A Christmas Sampler a Christmas Anthology by Andrea DiMaggio Jeanette's Story

Shari couldn’t believe it. She walked down the hall, excited that the girls in her gym class had actually invited her to a party. She walked into chem class just in time to see two of her classmates standing by the window with their backs to her. She sat down and was still smiling when the girls turned to her and laughed, pointing at her and saying,

“Before we get into polymers, I want to talk to you about something important...about myself….”

Kelly Walsh High School, Casper, Wyoming…December 18…

Jeanette Applegate looked over the pile of test papers sitting on her desk. She sighed, wondering how to reach the clique of kids in her last class of the day. They were all successful enough academically, but the six girls, three in particular, seemed to always pick on Shari. She had seen this kind of bullying before, but she also had strong hope that the girls could be reached.

“I can’t believe you actually believed we’d want you to come to my party,” Theresa Falcone said as Shari put her head down on her desk and cried. This was enough to get all of the girls suspensions for bullying, but that would only get them out of school, and likely would do nothing to change their hearts. She blew out a breath and took the second biggest gamble of her life.

“Class…everyone take your seats. Please take your seats. Before we get into polymers, I want to talk to you about something important about myself….” She walked around the desk and sat down in a chair in front of the class. Her reputation as the most popular teacher in school was going to be put to a real and important test, and not for her own sake. She hoped that playing on her popularity would reach the girls…and the rest of her students as well; either way, the risk was worth taking.

“When I was just a little kid, the one thing I can remember that still remains important today is that kindness is a commodity that you can never have enough of and something that you should never keep to yourself. I had to learn that through a lot of trial and error, and not because I didn’t know how to be kind, but I never trusted anyone enough to receive it.

"I was never a big kid…some of the neighborhood boys picked on me a lot; almost every day when I was little, but it got worse in middle school. My brother Tommy sort of went along. I thought it was bad when the other kids would tease, but when my brother started in, it was like the world was wrong… something just didn’t make sense. I mean…” Jeanette paused for effect, knowing she would get a reaction.

“I mean, after all, brothers should stick together. I expected the boys in my class to tease me, but my own brother?” She paused again as nearly every student stared at her. She waited a moment and the desired effect became apparent.

“Mrs. Applegate?”

“Yes, Theresa?”

“I don’t understand…you were just talking about yourself and then all of a sudden you started talking about your brothers…I don’t get it.”

“Why…there’s nothing to get. There were just the two of us...Tommy and me.” She smiled at the memory; Tommy and she had made peace nearly immediately, but that was further along in her story. Theresa looked almost hurt; as if she had misheard Jeanette.

“My mother and father have two children, Thomas Carter and Jeanette Carter Applegate.” She almost felt like giggling at the implication; it was as if you could see the clockwork wheels turning in Theresa’s head. She raised her hand as Jeanette stood up. It was the first time all year that she had been thoughtful enough not to blurt out an answer or a funny remark.

“Mrs. Applegate…you said all brothers should stick together. What do you mean by that?” Theresa was joined in her question as several kids started to nod in agreement.

“Yeah…I mean what the fuck,” Vicki Canfield yelled from the back of the room, earning a mock glare from Jeanette.

“Sorry…I mean…what do you mean, Mrs. A?” Vicki quickly apologized.

“What I mean is that my parents had two sons.” Jeanette replied without comment; thus adding to the students’ confusion. Several of the kids tilted their heads, almost in unison.

“But you’re a girl!” Timmy Delvecchio shouted, prompting Naomi Stein to turn around.

“Woman, you moron!” She shook her head and turned to see Jeanette stifle a laugh.

“Yes, Naomi, that I am.” The class grew quiet, almost silent for a moment until Vicki Canfield spoke from the back of the class once again; this time without shouting but clear enough through the quiet.

“What the fuck…she’s a guy!”

“No she’s not…she’s a girl,” Timmy said but quickly added, “Sorry…She’s a woman!”

Marie Lopez, usually quiet and shy, raised her hand and waved for Jeanette’s attention.

“Mrs. Applegate? Can I take a guess?” She blushed as the class began to laugh. Jeanette raised her hands to quiet the students and spoke.

“Well, Marie, this isn’t a quiz, but yes, you can guess.” Despite her shy nature and minimal participation, Marie was one of her best students.

“This is like a riddle or a logic problem, right? You said your parents had two sons and no other kids…and you’re a woman, right?” Jeanette nodded.

“So….is it because you used to be a boy?” She put her head down a bit, as if she expected Jeanette to throw something at her.

“Ewwww…that’s disgusting.” A voice came from somewhere in the class, but it was followed by Naomi Fine speaking up once again.

“Hey…That’s mean…who died and made you Goddess?”

“Yeah, I mean…she doesn’t look like a guy…she looks pretty good!” Pete Barone shouted, but turned beet red when he realized just what he said.”

“Why, thank you Pete, but that’s not the point, is it?” Jeanette laughed. So far things weren’t too bad, and they were about to get better.

“It shouldn’t make any difference what she looks like.” Shari spoke up. It was the first time all year that she had spoken in class…any class. She looked around; expecting her usual tormentors to shout her down, but her chief nemesis spoke.

“No…it shouldn’t.” Epiphanies don’t often happen with such spontaneity and ease, but Theresa’s conscience had been primed way before that day. Her cousin Jeff had borne the brunt of cruel taunting within their family for being gay. She felt entirely justified along with her siblings and Jeff’s brother in teasing him. The guilt lay beneath the surface of Theresa’s conscience, waiting for an opportunity to convict her.

“No…it shouldn’t…it does…a lot.” She looked at Shari, and while she wasn’t ready to ask for forgiveness or to apologize just yet, Shari smiled at her anyway.

“Why do you think that is?” Jeanette asked, but it was more of a question for the whole class.

“My uncle says that gays will all go to hell.” Nancy Klimek said, almost with a self-congratulatory tone.

“Since we all do stuff that’s wrong sometimes…maybe we should all go to hell.” Timmy said and the class laughed, but he shook his head and raised his voice.

“I’m not fucking kidding, okay? I’m serious…who decides? Who says what’s right?”

“And what’s wrong with Mrs. Applegate…she’s the best teacher in school!”

“Should that make a difference?” Jeanette asked.

“No! But it does.” Theresa spoke up again. “If…if my cousin was a friggin’ rock star or something like that….but he was just a kid….you know…and….” The floodgates broke and she began to cry; hard.

“It does…I’m glad that a lot of people believed in me when others didn’t. There are a lot of kids who grow up without anybody believing in them, right?”

“My dad told me he loved me,” Cynthia Spagnola said quietly. “Mom left but he told me he’s not going anywhere.”

“My dad says I’m stupid,” Kerri Melchior said. “I’m not stupid, Mrs. Applegate….Am I?” The girl shook her head.

“There isn’t a single kid here who isn’t smart….no…Kerri…you aren’t stupid at all. None of you are.” Maybe it was the season, but the same welcoming spirit and joy for life and encouraging heart that had nurtured their minds had surely nurtured their souls as well. Theresa felt a tap on her shoulder as Nancy Klimek shook her head…

“I’m sorry…my uncle is a jerk and I shouldn’t have said that…okay?” Theresa frowned but nodded yes.

“I was never very good at anything. I wasn’t really bad at anything, either. Sort of average, As long as I could remember, I felt like I didn’t fit in with the boys my age; like I got along better with girls. I spent a lot of time crying, thinking there was something wrong with me.” Nancy looked up as Jeanette stepped closer to Theresa and Nancy. Instead of saying anything she pointed to Nancy’s face.

“What?” Nancy cringed.

“You wear glasses because your eyes don’t work the way they’re supposed to, right?” Jeannette pointed to Ben Patel and Tanisha Coolidge so Nancy wouldn’t feel singled out.

“My granddad wears a hearing aid.” Billy Kapusta shouted from the back of the class.

“Well…just like that…”

“Your insides don’t match your outsides…” Naomi said proudly.

“Exactly…eventually we got it all sorted out and I started going to a few great doctors who knew what I needed. I took a lot of teasing from the same kids who gave me hell…it was much worse, but my Mom and Dad stood by me when they figured I was the same child they already loved.” She sighed.

“But you’re married…What does your husband say?”

“He says he loves me.” She smiled and Linda Garner sighed and smiled in return.

“What I’m trying to say…and I know from firsthand experience how much teasing hurts…is that everybody deserves respect, right?” Most of the class nodded; some reluctantly, others enthusiastically. Carrie Belasco and Misty Jeffers, the two girls in on the joke with Theresa, just laughed. The period bell rang and the kids began to walk out.

“Theresa…Are you going to be okay?” Shari said; her voice soft and welcoming.

“Yeah…I guess so…yes…Th...thanks.” Theresa got up and walked out of the class, leaving the girl standing by her desk.

“She’ll come around…she’s already started. Don’t worry, Shari.” Jeanette said as she pushed the chair back in the corner.

“I know. Mrs. Applegate…?” Shari said as she reached the classroom door. Jeanette turned.

“Thanks.” The girl waved and walked out.

“You’re welcome,” Jeanette said, but her words were lost as the girl disappeared quickly down the hallway. She turned to see a solitary figure sitting quietly in the middle row of the class.

“Danny? Is there something you need to speak to me about?” Jeanette asked, but she already knew the answer as the boy nodded silently. He had the same look on his face that another boy wore nearly fifteen years before.

“Mrs. Applegate? Can we talk?”

Next: Callie's Story