Part 9
By the sixth week Zig and Grizelda were starting to become friends. Whenever Zig couldn't remember something that Mr. Donelly had said, or needed help with a proof, he called Grizelda. She called him the one time when she was absent, to get the assignment, and they ended up talking for an hour. After that, they talked on the phone almost everyday. They said hi to each other in the halls, and Grizelda even smiled. She couldn't help herself. Zig started calling her "Zella."
Two weeks before the end of the year, Mr. Donelly announced that the last grade of the quarter was going to be a project. For the last chapter on surface area, he had prepared a very special challenge. He said he wanted to separate the superior mathematical thinkers from the rest of the class and the best way to do this was an all or nothing problem.
He would give the problem the next day. They would have one week to come up with a solution. He would offer NO HELP WHATSOEVER. Each pair would solve it or not. If they didn't the best they could get on their report card was a 'B'. In other words, he was only going to give 'A's to the kids who solved the problem. All or nothing, you either solved it or you didn't. No 'partial credit' would be given.
Zig started to complain,"Hey Mr. Donelly, that's not fair..."
"Hold on there Zig. Now listen. If you have a strong mathematical understanding of what surface area really is, this is a great, and I mean GREAT problem. If you don't have that understanding, you probably won't figure it out. If that's the case, you don't deserve an 'A' in the last quarter of Geometry. So I say this IS fair," said Mr. Donelly.
Zig was going to push his point further when he happened to glance at Grizelda. She looked very pale and scared. He said, "Hey Zella what's the matter? Are you sick?"
Grizelda tried to say more, but all she could get out was, "No."
This was terrible. To come this close. To be down to the last two weeks of her goal, to have had straight 'A's for eleven straight quarters, and now something like this was going to mess it up.
Oh no, oh no. She felt the tears starting to surface. Fortunately she didn't think Zig had seen. The bell rang right at the point where she couldn't hold it any longer. She flew to the restroom and locked herself in a stall. There the frustration totally overcame her and she cried violently. It was dismissal time, so no one noticed her. She knew she couldn't leave until she had composed herself, so she ended up staying in the stall for half an hour.
She missed her bus and had to walk the 2.5 miles home. It took her almost 2 hours. She got home right before her mother. By that time, she was so tired no more tears would come. Grizelda crashed on her bed and fell asleep.
At 7:30PM the phone rang. It was Zig. "Hey Zella, you okay?"
"Yes," was all Grizelda could get out. She was afraid the tears would come again, if she said more.
"What's wrong? You aren't yourself. Why did you fly out of math class today? Talk to me woman," Zig said trying to get her to open up.
"I'm okay. I can't talk about it."
"What do ya mean, ya can't talk about it. This is Zig you're talkin' to right now. You know you can trust me. Seven weeks have gone by, and I haven't told a livin' soul about your political cartoon secret. I'm trustworthy. Come on, let me help," encouraged Zig.
"I can't talk here I mean. My mom might hear," said Grizelda.
"Okay, how bout we meet someplace and talk."
"Where," said Grizelda, thinking that maybe she better tell him the whole story, since he would be playing a key role in her life's goal now. She couldn't get the whole $4,000 if she didn't get that 'A' in geometry, and she couldn't get the 'A' without Zig.
"I know, the library. We could have privacy there," said Zig.
"Okay, I can meet you there at 8:15. I'll tell my mom I have a project due for math, which isn't even a lie."
"Cool. See ya then, and Zella, don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine," said Zig, trying hard to will some spunk back into his friend.
They met in the children's section and sat at the little miniature tables covered with brightly colored books. Zig was right. The only people there were little kids and the occasional well meaning mother. No one paid any attention to the two teenagers talking quietly over in the corner.
"Okay Zella, tell me what's up," said Zig.
Grizelda had a hard time looking Zig in the face, so she pretended to be interested in the nearest Dr. Seuss book. Finally she said, "This is very hard for me to talk about, but I know I have to tell you.
"Only one other person in the whole world knows what I'm about to tell you. That's my pappap Spoon in Ohio," explained Grizelda.
"My mom doesn't know. You see, I don't have a family like you do. It's just me and my mom since we moved away from Ohio and pappap. We moved when I was five years old. I hardly remember him, but I do know he used to call me 'Zella' like you do. I always liked that. Kind of made me feel like I wasn't ugly."
"You're not ugly Zella. Who says you are? Let 'em come to ME and say that. I'll straighten them out!" defended Zig in the most chivalrous tone he could muster. He was still trying to bring a smile to her face and bring her out of this slump.
"Oh, come on Zig. You know I'm ugly. You know I'm 'the GRIZ'. You know what people call me behind my back and even to may face sometimes. You're just a nice person so you don't join in. For that I'm really grateful and for that, I feel like I can tell you this HUGE secret," Zella finally started to open up. She felt it was now or never. She had better get it out before the tears messed her up again.
"I have a chance for a new life," said Grizelda.
"What do you mean, a new life?" interrupted Zig.
"Shh, I'm about to tell you what I mean. For the past almost three years I've been saving every penny for a procedure that will change my life,"
"Oh my God, you're not going to change yourself into a man are you!" asked Zig, starting to get a bit worried about the information he was about to hear.
"ZIG, shut up and let me talk."
"Good, now there's my Zella talking. Go on, keep me in line like you always do. Now what is this procedure you're talking about?" asked Zig.
"I'm going to have my teeth bonded. They'll be nice and white like everyone else's. I'm also going to get contacts so my eyes will be the same color, and I'm going to do something with my medusa snake hair too. Next year there won't be any 'Griz'. She will be dead, and in her place will be a pretty girl named Zella," said Grizelda getting a smile on her face that made her glow. Just talking about it transformed her.
Zig frowned,"Then you probably won't want to be around me anymore, cause I'll still be ugly."
"Zig, you're not ugly. I think you're the handsomest guy in all of Wesley," Grizelda said before she realized what she was saying.
At this, Zig started to glow. He reached over and touched her hand. "I don't think you need to go through all that stuff. You're already beautiful. Can't you see that?" said Zig seriously.
But of course she couldn't, so he had to let her continue on with the explanation. She ended up telling him all about the $4,000 and how her pappap in Ohio was paying half if she got straight 'A's for three solid years. She told him everything was locked in gradewise except the geometry grade. Mr. Donelly's announcement had just been too much stress for her. She just had to vent some emotion.
Zig saw how important this was to Grizelda, so he didn't make fun of her. He just said, "Well, if any pair can figure this stupid geometry problem out, it's US. We are a terrific pair because we trust and respect each other. Plus YOU are kick but smart too. Now who can beat a combination like that?"
At this Zella laughed, and Zig knew things would be okay. He put his arm around her shoulder and said. "I've got everything to gain in this. If we win, and you get your money, I'll have a wonderful hottie of a girlfriend next year. Pretty good for a pipecleaner with a big nose huh?"
Zella laughed and impulsively hugged him. Maybe there still was a chance. "Please God, PLEASE let it work," she silently prayed.
