~~~~~ This is a fictional story. ~~~~~
“What?” “Nothing.”
“Just spit it!” “You look awful.”
“Why? Because I’m not wearing makeup?”
“I don’t know… maybe.”
This is June’s cousin’s wedding, and June is invited to be one of the bridesmaids. June is happy for her cousin, but she hates dressup, and she thinks herself will never get marry.
“Oh!! June! There you are! Thanks for coming!” June’s cousin, April, bug smile all brimming with a bride’s happiness, gives June a big hug, so tight that June almost can’t breath.
As soon as April releases June, she immediately pulls June over to the dressing table, and points to a brunch of nail colors. “Would you help me paint my nails please? Which color matches my dress the most?” June just stands there like a bolt. She has no idea! She has never even painted her own nails!
Luckily, after a few seconds, another bridemaid squeezes in and says, “Here, I help you!” June quietly relieves herself from the job.
Similar things always happen to her. Either some relatives push the little nieces to her, expecting her to make care of the children, or whenever Mom goes out, the whole family expects her to cook for them at night…
Why?? Just because she is a girl? Or because she is the eldest daughter? How about the fact that she doesn’t like kids or babies at all? How about the fact that she hates cooking?
During gatherings and parties, why do all the men get to sit aside, drink beer and talk shit, while all the women have to be busy in the kitchen and watching the little kids at the same time? When everybody’s gone, the lady of the house would be still doing dishes and cleaning up until midnight… When do the women get to relax then?
Why does June’s secondary school only gives carpentry lessons to the boys, and only gives sewing and cooking lessons to the girls?
June has so many questions in her head, and she constantly feels unfair by people’s expectations.
She is thinking about that, when she pulls out the packaged meals from the microwave and the french fries from the air fryer. “That’s it?” Her father stares at her in disbelief, and asks her, “That is our dinner?” Her little brother is also showing a dissatisfied face. June rolls her eyes. “Yep!! If you don’t like it, go ahead to order a pizza! This is what I’m going to eat!” “June, you are not going to get a husband like that… haha” Her father is laughing and half joking, but June is dead serious. “So what?”
The other day, she can’t help it but starts complaining to her best friend in school. “Why do people always expect stupid things from me? Why can’t they open up their eyes and accept who I’m? Why can’t they understand that everybody has different personalities and their own preferences? They can’t just push their expectations on me!!”
John laughed cheerfully. “Here we go again… hahaha… Just get used to it, it will never change!” “Oh yeah? It’s really stupid though… If I tell people that I’m different, then they start thinking I’m a Lesbian!”
“Hahaha… I know. Remember? That time my mom thought you were my girlfriend…” Now John is laughing so hard that he has tears in his eyes. He is the only boy who treats June as a buddy, not a girl.
“How could I forget? Why didn’t you explain to your parents or give me a headup?” She still remembers that it was the first time John took her home. His parents looked so hopeful and pleased. They thought their only child finally has a girlfriend… Who knows they only sat on the couch playing TV games all night, and chatted around like two dudes!!
Actually, June is pretty, with long straight brown hair and delicate features. If you don’t know her, you would have thought that she is just another teenage girl. Yet, like she said, she is a little bit different. For instance, she spends her free time either playing basketball in the neighborhood, or playing TV games at home, or hang around the bike shop near her high school. She often helps out at the bike shop, in exchange for the owner, Mr. Anderson, to teach her how to ride and fix a motorcycle. She even begged Mr. Anderson take her to the driving center. Her parents don’t know, that actually she already has a motorcycle license!
“It is not funny, John. I’m so sick of all these shit!!” Now John finally stops laughing. “So what are you going to do?”
“I’m still thinking… I couldn’t be the only girl who always feels like being treated wrong! Since I’m going to college next year, I’m going to look for other girls who have similar concerns as me… Or whatever, if it is only me, then I’m still going to make an organization, to promote and deliver the message that girls should be treated equally as boys! People’s expressions on women should change! Because the world is not the same as the past anymore! We should have a choice how to live our lives!”
“That’s a good idea! Go for it, Champ!” June is so happy, to have John as her best friend!
~~~~~ The End ~~~~~