He panicked a lot about me ever since my Mom died, two years ago. He wont let me do anything or go anywhere. I guess that it really wouldn't matter since I have no friends to do anything, anywhere, with.
"I don't feel too good."
"Well, you sounded just fine when you called me up here a minute ago."
"But I don't feel fine."
"Okay I'll go get the thermometer." He quickly left the room and came back with the thermometer. "Open up," he said and stuck the thermometer into my mouth. Then he left the room again and that is when my plan came into action. I put the thermometer over the light and when I heard his footsteps, put it back into my mouth.
"Okay, lets see," he said taking the thermometer. He looked at it then looked a me. "Hmm, I think that you are sick. In fact you need to go to the hospital since you have a temperature of one hundred and eighty."
"Ha, ha, ha," I laughed nervously.
"Get up and get ready for school, your going to be late," he said in a harsh tone and went back downstairs.
"What ever," I said and got up.

I got dressed and began to do my hair. "Should I go with the always stylish pigtails or the regular straight blonde?" I asked myself looking into the mirror. I did them both and decided the neither of them would go with my outfit (which was a long khaki skirt and a spaghetti strap shirt)so I just went with a sophisticated dun. I did the style and ran downstairs for breakfast.

"Gasman, you know that you need to stop this," said Dad in his "we need to talk" voice. (Note that Gasman=Jasmine)
"Stop what?" I asked casually while pouring some orange juice.
"This whole playing sick act. You did it last year and now we're only a month into the new school year and you're already doing it again. Come on, you're thirteen, in the seventh grade, you need to cut it out."
"Hold up," I said shocked at what I was hearing. "You say that I need to cut it out, but if you knew all the stuff that I go through in school you would just let me stay home."
"Trust me, I know what you're going through. I was thirteen once too."
"No, you don't, you don't know anything!"
"Yes, I do and do not raise your voice at me."
"What ever," I said and got up from the table. "You know what, I don't have time for this, I'm late for the torture chamber. So now this little talk is dismantled. Got to go, bye." I got my book bag and walked over to the door. I took one last look back, Dad was just staring at his plate. "Over rated," I said and left.

Why do parents always do that? They think that they know everything and they don't. They don't even take the time to listen. It's automatically what they say, it's right and that's that. Adults are so over rated. I started on my walk to school just thinking about what had happened. I knew I would be in trouble when I got home, but for that moment I didn't care. I had won the fight and that was all that had mattered to me.

When I arrived at my school I just stood outside looking at it. I didn't want to go in for I knew what lay ahead of me; teasing and torturing like always. I knew that I was going to have to go in at some point or another so I just went in. I walked down the hallway towards my locker so that I could put my things away. The hallway looked as it always did: Jocks hanging with the jocks, cheerleaders hanging with the cheerleaders, and popular kids all hanging together. Everyone else was pretty much just crowded around those groups as if they were their idols. Also there were many posters announcing new clubs or due dates for any important projects. When I got to my locker I tried to open it but it wouldn't open. I pulled and pulled on the locker door but it didn't budge. I kept on pulling until, Wham! I fell right on the floor.

"Ha, ha,” laughed Nicole Roberts. Nicole is head of the popular group A.K.A. my worst enemy. “It stinks ... gas man did you pass some gas?” The joke was stupid but her friends laughed anyway. I didn't bother saying anything back because with the whole school one her side that would've been a fight that I couldn't win. Diiiiiiiiiing went the bell. “Oops, looks like somebody's going to be late,” she said and ran off to class.

“Here I’ll help you up,” said a boy that I had never seen before. He had light brown skin, brown eyes, and braided black hair.
“I help myself,” I snapped back, struggling to get up.
“You don't have to be so rude, I was only trying to help,” he commented once I had managed to get up.
“Well, I didn't need your help, and why are you talking to me?”
“Because I want to, is that a problem?”
“If you haven't noticed, nobody talks to me unless it's to make jokes. I'm pretty much categorized as the school outcast."
“Well, I'm not nobody, I'm Jordan, and I don't believe in being outcast.”
“Oh, I'm Gasman. But if you get caught talking to me you'll be an outcast too.”
“So we'll just be outcast together.”
“Okay,” I smiled, happy to finally have a friend.
“By the way, I saw those girls putting super glue on your locker door this morning,” He told me. “I tried to tell the to stop but they just called me new kid and told me to mind my own business.”
“Ooh, I hate them!” I yelled. “Nicole, Ashley, Samantha, and the rest of their little friends. I hate them! Just because my name is spelled differently they think that they have to right to tease me. They make fun of anyone that is different and since I'm the only one who doesn't want to be like them, I'm supposedly different.” I was in tears by now.
"Clam down," said Jordan trying to soothe me by putting an arm around my shoulders.

Oh my God, I thought to myself. I was just crying in front of a boy that I had just met. He must think that I am so stupid. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "You probably think that I'm dumb after that."
"No, I don't, I feel you. I had sort of the same problem back in Boston."
Right, I forgot about all of my problems. "You're from Boston!" I shouted. "I've always wanted to live there or even visit for just one day. To a small town girl like me Boston is a big and amazing city."
"Well, it's not that amazing to me since I had lived there my whole life. Come on I'll walk you to the office so that the janitor can pry open your locker."
"You're late for class."
"So, I don't even know where my classes are at."
"I can help you find them."
"Okay."
"Jordan."
"Yeah," he stopped walking a looked at me.
"I think that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"Me too." He took my hand and we continued walking to the office.

From there the rest of my day went normally. I failed two quizzes and got teased in every class. Yes, that is an average day in the life of Gasman Charms. Now can you see why I hate my life? When I left school that afternoon Jordan was sitting outside.
"I decided to walk you home," he said jumping up.
"That's okay, I wouldn't want you to get lost," I said refusing the offer. "After all, it is only your first day here."
"Actually, I have been here for two weeks and I've been doing a lot of walking around. This town is so small that I've gone by everything at least twice." So it's no biggy for me to walk you home."
"Biggy?" I said confused.
"It means no big deal."
"Oh okay."

We started walking to my house just happily chatting along the way. Once we got there I introduced him to Dad then he gave me his number and left. He was my first real friend and I loved it. After that we spent a lot of time together. We had so much fun when we were with each other that the school year just kind of rolled on by. I liked Jordan, but only as a friend and nothing more.

"What are you dreams?" asked Jordan on a hot summer day in July. "I mean what do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I don't really know," I answered. "I guess that since I love to sing I would want to be a singer."
"Really?"
"I guess so, but becoming a singer is something that would never happen to me. Besides that I don't really know what I want to be yet."
Jordan started thinking and was silent for almost five minutes. "I have an idea," he said and began to stand up. "I'll be right back, don't move." He ran off leaving me to sit and wonder about his idea. I hoped that it wasn't another disgusting one like when her told me to drink a raw egg. Ugh! When he came back he had an older guy with him. "Gasman, this is my rich uncle Mike Addin," he introduced.
"How do you do?" asked Mike politely.
"I'm fine, thank you, I replied just starring at him. "Jordan what is this all about?"
"Well, Mike is specializing in managing famous artists. I thought about it when you told me that you wanted to become a singer and decided that maybe Mike here could make that dream come true. He is also willing to do it for free, since he is rich and all. So what do you think?”
“I'm speechless,” I said amazed at what he had just told me. "Don't you think that it is rushing into things kind of fast? Also, I'm too young, I'm only thirteen."
"Come on Gasman this is your chance to make your dreams come true and you're not too young. Look at Jojo she's only thirteen. She'll be fourteen in December, but she has only been out a few months and she is already a big star. Plus you're older than her; you'll be fourteen next month. This is a once in a lifetime offer, do not turn it down."
"Well I-"
Jordan cut me off then. "Great we'll go talk to your father about it right now." He ran inside pulling Mike after him. I just slugged behind. I couldn't believe that he had cut me off without even knowing what I was going to say. I did know what he wanted me to say though and that was
"yes." When I got settled in Mike was already telling Dad his proposal.

"Well, I really don't know because Gasman is too young and I don't want her to get off track with her school work," said Dad once Mike had finished.
"Actually she's not too young. There are many stars that get started on their careers at her age, sometimes even younger. Just to name names some of those people are: Michael Jackson, Jojo, and Raven Symone. Also I guarantee you that this will not interfere with her schoolwork. I will make it so that she only practices after she is done with her homework and on weekends. Also if her grades start to slip we can put a stop to this whole thing," explained Mike trying to persuade my Dad to let me do it.
"Well, if you will really stick to your word my answer is yes. Just as long as this is something that Gasman really wants to do. Is this something that you want to do?" He turned and looked at me. I just nodded my head yes. Was I doing the right thing? Only I knew the true answer to whether or not this was something that I wanted to do.
"Okay then it's settled," said Mike getting up to leave. "You are now my client and I will have a song written for you by Friday."
"Wait, Mr. Addin can I write the song by myself?"
"I don't-"
"Please Mr. Addin, I can write really good songs."
"Just let her Mike," said Jordan stepping in."
"Fine," said Mike giving in to his nephew's request.

I thanked Mr. Addin and walked them to the door. Once they had left I ran up to my room to get started on the song. The song was going to have to be something that expressed my true feelings, but only in code.
"Gasman, Come down here and get your sock!" Yelled Dad from downstairs.
"I don't see why you always only have one sock on. You're going to start being know as the girl with one sock on." Hmm, that sounded catchy. "I'm the girl with the one sock on," I sang it over and over again to myself. "It could stand for I'm the girl without a life." Right then I knew that this song was going to be perfect. I forgot about the sock downstairs and kept working on my masterpiece. I was finished by dinner time and I couldn't wait until Friday when I would get to show it to Mike and Jordan. When I showed it to them they both said that they loved it. Mike had me sing it for him so that he could figure out what instruments would be needed. He said that we would need a drum, guitar, and keyboard and for that he would hire musicians.

We kept working on the song. We added and changed lines and verses. Then we made up the perfect dance to go with it. Mike made me practice until I had perfected it. "No mistakes goes all the way," was his motto, so that was what I made it. No mistakes, no pauses, no nothing, it was perfect. One day, after practice, Mike came to me with a big smile on his face.
"What?” I asked him, wondering why he was smiling at me.
“You're ready,” he answered.
“What do you mean ready?” I asked him confused.
“You're ready to perform in front of people.”
“Whoa! Yeah right! Me ready to perform, in front of people. Are you crazy?” I was about ready to slap some sense into him. What was he thinking? I could never perform in front of people, at least not yet.
“No I'm not crazy, you're ready. Just ask Jordan.” Jordan was just sitting on the couch not paying us any attention. For the past month he had been acting strange. He was more quiet than usual, but I thought that it was just a phase that he was going through.
“Huh?” he said and looked up.
“Will you please tell Gasman that she is ready to perform?” asked Mike looking desperate.
“Oh yeah, more ready than I have ever seen you,” replied Jordan.
“Are you sure?” I asked him hoping he would say “no”.
“Yeah, of course.”
"Okay then, if you say so."
"Okay, it's all settled," said Mike. "You will perform tomorrow at the town fair."
"Tomorrow! That's a little too soon," I said.
"No it's not, that's the only chance that you will have. So it's then or never."
"Fine," I said frowning.
"Okay Jordan why don't you walk Gasman home so that she can get a good nights sleep."
"Okay," said Jordan and he got up.

When we left it was dark and raining. I didn't have a coat on so I got soaked the minute that we walked out the door. On the way home I got to thinking. I knew that I didn't want to do this. I didn't know why I had agreed to it in the first place. I had made up my mind that I was going to tell Jordan the truth. Yes, I was going to tell Jordan the truth.
"Well, we're here and you're soaked," said Jordan joking around. I laughed. "Yeah, well, see you tomorrow." We did our secret handshake that we always kissed each other on the cheek at the end. That time Jordan did not go for my cheek. He kissed me on my lips. Jordan ... kissed me. Jordan ... kissed ... me ... on my lips. I couldn't believe what had happened. Then he kissed me again and I decided to kiss him back.

(HOLD UP! Didn't that just look like one of those romantic scenes in the movies where two people always kiss for the first time while standing in the rain? I think that that is weird, don't you? Anyway lets get back to the story.)

I guess that I did actually like him as more than just a friend. And that kiss, that amazing, gorgeous, blow my mind kiss proved that he liked me the same way. We stopped kissing and just stood there smiling at each other. I love his smile. There's just something about his smile that makes me melt. It warms my heart in such a way that you just couldn't imagine.
"Umm, I hope that you do well tomorrow at the fair," he said still smiling.
"Me too," I said also still smiling. It was obvious that neither of us knew what else to say. That moment was one of the happiest of my life. A moment that I would cherish till the end of time.
"Well, bye," he said.
"Bye," I replied. I wanted to say "no stay" but I couldn't. I could only let him leave. We kissed and then went our separate ways.
“Yes, yes, yes,” I screamed to myself after I was alone. Jordan was my first friend, and by the looks of things he was going to be my very first boyfriend as well. I loved my life at the moment. Nothing, I mean nothing, could bring me down from atop cloud nine ... except the fact that I didn't tell him the truth. So now I'm stuck with having to perform tomorrow.

“Okay, everything is ready,” said Mike the next day at the fair. “You will perform next, right when they call your name. Are you ready?” I nodded my head yes. “Are you sure you're ready?”
“Mike, calm down, I'm ready.” I knew that I wasn't ready but I would have said anything at that moment to make him stop talking. Plus I wanted to go talk to Jordan before I went up on stage.
“Now presenting Gasman Charms singing, 'Girl with the One Sock On',” announced the host. It was too late; I would have to talk to him after I performed. When I got up on stage only three people clapped. I guess that no matter how good I had begun to feel about myself, there will still be those who just weren't going to accept me. The band started playing but the words didn't come out. I couldn't do it; I was too scared. I ran off stage and into Jordan's arms.
“What's the matter?” he asked with a curious, confused look deep in his eyes.
“I can't do it,” I proclaimed.
“What do you mean you cant do it? You can do anything. You're ready for this baby girl, I know you are.”
“I don't want to do it. I'm scared. I can't do it.” That really wasn't that case; I just didn't want to do it.
“This is your dream baby, why would you back out now?”
“Because of you.”
“What? Please explain. What does this have to do with me?”
“You want me to do this. You were so happy for me, and then the kiss, I didn't want to let you down. I wanted to keep you proud, keep you loving me.”
“I would never stop loving you. And you don't have to do something that you don't want to. I want you to be happy. Baby next time just tell me the truth. I will be happy no matter what. If you want I’ll tell my uncle what happened.”
“Actually, I think that I should start to sing before people start to hate me more than they already do.”
“Okay,” he said, and kissed me one last time before I went back on stage.

Then I sang the song, and perfectly too. I was happy that I did it even though I knew that I could never do it again. I also learned not to do things just to make other people happy. That September, when we went back to school, everyone wanted to be our friends, even Nicole Roberts. The friendship from Nicole was one that I had to turn down. I could never be her friend, not after everything that she put me through.

Jordan and I always stayed the same. He is reading over my shoulder and laughing as I write this story. It's funny how my life changed in less than a year. Everything that happened worked out for the best. I used to be the girl with the one sock on, but now I have found the other one.