24 October

Dear Fortune,

Mama found out. She was all, “You need to wash that out,” and I told her I couldn’t, so then there she was getting all angry and told Daddy.

Daddy shrugged. “What you want her to do? Shave it?”

So Mama turned on me and said, “You did this on purpose.” And I nodded, because it was true, I did do it on purpose. And then she said, “Why, if you don’t like your hair, would you bring attention to it?”

And I smiled all big and said, “Get woke.”

Daddy started to laugh. But when Mama glared at him, he started coughing.

But here we are, it is eight o’clock and nobody has taken my phone, nobody has banned me from TV. After all, it is my body hair and if I’m going to be teased for having it, I should have some fun. Right?

26 October

Dear Fortune,

You’ll never believe it but four Grade 7 prefects came up to us today and raised their armpits – they’d dyed their armpit hair. It was pretty short hair, you can tell they normally shave. But even so, there it was, pink streaks in their underarms. And they told us, “Stay woke.”

Then Lily announced she isn’t going to shave her legs again until we can. “Friends don’t leave friends behind.”

I gave her a huge hug. I know I shouldn’t care about being teased, but I do, and hearing that my friend is willing to endure the teasing when she doesn’t have to is HUGE. That’s real friendship. Erin and Zindzi agreed. Lily is great.

1 November

Dear Fortune,

I’ve been SO busy getting ready for exams, I’ve hardly had time to write. But you’ll never believe what happened today …

Prisha, Babotse and Mary-Beth all came to school today with dyed armpit hair.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I couldn’t stop smiling all day.

And only one person called me a Jungle Jane, and I didn’t listen to him. Just kept on walking, like he’d said nothing.

*****

Tell us: What did you think of this story? Have you ever been pressured by teasing like this to do something? If so, what?