It was not only Valentine’s week for Portia and her friends, but also Winter Homecoming. Everyone at school worked hard to become half of a couple. Portia didn’t quite know what to make of it.
On one hand, she found it all quite literally sophomoric – boys and girls who had not said one word to each other during the previous year were suddenly paired up. Some even traded class rings or varsity jackets. Still, others were spending an extraordinary amount of time together.
On the other hand, there was Marcus Miller. Portia curled into her corner of the bedroom, cellphone in hand, pleading with her boyfriend to take her to the Homecoming Dance on Valentine’s Day.
“But Marcus…”
“No, Portia. I am not going to a High School Dance. I’m sure someone from your school would take you.”
“That’ll just seem wrong to me.”
“I trust you,” said Marcus.
“It’s not that. You’re my boyfriend.”
Marcus heaved a sigh and then was silent.
When she said it out loud, it felt awkward – just like the boys and girls who were coupling out of desperation.
“Alright, no homecoming. We can still go out for dinner, right?”
“Yeah…” he said. There was a pregnant pause, “Of course we can.”
His ‘yeah’ poked into her side, just like rolling over o large rock in the middle of a grassy field – or maybe just like being poked with one sharp finger. Either way, Portia was sick to her stomach about it. She’d been sacrificing her ego a lot lately. It was something she knew she had to change as soon as possible.
“Okay, it’s time for me to go to bed. Good night.”
Portia hung up as soon as Marcus said ‘Good Night’.
“Trouble in paradise?” said Phoebe.
“What? No.”
“I heard a group of girls from ensemble were going to the dance without dates. You could always join them.”
“Phoebe, why do you always have to be like this?”
“Like what? Honest? You know Marcus keeps a few college girls on the side, right?”
“He does not.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
Phoebe turned off the overhead light and Portia turned on her book light. She studied for a few minutes, but quickly gave up. She was so upset with her sister she couldn’t get through a single page of reading. She snapped her book shut and placed it on her desk before turning off her light and going to bed, too.
She turned toward her sister. Phoebe lay motionless and quiet.
The next morning, Portia’s problems with her sister were different but still the same. It started with a piece of paper.
“Psst…Portia,” said Sophie, the girl who sat next to Portia in ensemble. She slipped a folded note into Portia’s hands. Portia opened it.
Hey P – You got a date for Homecoming? – Anto
Portia glanced over at Anthony. He flashed her a smile. She wrote back.
No, I don’t have a date. Why?
The note made its way back through the seats to Anto. He nodded at Portia then scribbled a reply.
I thought maybe I could take you.
She chuckled to herself as she scribbled an answer. As the note proceeded back towards Anto, Phoebe intercepted it.
“Mr. Tanner.”
“Yes, Phoebe?”
“Portia and Anthony are passing notes in your class.”
Mr. Tanner waved an instructive finger at Phoebe. She passed the note to the front of class. Mr. Tanner tucked it into his pocket.
“Now that that’s over, let’s get back to class.”
Mr. Tanner caught Portia by the arm as everyone filed out of class.
“Portia, come here for a second.”
Portia bowed her head.
“Here’s your note. Try to keep these things out of my class.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah,” said Mr. Tanner, “That’s it. You think I don’t know what your sister is doing? She wouldn’t have told me had it been anyone else. That’s why I want you to keep these things out of my class.”
Portia tucked the note away. Up to that time, she had been fending off invitations graciously. She had kept her love life relatively private, so none of the boys in her classes knew about Marcus.
That included Anto – a boy who had been pursuing her ever since middle school.
Just before lunch, she collided with her sister again. This time, at her sister’s locker, which was inconveniently next to her own.
“What was that about?” asked Portia.
“What?”
“You know what. That little act in Mr. Tanner’s class.”
“Oh that,” Phoebe said blankly, “you’re the teacher’s pet. I should’ve known Mr. Tanner wouldn’t do anything about it.”
“It wasn’t any of your business.”
“You think it’s any of Marcus’ business?”
“Oh, Phoebe, just please quit already.”
“I think I’ll tell Marcus next time I see him.”
Portia slammed her locker, nearly catching Phoebe’s hand in the door. She turned and walked away.
“Don’t even try it, little sister.”
Phoebe immediately shoved Portia to the ground. Portia’s books scattered across the hallway. Phoebe punched Portia several times in the back of the head. Portia simply curled into a ball with her hands clamped over her head. A teacher cut through the crowd of screeching kids. He tore the two sisters apart and dragged them to the principal’s office.
They waited in chairs, separated by the secretary’s desk. Portia’s elbows were bleeding where they scraped the ground. The nurse escorted Portia to her office and dressed the wounds.
When she was ready, she returned to her chair. The principal came out and showed them the way into his office. They sat side-by-side on one side of the room; the principal sat on the other. His desk sat between them.
“Ladies, seeing the two of you in my office is becoming a bad habit. How can we fix this?”
“It’s Phoebe,” said Portia.
“Are you kidding? You shoved me to the ground.”
“Phoebe, what started this?”
“Portia tried to slam my hand in her locker door.”
“I did not. Our lockers are right next to each other. I was just closing my locker.”
“I need to come up with a punishment that’ll stick. First thing, I’m taking all your Homecoming privileges. That means no basketball game and no dance. Since you fought on school grounds, I’m also suspending you both from school for three days.”
Portia folded her arms and Phoebe leaned back comfortably in her chair.
“I’ll have the secretary call your parents. You’ll have to wait in the office for them to pick you up.”
They returned to their seats and waited for the rest of the morning. The gossip had already gone around the school. Students waved and pointed from the other side of the large glass window.
Phoebe was happy enough. She’d gotten her little sister in trouble – again. Meanwhile, Portia just stewed, even when their mother arrived.
“Come on, you two,” commanded Mrs. Gatteau.
On the way home, Phoebe rode in the front seat while Portia sulked in the back. Phoebe turned on the radio. Her mother turned it off. The silence inside the car was nothing compared to the silence when the twins got to their room.
Portia still had trouble focusing on her textbooks, so she opened her bird book.
“The ruby-throated hummingbird usually spend most of their lives alone. The only exception is to couple – strictly for mating purposes. Even though they mate as couples, they are thought to be polygamous – taking on several separate partners throughout their lives.”
Portia closed her book and went down to the lving room.
“Can I go to Marcus’ place?”
“You just got suspended and you want to go out?”
‘I’m gong to the library, too.”
Mother heaved a sigh, “I suppose it’s alright. Come back home before your father gets home.”
Portia packed her bags and waited for the bus to take her downtown. When she arrived at Marcus’ apartment, he was not there. However, his brother Darren was there.
“Come on in. He should be home in an hour or so.”
Portia sat on the couch next to Darren. She opened her bird book and read while Darren played video games and smoked his bong. Eventually, Portia moved across the room and sat in the recliner. The air was filled with smoke. Portia’s eyes were heavy, but she said nothing. The afternoon dragged into the early evening. With no sign of Marcus, Portia packed up and returned home.
“Bye little sister,” said Darren, “It was good seeing you.”
‘Yeah, you too.”
When Portia returned home, her father was already laying on the couch watching television. Portia went upstairs. Phoebe was not there. Portia laid on her bed and fell asleep until the morning.
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