Definitely Daphne

by Tami Charles

  Two hours later, the torture — I mean dance class — is finally over. Yet another meaningless experiment brought on by Dr. Varma. I’m starting to think this woman doesn’t know what she’s doing.

  43

  Daphne Vlogs about Dancing

  As soon as I get home, I retreat to my girl cave. The whole world needs to know just how pointless dancing is. I throw on an outfit from the clothing rack, along with an orange wig styled in a bun, and a Phantom of the Opera mask. I look fabulously ridiculous.

  I blast a playlist of Beyoncé, Demi Lovato, and Lady Gaga, and let the music take over. Going live in three… two… one…

  “Hey, guys. It’s your girl, Daphne, and I’m here with your latest episode of Daphne Doesn’t. Today’s topic? Dancing. Here are the top five reasons I definitely don’t dance:

  “Number one: It’s just awful. Yeah, I said it. Sorry, not sorry! People moving and sweating and bumping into each other? Not for me!

  “Number two: My school is having a dance, and honestly, I don’t want to go. I’d prefer to be anywhere else than at school for longer than I have to be. Not only do I have to wake up early to go to school and work hard all day, I’ll have to come home, shower, and change into some itchy, cutesy outfit, just to go back to school and hug the wall for three more hours. Why? Because I CAN’T dance! No thanks. I’d rather stay home.

  “Number three: Line dances are the WORST! My poor dance teacher tried his best to teach me how to become a professional “Dougie-ist,” but that was an epic fail. I’m sorry, but people look silly trying to do the Dougie. And don’t get me started on the Wobble!

  “Number four: The Cha-Cha Slide has WAY too many instructions! Slide to the left? Slide to the right? Drop it to the floor and try not to break your knees getting up? It’s bad enough that I have to listen to instructions all day at school! I’ll save myself the torture and stay away from the dance floor!

  “Number five: Last but not least, I’d like to go on record saying that ballet is the most evil of all dance forms! The expectation compared to the reality is way off! Expectation? You’re dressed in your pretty tutu with your perfect ballerina bun, doing the most perfect grand jeté! Reality? You look like a sweaty dog, leaping for a Frisbee while playing in the park with your human.

  “So there you have it, people. The top five reasons why I definitely don’t dance. Sure, it’s easy to say that with a little effort, and maybe even a few dance classes, anyone can learn how to dance. I don’t agree with this at all. I think dancing is a natural ability. It’s probably best to acknowledge when you’re just not good at something so you can make the time to find what you’re really good at. Which in my case is NOT dancing!”

  The drum beat kicks in louder. I throw my leg high in the air, try my best to do a grand jeté leap, and tumble down to the floor.

  “See what I mean? Don’t forget to like, share, subscribe, and comment.”

  The love pours in throughout my live video:

  LizaBooxoxo: This might be your funniest video yet.

  CheerTay245: You might have given yourself a concussion with that last dance move. That’s why I don’t dance either!

  OfficialNena13: Daphne is coming to my school dance! It’s going to be LIT!

  44

  Blast from the Past

  Ever since the Daphne announcement, the other students have been following me everywhere I go. And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. They’re at my locker, stuffing themselves at our lunch table — not even complaining about its proximity to the garbage can — and this one kid had the nerve to slip a note under my stall door while I was using the bathroom: So do you think you can get your cousin to autograph this for me?

  It was a crumpled-up tissue. I didn’t stay long enough to see if the boogers came included.

  Between that and the constant “How does it feel to be related to someone famous?” comments, I think I’ve had enough.

  And apparently, so has Rachael. Her queen status has been demoted.

  When the dismissal bell rings, I dart out of the front doors, searching for Mom’s car. It just so happens that Rachael is walking out the door at the same time. She looks at me but doesn’t say anything. Everyone’s rushing to the bus, but not her.

  “You’re not taking the bus today?” I ask her.

  “Don’t try to be nice to me now,” she snaps.

  We both stop walking and face each other while hundreds of students race out of the school like it’s on fire.

  “Me? You’re the one who started all of this drama!” I say.

  “Well, all you had to do was admit the truth. Instead you just made the lie bigger and made me look like a liar, when really you’re the liar.” Rachael rolls her eyes, but then gazes past me. “Wait. Why is my mom talking to your mom?”

  I whip my head around, and sure enough there are our two moms, hugging each other by their cars.

  Rachael and I race past the students and the buses to intervene.

  “Mom, we gotta hurry up and go,” she says nervously.

  “Umm, yeah, me too. Mom, let’s get out of here,” I say.

  “Rachael, don’t be so rude. Put your things in the car and come meet an old friend of mine!”

  Rachael tosses her backpack into the car, slams the door shut, and walks to the driver’s side, where both our moms are standing. Mom gives me a look that says, you’d better get yourself over here too.

  I take a deep breath and follow Rachael, nervous smile and all.

  Mom starts, “Rachael, I didn’t know that your mom was the one and only Sharon Wright, Linden High Basketball star!”

  Rachael’s mom whips her dreadlocks to the side and starts laughing. “Hey now!”

  “So you two went to school together?” I ask.

  “Nice to meet you, Annabelle, and we sure did!” Rachael’s mom holds out her hand for me to shake it.

  Rachael coughs and says Daph under her breath. No one catches it but me.

  “It’s good to meet you too, Mrs. Myers,” I say.

  “Oh, it’s back to Ms. Wright.” Rachael’s mom then mutters to mine, “The divorce was finalized last year.”

  Rachael shrinks about three inches toward the ground. That’s when I do the math in my head. She told me her dad was deployed almost a year ago. The divorce must have happened around the same time. Talk about a double whammy!

  “I’m sorry to hear about that. You and Mike were Linden High’s magic couple,” Mom says.

  “Well, sometimes the magic doesn’t last. But you know what? I’m real glad to see you back in Linden after all these years. Now our girls can grow up together and be the best of friends like we were.”

  I gulp an imaginary sip of shame juice. By the looks of it, Rachael’s drinking from the same cup. The last word we’d probably use for each other right about now is “friend.”

  “Let’s not speak in past tense anymore,” Mom says. “We gotta reconnect, girl. And hopefully sooner than later because I’m leaving after Christmas for a six-month assignment in Afghanistan.”

  Now I’m the one shrinking to the ground, because for the past three months I’ve tried to wipe away that thought. Pretend that the moment will never come, even though time is flying.

  Ms. Wright gasps, reaches for me, and pulls me in for a hug.

  “Oh, we’re gonna look out for your baby girl while you’re gone. You have our word. Right, Rachael?” Everyone’s eyes shift to Rachael, who nods reluctantly.

  “I really appreciate that, Sharon,” Mom says.

  “It’s too bad you guys didn’t move here last year. Rachael had it bad when her dad first left. Changed her whole attitude!”

  “Mom!” Rachael says, flames flying from her mouth.

  But Ms. Wright just swings her hand in the air and pays Rachael no attention.

  “Deployment can be h
ard on children, I know. That’s why we’ve been taking Annabelle to see a therapist to help her prepare for my trip.”

  Now I’m the one saying, “Mom!”

  “Oh hush, there’s nothing wrong with being able to express your feelings.”

  “You got that right!” Ms. Wright and Mom link their hands together.

  “There was this camp I wanted to send Rachael to last summer. It’s just for military kids whose parents have been or are currently deployed. But with everything that went on with the divorce and finding a new place to live, the expense was too much.”

  By now, I see water forming in Rachael’s eyes. And she looks nothing like the cool, fashion-savvy, diva leader of McManus that I’m used to seeing. The girl standing next to me is… empty.

  I understand now. The mood swings. The teasing. The random moments of sadness. The deployment. The effort to put on a brave face and pretend like everything is perfect, when in reality, nothing is.

  And there’s that tug in my stomach again. And that curious voice that wonders what I could do to change all of that for Rachael, but also for me too.

  Without anyone seeing, I take my index finger and poke Mom on the arm.

  Code for: “I need to leave now.”

  Also code for: “I need some time to think through my feelings.”

  Dr. Varma would be proud that I haven’t spontaneously combusted.

  Mom gives Ms. Wright a hug. “Let me get this girl home so she can get her homework done. I’ll see you at the winter ball?”

  Ms. Wright says that she’ll be attending the ball with Rachael. The four of us part ways and head to our cars.

  Mom starts the engine and turns the heat on full blast. “What a blast from the past, huh?” she says.

  “Mom…”

  “Yes?”

  “I can do whatever I want with that YouTube money?”

  “Whatever you want.”

  45

  Texting Mae in the UK

  As soon as I get home, I blast through my homework — twenty fraction word problems and a reader’s response sheet to Langston Hughes’ poem, “Dreams.”

  I get a notification on my phone from YouTube. My last video, “Daphne Definitely Doesn’t Dance” hit one hundred fifty thousand views! In my mind, I see the dollar signs adding up. Most kids would be pumped about this, but not me. If I’ve learned nothing else from Dr. Varma’s social experiments, it’s that I could care less about being rich or famous.

  I wrap up my homework and start searching the Internet to flesh out my plan. It doesn’t take long to find what I’m looking for. Everything I need is right there. The information, the person in charge, and the contact phone number.

  My phone beeps again. It’s a text from Mae. Perfect timing. I tell her all about my plan for the YouTube money, and I can hear her scream her response right through the text:

  Mae: Really? Are you sure that’s what you want? You’re a much better person than me!

  Me: It’s the right thing to do.

  Mae: Well since you’re in the mood for surprises, I’ll have one for you real soon.

  Me: Oh come on, you’ve been keeping me in suspense for weeks!

  Mae: You’ll just have to wait a little longer, amiga!

  I finish up my texting with Mae, shut down the lights in my girl cave, and head upstairs to have dinner with Mom and Dad. Dad strikes again with another chef-quality meal: crab-stuffed salmon, garlic mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli. My lips are dragging on the floor by the time I reach the table.

  Halfway through dinner I announce, “I surfed the Internet and found what I was looking for. This is what I want to do with the money.”

  Then I slide the printout across the table to my parents for them to take a look. They sit in silence reviewing the paper.

  “How much?” Dad grabs his glass to take a sip of water.

  “All of it,” I respond.

  Dad almost chokes. Mom smiles and fights back her tears. “That’s my girl.”

  46

  The Drama Returns

  It’s the day before the dance. Nav, John, Clairna, and I decide to meet in the auditorium during recess to put the finishing touches on the decorations. The final piece we have to make is the blue and white balloon arch. We blow up so many balloons, and with each one I feel the tension creeping up in my shoulders. It’s just the four of us in the auditorium. Mr. Davis ran to the office to make some copies.

  “I don’t care how weird I look dancing tomorrow. I’m gonna dance the night away.” Nav does some robotic move, and John and Clairna start laughing.

  “I’m so excited. Mom’s pulling me out of school a little early so I can get my hair and nails done. What are you gonna wear, Annabelle?” Clairna asks.

  This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. “I’m dressing up… as Daphne.” I say the last two words almost like a whisper.

  Nav leans in. “Like who?”

  “Why would you want to dress up like your cousin?” Clairna fills a balloon with air.

  “She’s not,” John says.

  The balloon slips from Clairna’s lips and swirls all the way to the floor.

  “Not what? Not coming?” Nav looks at John for answers.

  John shakes his head. “My name is Bennett, and I ain’t in it.” He continues to place the balloons on the arch.

  “I’ve been lying to you guys,” I say.

  Clairna’s jaw drops lower with the passing of each second. Nav just kind of stands there looking like he doesn’t know what to do with his arms.

  “Girl, I am not following you. So your cousin isn’t coming?” She snaps her fingers together. “Darn, I so wanted to rub that in Rachael’s face!”

  I scan my brain for the right words. “No, it’s just that — Daphne is… me.”

  Nav doubles over and starts laughing. “So you’re your own cousin? What kind of freaky joke are you trying to tell?”

  John finally stops building the arch and throws me an anchor. “Guys, what Annabelle is trying to say is that her real name is Annabelle Daphne Louis. She’s Daphne, the YouTube star.”

  Clairna and Nav don’t say anything for a second, but it doesn’t take long for Clairna to show how she really feels about my keeping a secret. “You’ve been lying to us this whole time?” Her voice is a good three pitches higher than before.

  “Why didn’t you just tell us from the beginning?” Nav says. Then he looks at John, disappointment all over his face. “And you kept it from us too?”

  “Wait, you told John before you told me? I thought I was your girl, Annabelle!” Red surfaces on Clairna’s whole face.

  “This isn’t John’s fault,” I say. “He was just trying to be a good friend.”

  “Well, that makes one of us!” Clairna says.

  “I can explain. All of this was an experiment to try new things at school as a way to make friends, since I was new here.”

  “So that’s what we are to you, Daphne? An experiment?” The words jump out of her mouth like a pack of knives.

  “You guys aren’t an experiment. You were the first friends I made here. It’s just that once I started getting popular, I felt like if I said anything about the YouTube thing you wouldn’t want to be my friends anymore.”

  “Well, you got that part right!”

  “Are you gonna tell?” I ask.

  “You can have your experiments and your fans and your lies! I’m sure you’ll figure out how to let everyone else down.” Clairna storms out of the auditorium, and Nav runs after her.

  And my tears start up all over again. “What am I supposed to do now?”

  John hands me a tissue from his pocket. The tears are coming out thick and fast. I wipe my eyes with it, trying my best to stop the flow, but it doesn’t work.

  “Now you find a way to tell the truth…
to everyone.”

  “But how?” I ask.

  John scratches a patch of hair on his head, but doesn’t offer a response.

  “I understand if you don’t want to be my friend anymore either,” I say.

  John places his hand on my shoulder. “I’m not going to let you go through all of this by yourself.”

  “But everyone is expecting me to show up tomorrow with my cousin Daphne. Clairna and Nav hate me. Rachael hates me. Meanwhile thousands of people in YouTube land think I’m the greatest thing ever, but those people aren’t real. You guys are. Basically this whole experiment is one big failure.”

  Just then Mr. Davis walks in, in the best mood ever. “Tomorrow’s the big day, guys! Ah, it looks like a winter wonderland in here!” He skips and sings his way up to the stage where we’re standing.

  I turn my back so he doesn’t see the red in my eyes.

  John says, “We’re all done with decorations, Mr. Davis. If you don’t mind, we’ll head back to class.”

  I look around the gym. It’s done, but it’s not to my full liking. But none of that matters because I don’t have the energy to blow one more balloon.

  “Where are we going?” I ask John.

  “Do you have your cell phone and your laptop on you?”

  “Yeah, but why?”

  “You’re going to the dance tomorrow… as Daphne. It’s time for one final experiment.”

  47

  A Reason to Smile

  Mae: How does Christmas with your BFF sound?

  Me: What are you talking about?

  Mae: Effective Monday, the Tanakas are taking on the Big Apple, New York City. We’ll be on holiday for two weeks!

  Me: STOPPPP!

  Mae: So you don’t want to see me?

  Me: Wait, no! Omg. Of course I do! This is the best news I’ve heard all year.

  Mae: You ready for the dance tonight, amiga?