Kneesocks 2018-19

Earrings By Tina Jin 5CY

Thonk, thonk, thonk. That of course was my heart. Why, you might ask? Well, I was getting my ears pierced. Yes me, Tina Jin, getting my ears pierced. I’d been wanting to for years and years.

“Why am I so nervous?” I asked myself, as a lady with a short, bouncy white skirt came towards me. I read her name tag. “Anne” it said in fancy red print. She wore a bright smile, waving as she made her way down the long corridor of my favorite shop, Claire’s. “Hello! I’m Anne and I will be piercing your ears today,” she squealed. My mouth shifted itself into a big, fake smile. Anne pulled out a huge drawer and reached for a gun-like object. It was white and blue with a big flower embroidery on top. She then took out a marker. A marker! What was she going to do to me? She opened the cap of the marker, raised her hand, and dotted my ear.

“That’s where we are going to pierce your ears,’’ she explained as she put the marker away. I slowly shifted myself on the chair to face her.

“ Am I… allowed to pick which earring I want?” I managed to stammer.

“Of course!” she answered pulling out a small box. Blue, red, white, and pink gems poked out at me. But, before I could make my selection…

Mom chimed in. “ She’ll take the white one!” I spun around in the chair yet again to glare at her. Right at this moment, Anne raised the gun up to my ears.

Right away my stomach jittered with butterflies. Everything around me became dizzy and my vision turned blurry. I felt a pang of regret as the butterflies turned into crows pecking and flailing their wings, trying to get out. The closer the gun got, the faster my heart beated. Thonk , thonk , thonk . I felt like I was going to throw up.

Kachunk ! The gun went in. I felt a mixture of happiness, relief, and surprise. Happy that I got my ears pierced, relieved that it was over, and surprised that it didn’t even hurt a bit.

I was still lost in my thoughts until mom tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Honey? It’s over. You’re all done.”

I opened my eyes. Colour swirled around me. My vision slowly became sharper and sharper. Anne and mom were huddled on either side comforting me and telling me how wonderful I looked. I slowly got up. My legs felt stiff and hard. I made my way to the huge mirror beside me. I was aware that mom and Anne were looking at me.

Then I glanced over into the mirror to see a pale girl with bright red cheeks and a pair of earrings staring back at me. I am never going to do that again. Ever.

10  HAVERGAL COLLEGE