Heat Rash

• Terese Daley, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2018

Ugh, heat rash is the worst, thought Mike through an excruciating pain. I feel so awkward. I keep getting these looks from everyone I pass as if I am an alien from another world, just because of the way I am walking. I wish I could be at home in bed, but instead I have to be here at the Cairns show. I am a farmer from Millaa Millaa and we've been showing here and also in Malanda and Atherton for as long as I can remember. "ARGH!" I accidently shout out loud, the pain is unbearable, I went red in the face because I felt like the whole of the show was now staring at me. Suddenly there was a shout from across the grass, I looked over and saw a man ,older than me, sitting in the back of his truck." Here mate. I know just what you're going through," he said as he tossed me a tube of canestan cream. I thought about running to the toilet to do it but I figured I was already embarressed enough, so I dropped my pants and rubbed it on. "AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" It hurt so bad, I looked at the label and read 'toothpaste' on the side. Great, now I was even more embarressed and to top that off I was really hurting. Even though i was still in excrutiating pain i ran through it all the way back to my truck, went in and put on the real canestan cream, it was the best feeling in the world. That was the absolute most embarressing moment of my life and to this day I still check the label before I put the cream on my heat rash. Just in case.