In the precious free time at Nerd Camp*, I was watching Youtube. Or rather, trying. (250 other people had the exact idea, on the same WiFi.)
As the circle of loading spun around, one of my roommate’s friends started knocking down the door.
“Do you guys have a stain remover or something?” She said.
She clutched a long-sleeved white shirt. Something red splotched a sleeve, from wrist to shoulder.
“No,” I said. “Is that Ketchup?”
“Yes, and I can’t get it off!” She had eaten fries for dinner, and hadn’t noticed the stain until Stella (my roommate) had pointed it out.
I take the shirt, and start rummaging through my luggage.
“Do you have any shaving cream?” I asked. She ran down to her room and came back with those lotion shaving creams. I shook my head.
“No, the foamy kind-” I grab the can. “Ah ha!”
I squirted a mountain of foamy pink cream on the sleeve over the sink.
“The cream has to set in.” I said. In truth, I had no clue.
I had read it on the internet one night.
We waited.
I push aside a bit of the mountain to see the stubborn red. I spread more pink foam on the sleeve.
“Did you try rinsing the ketchup off?” I said.
“Yes.” She said.
“Was the water hot?”
“Stella said that would get the stain out.”
I would have hit my forehead, but my hands were covered in shaving cream.
“Hot water sets the stain in.” I started rubbing the pink mess into the stain. Please work.
“Mattie, if this works, I’ll hail you as a miracle worker.” She said.
I rinsed and rubbed in more foam.
The stain got paler.
“It’s working!” We both yelled. I rubbed harder, rinsed, more shaving cream, rinsed.
Until we couldn’t tell where the stain used to be.
“YES!!!” We hugged and cheered.
It was then when I realized,
I didn’t know her name.
*Nerd Camp is not the actual name of the camp; However, it was a pet name for the camp by many of the campers.
Unnecessary Umbrella Society 