The Henna Wars(79)

Chyna has the gall to sigh, like this conversation is boring her. “People like new things. It’s not exactly a reach. Whatever Korean stuff they were selling is something we haven’t seen here before so yeah, it’s trendy and nothing we have is going to be new in the same way.”

“Like henna is trendy?”

Chyna rolls her eyes. “Yes, like henna is trendy. That’s why we did the whole henna thing. That’s how business works, Nishat.” She says it as if she has a master’s degree in business and I’m someone who needs to be schooled.

There is more anger in me than I know what to do with. But before I can say anything more, Flávia’s hand is on my shoulder. Instead of sending me into a tizzy like it normally would, it actually calms me. I feel like she’s on my side for once.

“Flá, come on, we have to finish packing up,” Chyna is already turning away and I realize that a bit of a crowd has gathered around us. I must not have been as quiet as I thought I was being. Chaewon and Jess are looking at me from their almost-packed stall with wide eyes. Chaewon gives me a weak smile when I catch her eye.

“Chy, do you think it’s trendy to be Brazilian?” Flávia asks this softly enough, but it seems to ring out across the entire hall. More and more students are stopping in their tracks to listen in on this conversation. I don’t think Flávia cares.

Chyna turns back, brushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear and heaving another deep sigh. “What are you on about, Flávia?”

“You come to our Brazilian barbecues every summer. You eat our food. Do you think it’s trendy?”

“No … yes … I don’t know. That’s just something we do. Not a trend.”

“Neither is being Korean,” Chaewon says from the other side of us. “Or wanting to sell something that’s Korean. It’s just something I do.”

“Or henna. That’s just something that’s a part of my culture. Just like our food is—you know, the food that apparently gives everyone digestive issues?” I shrug. “One you thought was trendy, the other you didn’t, so you used it to spread rumors about my family.”

“That’s … different,” Chyna says, but for once she doesn’t sound like she actually believes what she’s saying.

Flávia shakes her head and says, “Imagine someone said the same stuff about me that you said about Nishat. Imagine they excluded me because I eat Brazilian food and speak Portuguese.”

“That would never happen,” Chyna chimes in immediately. “Flávia, that’s not … Nishat hasn’t given you the whole story. Nishat has her own friends, and her sister. I’ve never had anything against her.”

“You spread rumors about her for being a lesbian.” It’s Jess who volunteers this piece of information, and I wonder if it’s going to make Flávia back off. But it doesn’t. Her grip on my shoulder tightens, and I’m not sure if it’s to help her or to help me.

“Because being gay makes her different?” Flávia asks, and I’m not sure if anyone else hears the tremble in her voice but I do and it sends an ice pick through my heart.

“I didn’t spread any rumors about anyone,” Chyna says, with less and less conviction. “I really don’t know why you’re ganging up on me like this.”

Flávia takes a deep breath and says, “Come on, Nishat.” She slips her fingers through mine and leads me away from Chyna and the hall full of girls in our year. All of them seem a little stunned by what’s just passed. If I’m honest, I’m also more than a little astonished. The most I expected was to get rid of some of my anger by telling Chyna what was what. I never expected this.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I say to Flávia once we’re outside the school building. The place is deserted. Most people have already gone home. It’s only our Business class left now.

“I think I did.”

“You didn’t have to do it for me.”

Flávia smiles. “I did it more for me than for you, Nishat.”

We sit down on the steps beside us. They’re near the front entrance to the school but far enough away to obscure us from view.

“Do you want me to go get your stuff from inside?” I ask. My bag and all of my henna supplies are still strewn across my table; I’m hoping Chaewon or Jess will grab them.

“It’s fine. I’m sure … Chyna will take care of it.”

“Are you okay?” It’s the only question I can think to ask even though it doesn’t feel quite right.

She shrugs and says, “Are you okay?”

I smile. “I guess it felt kind of good to stand up to Chyna for once.”

“Even though you were standing up for someone else and not yourself?”

“I guess it’s easier to stand up for someone else. Plus … Chaewon and Jess don’t deserve that kind of slander. They worked hard. They didn’t play any games. They won fair and square.”

“I feel like I’ve seen a new side of Chyna these past few months.” Flávia sighs.

“Did you know her as a nice person before?”

Flávia lets out a small laugh, like thinking of Chyna as a nice person is maybe a little bit too much to ask for. “Chyna … has always been competitive and strong-willed. It can come in handy, like, when our whole family gets together and we play games together or whatever. I always hope I’m on Chyna’s team because I know she’s going to win. Whether we’re playing soccer in the summer or Harry Potter trivia in the winter.”