Beach Tongue

[content warning: bullying, racism]

Even after rinsing my mouth out, I could feel particles of sand between my teeth. The school holiday was supposed to be an escape. Ha. With the same characters and apathetic teachers, it was just another chapter of school life. I was probably just there to fill a quota. If it was me causing the trouble, Mr Rinds would have denied me water sports privileges and sent me back to my tent without dinner.

Yesterday I got in trouble for “making the school look bad” when I declined an offer of the local delicacy. I only said it was haram for me. I took another swig of water and swirled it around my mouth before spitting it into the toilet bowl. I touched my tongue around my cheeks, teeth and gums to check for any stray grains but I think the second wash did the trick. Then the sound of the bathroom door opening set me on hight alert.

My hand froze in its reach for the toilet lever. I could hear Gus and Len laughing their goofy laughs. They were probably looking for me, knowing I would need somewhere to wash the sand out of my mouth. I curled up beside the bowl, feeling so low that a toilet could become my shelter, and I held in my cry. If I was quiet for long enough, maybe they’d pass.