“Jump on my bed with me!” she shouted.

“Ummm . . .”

“Ummm . . . what!?” she asked, still hopping up and down.

“I don’t want to break it.”

“Pfftttt.” She jumped off the mattress and landed in front of me. “Then dance with me here,” she said as she started moving back and forth with the music. Dancing was something I wasn’t brave enough to do. I already felt awkward enough in my body as it was, but actually being able to move so fluidly and carelessly like Mel? I just couldn’t.

“What? Are you scared?” she asked. “It’s only me, dude. You have nothing to fear. Pretend we’re in a mosh pit.” She grabbed my hands and moved my arms back and forth while she was jumping up and down.

“What’s a mosh pit?”

“I’ll show you sometime.”

She got me to twist and turn with her, and though dancing wasn’t my thing, I was having fun.

“Why do you like to annoy your dad?” I tried speaking over the music while still moving my arms.

“Honestly, Adrian? My dad doesn’t want me to be the person I am. He wants me to wear dresses instead of ripped jeans. He wants me to learn painting instead of going to concerts. I’m not the ideal daughter he wants, and I have to let him know that I’m never changing who I am.”

It must have been difficult to have a parent who wanted you to be something that you didn’t want to be. My parents were always okay with me acting how I pleased. But I suppose I wasn’t so much out of the ordinary. They saw me as a good kid for the most part, with my heart in the right place.

Mel rocked her head back and forth, letting her hair go, and I could see her smile even when her hair covered her eyes. She was so beautiful. And there I was, an awkward fat guy, not even able to dance to a simple rhythm while she looked so fearless and free. She was someone I aspired to be.

“Why are you in the elite class?” I asked, trying to clumsily manoeuvre my feet.

“I only applied because my dad wants me to go to university after I graduate. But what if I don’t want to go to university? What if I want to get a car and just drive across the country, travel, and head to rallies to be the social justice warrior he can’t stand? Why can’t I live life how I see fit? I can win a lot of battles against my dad, but I couldn’t win that one,” she vented. I had never thought about what I wanted to do after I graduated. I was still in grade ten, so I felt like those decisions were a long while away. Those decisions didn’t have to be made anytime soon for Mel either, but pressure like that could build on someone.

Mel stopped the music and sat down on her bed, catching her breath. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”