Page 18 of Not Your Shoe Size

Rapunzel.A chill went down Kate’s spine. God, what if she and Dede became a couple? Her best friend and her high school bully...it was like something out of a nightmare. Or a really bad porno.

“Dede and Katie went to school together,” Mr. Peterson was saying. “I used to drive them l before they put in a proper bus system. Didn’t I, Katie?”

Kate nodded, wishing she’d slept in, gone to the gym, done anything but come here. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Deidre scratch her nose, still staring determinedly at her busted phone.

“That’s nuts.” Rapunzel stared avidly at Deidre’s pink head. “I can’t believe you went to school with my best mate. It’s such small world.”

“It is,” Mr. Peterson agreed.

“Yeah, it’s just not always a nice one, is it, Deidre?”

Deidre jolted like she’d just received eight thousand volts. “What?”

“You know what,” Kate said, as though someone was moving her mouth for her. “You made my life miserable.”

She was surprised at how cleanly her anger it was coming out. She didn’t go to her ten-year reunion to avoid Deidre, but here she was, snapping at her right in front of Rapunzel and her own dad as though she’d been waiting to do it.

“What?” Rapunzel sputtered. “Mac, what’s going on?”

Kate didn’t reply. She was remembering things she hadn’t thought about in years. How Deidre pushed her over during the long-distance marathon and told everyone she was mentally handicapped. How shealwaysput things on chairs, so Kate got stains on her ass—usually tomato sauce so it looked like she’d bled through her dress. She glared at Deidre, but she had buried her face in her phone again, avoiding her gaze. How many times had Kate tried that trick? Hiding to try and avoid Deidre’s notice? And how many times had Deidre let her get away with that?

Never.

Kate took a step toward her. “Hey, you can at least look at me when I’m talking to you.”

Her old nemesis glanced up. “What do you want to say?”

“That you were awful to me. For no reason, you weresomean.”

Deidre rocked from her heels to her toes and back again, seemingly lost for words.

“Dede?” Rapunzel sounded horrified. “Is that…is Mac right?”

There was a beat, and Kate was sure Deidre was going to do what she always did when someone called her on her shitty behaviour. She’d toss her hair and say,‘it’s just a joke, God, get over it.’But then Deidre’s lower lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry. I really am. I know I was an asshole.”

It was Kate’s turn to feel floored. She didn’t know what she was expecting—a slap, maybe—but not an apology. “Youwerean asshole.”

Deidre nodded. “I was dealing with…” She gestured to her t-shirt, which showed a cartoon astronaut planting a rainbow flag on the moon. “It’s not an excuse, though. I was a dick. I’m sorry.”

Kate looked into Deidre’s navy eyes, and the hardness in her chest softened like toffee in a hot pan. “Thanks for saying that.”

“I should have said it ages ago. I wanted to, but it’s hard to know how to act. Or if you even wanted to hear from me. And like I said, I had a lot of stuff happening.” She pointed to her t-shirt again.

“I get it,” Kate said and meant it. It wasn’t easy to be an ADHD weirdo in a backwater beachside town. It couldn’t have been easier to be queer. “We’re older now. Let’s just get over it. Start fresh.”

“I’d like that.” Deidre extended a hand tipped with glittery nails. “I’m Dede.”

Kate shook her hand. “I’m Kate.”

They smiled at each other for a moment, then Kate turned to Rapunzel. “Sorry for bringing up school stuff, I didn’t expect this to happen.”

“All good,” said Mr. Peterson, who was staring up at the sky. Rapunzel didn’t say anything. She was staring at her new housemate.

“Are you okay?” Deride asked, tucking a lock of pink hair behind her ear.

“How?How does anyone bully Mac? She’s the pink salt of people. She’s good in everything!”

Deidre flinched. “I…I was pretty young and immature and weird about being gay.”

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