The day my panties were exposed

This Vocal challenge is bringing memories back to me that I had not thought about in decades. I have yet another embarrassing moment I experienced in high school. I was in the 9th grade and it took place in gym class one morning. A few weeks prior my grandmother had purchased me 5 pairs of lace panties in different colors that resembled fishnet stockings. One day I was looking at the green pair and the yellow pair and admiring the vibrant colors. I placed them together and thought they were a beautiful combination and I got an idea.

My panties were closer to the shape of the yellow ones in the cover photo and I decided that the next day I would wear both pairs to school, I wanted to enjoy how the combined colors looked and did not think anyone would notice. I showered after PE class and had just put my underwear back on and was about to pull my sweater over my head when the trouble began. I noticed the other 3 black girls in the class were standing to my right. They were laughing and pointing at me. Two of them lived in the same neighborhood and all 3 had gone to the same elementary school. As usual, I was the outsider and now I realized I had made a big mistake.

I should have known that off all the girls in gym class these 3 would be picking me apart with a fine-tooth comb. One of the girls named Doretha yelled across the locker room, "Why are you wearing 2 pairs of drawers" and all 3 of them snickered. I felt like a fool as several of the white girls then turned to look at me and I wished I could be invisible. I was shy and naive and put on the spot. What I should have done was turn the situation around and ask why were they looking at my behind? Back then it was considered offensive to be called a Lesbian and at that moment I wished I had asked them if they were into girls.

This would have shut them up and taken the spotlight away from me but I did not have confidence at that time and whenever I was humiliated I froze. This is why I stood there trying to explain that I liked the color of the two pairs of panties but my explanation was ignored. Looking back I realize that these 3 girls had no right scrutinizing me that way but this was high school. I also knew that if I were someone different, not a word would have been said.

On that day I was frightened that these mean girls would go through the school and tell everyone that I was so skinny I needed to wear 2 pair of panties and this is exactly what at least one of them did. All through the rest of the day whenever I saw the one girl who initiated the situation, she would whisper to whoever was near her and point to me. Once she laughed out loud and I heard her say "Cheryl is so boney she needs to wear 2 pairs of drawers".

I was absolutely mortified that my secret was being broadcast throughout the school and I was being lied about and it was a tetrible misunderstanding. I was thin and weighed about 85 lbs at the time and was 5"2. I was insecure about not having curves like the other teen girls and was very self-aware of my delayed development. This is not, however, why I put on two pairs of underpants that day and it brought back yet another painful memory.

In the 8th grade I had been teased in Home Economics when we had to measure ourselves in order to make patterns to sew clothing. The girl who was my partner, who of course was black laughed and told the other 2 African American girls in the class that I only measured 31 across my chest. They all had measured 34 or 36. This came flooding back to me day and it seemed like every difference that I had was always being put on blast. It was equally troubling that girls of my own race were always the culprits and here I was one year later dealing with the same issue. A simple experiment with green and yellow underwear had caused me so much pain and embarrassment.