“Hey Melanie, I like your hairdo.” Macy says.


I look at her in surprise, “Oh, thanks!”


She replies with a laugh,


“Oh sure honey, it takes the attention away from that ugly pinches-up face of yours.”


Everyone in the girls’ locker room bursts out laughing. I just hang my head low, so my black curly hair covers my face. My name is Melanie Waters, and I hate my life.


When school is over, I storm to my room and slam the door, ignoring my Aunt Samantha (or Aunt Sam’s) persistent attempt to give me a hug. I throw myself on my bed and wince as the corner of my favorite book The Hunger Games pokes me from under my bed sheet. I start thinking of how much homework I have before I can even start reminiscing or crying about today. This has happened every school day for the past 3 YEARS. I spend so much time on schoolwork, that 3 years ago, I became the smartest “teachers-pet-geek”, in the school.


It started with the occasional name calling, like, “goody-too-shoes”, or “Smarty-Melanie”. Then they started getting into race, calling be, “The Black Geek Wonder”. From then on, there hasn’t been a day at school where I haven’t gotten tripped, shoved, or punched. I can deal with the pushing and shoving though. My brother Richard, who is a commander in the Navy, worked out with me. When he left to go to Afghanistan, he paid for me to get a personal trainer, so I can get rid of those skinny dangly things you call arms”, even though I once beat him in wrestling. I love Richard.




As I said though, I can deal with the pushing and shoving, it’s the words that bother me. You know that saying, “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. Well, I can tell you firsthand, it’s a bunch of crap. Okay, you throw a stick at me; I can break it in half. You throw a rock at me; I can catch it, and throw it back so fast you won’t have time to run. No broken bones. But imagine almost your whole life, being called names. No matter how hard you try to be accepted, you’re always being picked on. I’ve never had a friend. I don’t even know what a friend is. I gave up trying to make friends a long time ago. No broken bones, but man does it annihilate my soul. But as I finish my schoolwork, and get ready to go to bed, I always remember that every day I live, it’s for God, my parents, and Richard. Always.




Today, Tuesday is Emmy’s Birthday. She’s my cousin. Macy is Emmy’s Best Friend along with Afton, and Nara. Macy, Emmy, Afton, Nara. Look at the names closely. I call them MEAN. Coincidence? I think not. Every year I’ve been here, Aunt Sammy’s house, I’ve had to give Emmy a birthday hug, wish her Happy Birthday, walker her to the bus stop, and get her a present. If I don’t get her a present, then she will take something I own that she wants. So, I usually get her a cheap, expensive looking diamond, or (sprayed) gold bracelet.



Anyways, I walked Emmy to the bus stop without her yelling much. She’s probably just anxious for next week’s Fall Dance. She heard from Afton, who heard from a girl named Kailey, who heard from Marsha, who heard in the hallway that Jeremy heard that Steve was going to ask her to the Fall Dance. She’s been going on and on about it with the rest of MEAN, how Steve’s the hottest guy in the school. Well, that may be true, because he has almost every girl in the school wrapped around his finger, and tied in a knot. Me, I don’t care.



I am in 9th grade, taking all advanced classes, in an all advanced private
(k-12) school. So, I’m in World History Honors, when a note lands on my desk. It’s folded up really neatly as if this person had a purpose. I’m scared to open it because I’m pretty sure I know what it’s going to say. I purposely throw it away at the end of class, so the sender won’t get any satisfaction.



Today, at lunch, everyone is bussing about the Fall Dane, and who’s going to ask who to the dance, and who has the best dress, sweetest ride, or the hottest date. There’s a lot of “who’s” going around. Aunt Sam makes me go because I “need to be more open and lively”. As if that’s how I’ll, and that won’t cut it, I tried that 3 years ago…remember? Anyways, I usually go in jeans and a t-shirt, and sit in the far corner of the gym away from everybody. Sometimes, I bring a book to read. The rest of the time, I just eat pizza and chug Sprite. Not that I’ll gain anything weighing 92 pounds with almost not an ounce of fat on me, and a metabolism way of the charts.



On the way home from school, I give Emmy, this “gorgeous-expensively-one-of-a-king” diamond and gold bracelet that I bought at the Dollar Store. Emmy grabs it out of my hands and storms into the house without further acknowledgement. Typical.
After a weekend of sitting in front of the TV, going to church, or timing myself of the neighborhood track, it’s Monday. As soon as I get in school, I know that something’s wrong. It’s much quieter than normal, and no one teased, shoved, or tripped me in the hallway. I soon find out why: there’s a new girl that is totally gorgeous. The no-makeup gorgeous. She’s tall and thin with curves, and long black eyelashes that blink innocently around sharp hazel eyes. Her wavy hair is the type of black that would bake a raven jealous, hangs just below her waist. Her olive skin practically glows under the school’s blinding LED lights. No wonder I get to class first.
When Algebra 2 AP class is over, everyone bursts into the hallway anxious to get a glimpse at the new girl whose name is Natalia, and has every class with me. Ugh, another person to make fun of me. With all the attention she’s getting, there might soon be MEANN.



Today, I’m really feeling down because Nara stole my clothes while I was in the shower, and put them right outside the locker room door. SO, I went to get them in a towel. My face was hot and wet with angry tears. I sit down in my regular seat, reading my book, not eating because my lunch is in someone else’s hands. So I don’t notice when someone sits across from me. I don’t look though, until someone with a sing-songy voice says,



“Aren’t you gonna eat?”



When I look up, I realize with a surprise, that Natalia is looking at me expecting an answer…and everyone is staring.



“You know, you really shouldn’t be here.”



“Why?” She asks.



People are whispering. I can feel even more eyes on us.



So I say taking a deep breath,” Because everyone thinks I’m ugly and stupid, and you’ll probably think the same soon enough.”
“I just thought you’d be a good friend.”



I drop the book I’d been reading.



“A what?!?”
She now looks at me kind-of shyly.



“I just thought you’d be a good friend since you seem to be the only one in the school who hasn’t been following or noticing me much. I think people make fin of you cuz’ they’re jealous of you, and you let them. You only think you’re ugly because you’ve probably never tried to look decent.”



Well, it’s true, I’ve never bothered to brush my hair in a long time, I bite my nails till they bleed, and I just throw on random clothes, and almost never look in a mirror. But everyone jealous of me? Tell me when you wake up.



“I heard about the Fall Dance, I bet you’ve never really dressed up for it. Am I right?”



I look down, mildly embarrassed.



“Well, I don’t really have a reason to dress up.” I say.



“Well, now you do, for me, your new best friend, and a happier life.”



Friend? My face breaks into the biggest smile I’ve made in years, and I don’t care about everyone else in the cafeteria which has lapsed into an astonished silence.



“Hey, wanna come over after school?” I ask.



“Sure, I’ve got nowhere else to go.”



That is how I made my very 1st friend.



Natalia has been going to my house for 4 days in a row now, and we’ve done homework together, and talked about the Fall Dance. The first time Natalia came home with me, Aunt Sam burst out crying. Now, Emmy keeps poking her head in my room, and making weird faces at us.
Today is Friday, the day of the Fall Dance. At school, as I walk with Emmy, all everyone’s talking about is the Fall Dance. Emmy asked me,



“Are you gonna wear those clothes you bought 5 years ago again? They are an improvement from those weird flaky jeans you’ve been wearing forever. Oh wait they’re the same think!” she says laughingly.



I just ignore her, and go meet Natalia to go to our next class.
We already bought expensive shoes, but she bought the dresses, and make-up. Ugh, I’ll look like a clown. But she keeps on saying that this night is going to be Magical. I’m only putting up with this because she’s my 1st friend, and I don’t want to lose my only friend?.



After school, at my house, we can hear MEAN talking about Steve, and saying that “he’s totally going to ask her to the dance”. Meanwhile, after washing my hair with a weird smelling expensive shampoo, Natalia is taking on the impossible task of coming, and straightening my hair. I flinch every time it gets near my head. I never realized how long my hair is. She puts a blindfold on me so I will really be surprised. I get into my dress, a hard task with a blindfold on considering I have never worn a dress before. It feels really light and soft. Then Natalia puts make-up on me, and I can’t see how people go through that every day by themselves. Natalia and I laugh because she got asked by almost every guy in the school, but turned every single puppy-dog-sad-faced one of them down.



Anyways, we’re on our way to the school, and I still haven’t seen myself. Natalia looks beautiful though, she’s wearing a short golf-grass-green dress that makes you always look at her eyes. I’m wearing a long coat, so I won’t see my dress, until I’m there. And you’ll never guess what I’m riding in. A limousine courtesy of Aunt Sam (who by the way was crying probably about how foolish I looked). We’re here, and we’re getting out, it’s actually not that hard walking in heels.



We’re 5 minutes late, and I know my cousin and her MEAN friends are probably surrounded by a ton of guys vying to dance with the most popular girls in the school. Natalia takes my blindfolds off, and opens the door; I find that Emmy is in my far corner of the gym, looking around the gym probably for STEVE. I take my jacket off, and walk through the doors.
The door is really squeaky, or the people around us are really quiet. Almost everyone within a close vicinity of us is staring, not glaring at Natalia and me. I look down at my dress for the first time, and make a small gasp. I am wearing a silk sleeveless dress that is shorter than anything else that I own, but not too short, and its deep blue with black lace. I go to the drinks counter, and see my reflection in the glass cups, and let out another soft gasp. I look absolutely stunning.



Natalia is surrounded by a few guys, and trying to get to me. Then the PA system announces the start of the Fall Dance, and everyone goes on the dance floor, except me. Natalia is dancing with a handsome guy named Derrick. They look Happy. I go to the drinks counter again and look at my reflection for a long time still unbelieving, when I hear a commotion in the middle of the dance floor.



“OHH STEEVEEEEE!!!” Emmy yells, the song is a slow song, so everyone hears her loud and clearly, and turns to look.



Steve turns around from his friends, and spots Emmy shoving through the crowd of people trying to get closed to him.



“Yeah, what?” he asks her.



Everyone has gathered into a wide circle around MEAN and Steve and his friends.



“Uh, the dance has already started.” She says matter-of-factly.



“Yyyeahh, I think everyone knows that.” He says, and gets a few laughs.



Emmy puts her hand on her hips, and cocks her head to the side, “Oh Stevie, you’re sooo funny! You know what I’m talking about, I mean don’t you have something to ask me?”



“Uh, nooo?”

Then she drops the Bomb,


“Aren’t you going to ask me to the dance?”



Steve pauses for about 5 seconds, and everyone is holding their breaths, waiting for his answer.



Then Steve and his friends burst out laughing,



“I wasn’t going to ask anyone to the dance, where’d you hear that from?”



“Um, well I heard from Afton, who heard from a girl named Kailey, who heard from Marsha, who heard in the hallway that Jeremy heard…….”she trailed off probably realizing how ridiculous that sounded.



Steve hardly gets this line out laughing so hard,



“No, nonononono, Steven was, not me, not me!”



Everyone looks in the direction Steve gestured in. Steven is a short skinny boy, with light pink headgear, and a huge pimple on his nose. He gives a shy little wave and blushes. Everyone in the gym roars with laughter.
Emmy looks VERY mad and something I’ve never seem her be before……speechless.



Natalia waves me over, and to get to her, I have to go through the circle everyone made to get to her. As I do, Steve and his friends notice me for the first time. One of his friends lets out a whistle. I hear Steve muter under his breath,



“I might ask one person to the dance.”



I try to hurry to Natalia,



Then,



“Hey, Melanie!” Steve says loudly.



I stop in my tracks, and turn around.



“Yeah?” I ask quietly. He walks over to me, till he’s right in front of me.



“Melanie, you look amazing girl!” He says quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.



“Uh, thanks?” I say getting ready to turn around.



He puts his hands on my shoulder, stops me, and lifts my face to look up at his. My stomach is full of angry butterflies.



“Melanie,” he says softly, leaning closer.



“Melanie, would you like to dance?”



I look in his piercing blue eyes, and see something I haven’t seen before, honesty.
He steps even closer, and puts one arm around my waist, and another reaches for my hand which I quickly wipe the sweat off of. I find my arm around his back, and we are slowly moving to the bear of the slow song. Then even more slowly, people start to close in the circle and dance again, except for Emmy and the rest of MEAN who look like they want to hurt someone, probably me, but that doesn’t matter right now. That saying” sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, well it certainly feels like that now. I catch Natalia’s eye, and she smiles. This is what my first best friend said it would be. I stare into Steve’s blue eyes which never left me, and smile. I end the night with a single whisper,



“Magical.”