THE ONLY REASON I HAVENT BEEN FOUND OUT YET

is cause of the holidays. Other girls normally live in this room along with Teena and Bet. I was in 1 of there beds last nite.

And we dont have much time says Bet. Teena is a chatty girl. She will talk even tho she shuldnt. Skrillex will find out.

Skrillex is a gard? I say.

She is awful. She makes you want to scream. Come with me now.

I start toward the door.

Stop says Bet. Walk slower and swing your hips.

She found a green jump suit that is almost my size and I have it on and also a big towel around my head.

Hows this? I ask.

Pretty bad says Bet. You make an ugly girl Bunny.

She is smiling but not with her eyes. She carries a green garbage bag. I am wearing sandals that hide my guy feet and are better to walk in than my skates witch are in the garbage bag along with my coat and hat.

The hall is brite like at Creekside. Lots of ways the 2 places are the same. The noise bounces around off the same hard walls and floors. The windows have the same bars on them.

A couple of guys go past talking about home. Sorry girls not guys. But they are talking the same as if this was Creekside and they were guys. One of them says how her home sucks and the other one says yah but it is better than here. Then they are past.

Take your hands out of your pockets Bunny says Bet. You just washed your hair. Thats why you have the towel. Use it to hide your hands.

Rite.

Visiting is in the caf like at Creekside. Bets plan is sneek me in so I can go out later with the other visitors. It is a good plan. All I need is a place to change back into a boy. And a reason to be there.

Who am I visiting? I ask.

Me you dummy says Bet. You can be my—

And she stops.

I know what she is thinking. Who can I be? Brother isnt rite. I am a lot whiter than her. Cousin maybe. But probly not.

Frend I say. I can be your frend visiting from Toronto or someplace.

Where? she says.

Toronto. You know—where the Maple Leafs are from.

I heard of it she says. Making a joke.

Some other girls are coming toward us. I dont see them—just there jump suits. I hide my head in the towel. I am afraid of bumping into a wall so I slow down.

I hear them say Hey Bet. I smell something sweet. Candy or something.

Hey says Bet.

I have to act like a girl but all I am doing is standing. Do girls stand different from guys? I never noticed.

Whos this? says a new voice. Shes a big one isnt she?

This heres Bunny says Bet. She just got here. Shes in C dorm with me.

Hi Bunny says a few voices. I hear them like a waterfall. Hi Hi Hi. I nod my towel.

Bunny cant talk on account of her cold says Bet. It came on sudden after she washed her hair. Her voice drys up. Rite Bunny?

I nod.

Bunnys mom is coming to visit today so Im taking her to the visitors room says Bet.

I feel a hand on my elbow and hear her saying This way. A minit later I smell soap and cleaner and bathroom tile. I know where we are. I listen for voices and sounds of splashing or flushing but there arent any—we are alone.

Can I take off my towel? I ask.

Shh says Bet. Wernt supposed to be here.

She pushes me into a what do you call it—a place with a toilet—and throws the bag in after me. A stall. Thats what I mean.

Get changed quick and I will take you in to the visitors room she says.

I put on my old shirt and pants so I am a boy again. Its hot.

I hear a new voice outside. Not Bets. A woman it sounds like.

Hell she says.

Bets towel is on the toilet seat. I put it back on—in case.

Hell says the new voice. Hell hell hello Bet. Watcha watcha watcha doin here?

Her breath comes in pants in between her talking. Watcha pant pant watcha doin?

Skrillex says Bet.

Yournot she says. Yournot allowed yournot yournot yournot allowed—

Allowed in here on visitors day? Bet cuts in. Your rite Skrillex.

Skrillex is the gard who drives Bet crazy. If she talks like this all the time I beleeve it.

I was on my way to brekfast and I just had to go says Bet. Sorry.

Sorry? says Skrillex. Not so so so so so so so sorry enuff. This is out of bounds. Out of out of bounds. Im counting she says. Im counting the strokes youll get for breaking bounds. Can you gess? Gess how many? How many strokes? Can you can you can you?

I hear Bet thru the door of the stall. She goes Huhhh. Its always 14 she says.

Thats rite says Skrillex. Im counting to counting to 14. Im counting til counting til your sorry for breaking the rules. You are in so much so much so so so so so so much—

Trouble says Bet. I know.

Do you know what Im holding? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? Thats 13 times I said it. Dont move girl. Do you? There thats 14. Thats when I can start to start to when I can start to—

She breaks off. I hear a smacking sound like a punch or a kick.

Ow! says Bet.

There says Skrillex. Thatll teach you. Thatll—thatll—thatll—thatll—thatll—

With every thatll theres an other smacking sound. Skrillex is hitting Bet.

I cant let her take my punishment because of me. I dont think what I am doing. I throw open the door of my stall. Theres 2 people in the room—Bet and an old lady with a cane witch she is holding like a club. Bet is rubbing her leg where the lady must of hit her with the cane. The lady stares up at me with her evil old eyes.

Skrillex.

She is tiny like an elf. I am 2wice as big as she is. The cane is a thin bit of wood like a marsh mallow tosting stick. Every thing about her is little xept for her long long long long—now I am sounding like her—hair. And her eyes. They are huge and round and full of fire. She stares at me like—I dont know—like the sun. I think of her hitting Bet and I am mad. Bet is big and Skrillex is little and her cane probly doesnt hurt much but I am still mad. I think of the judge telling Bet she is no good. That makes me mad 2.

Skrillex gasps. What? she says to me. What what what what are you?

What does she think I am? Over her sholder is a meer and I see myself in it. I look stupid with the big white towel on my head but Skrillex isnt looking at my towel. Its so hot I have my sleeve rolled up and shes staring at the tattoo on my arm. She takes a step back.

Fiff she says. Then again. Fiff. Fiff fiff fiff—

I think fast. Well I cant—but I think as fast as I can.

15 I say.

Thats what she is trying to say. My tatoo is a 15 with a candle. I sort of belong to a street gang called the 15 Street Possy. Sort of. Its a long story.

NO! yells Skrillex. 14 14 14 14 14 is a good number. Not that not not—

15 I say again.

Bet is looking hard and thinking hard.

Its always 14 with you she says. You do things 14 times. Ive seen you counting. You walk 14 steps and then turn left. We all wonder. Why not keep going? 10 11 12 13—

14! Skrillex wispers in a voice that kind of creeps me out. 14! she wispers again.

Im holding the bag with skates in it. When the skate blades hit each other it sounds like chains. With my towel on and my chains does Skrillex think I am somebody else? A gost? Maybe she does. She is not like the sun now. Her eyes are scared.

Daddy! says Skrillex still in her creepy wisper. Why Daddy why? Daddy likes 14. Daddy likes Daddy likes 14. But not fiff not fiff not fiff not not not—

She points at my arm.

Why Daddy? she asks.

I take a step out of the stall. Skrillex looks back at the door like she wants to run. But she is not a scaredy cat. She swings her cane at me.

I catch it in my free hand. It stings but I dont care. I am thinking of all the girls Skrillex has hit with the cane. I pull the cane out of her hand. Now I am holding it.

I drop my bag witch makes the skates clash. I swing Skrillex cane hard and hit the side of the stall. A thin sharp whippy sound bounces around the room. I do it again. And again. And again. And again and again and again and again. Bets head moves up and down.

Thats 12 she says. Shes been counting. I hit the stall again.

Skrillex starts to shake. Got she says. Pant. Got got got got gotta go.

The cane breaks but I keep on hitting with the bit in my hand. Bet counts along with my hits. Smash. 13. Smash 14. Skrillex is shaking like a broken machine. Arms out wide and hair in her eyes. Things fall out of her pockets.

15!

Bet holds the bathroom door open and Skrillex runs. Turns out she doesnt need her cane.