“Big deal”, I had thought. I’m not like those girls who fuss over change. I’m not like those girls who cry on the last day of school. I’m not like them, not anything at all. And maybe, that’s the best thing about me.

If anything, it was a relief to be over “kiddy” middle school. I’d have the chance to change my image. I could easily pull if off. I might talk, I might smile, but no one would ever truly know what I was thinking. What I wanted, what I really hated, or what I wanted to hide. I had convinced myself of this. I had thought I was above all those mundane teenage thoughts. Why? Because, I wasn’t stupid. I wasn’t pathetic. I didn’t need anyone to cheer me up or give me a push in the right direction.

Boy was I wrong.

I was alone. Among the sea of reunions, I was an outcast. I stuck out like a sore toe. To make things worse, the sea of bodies made the temperature shoot up even higher than it already was. I maneuvered around plenty of people, but one girl in particular stood out. Though her reasons were much more embarrassing than my own. She was sweating-no pouring-from the heat. I gave her a pitiful look. Then I wondered if I seemed just like her on the surface.

A pitiful thing.

I must have been right, I had thought, because suddenly a random girl came up to me. But her demeanor was indifferent. We merely chewed around with the usual chatter. What’s your name? What classes do you have? Do you like it here? I didn’t know what to make of the situation. Afterwards, I wasn’t even sure if she had ever looked at me.

Soon another girl popped out of nowhere. From what it seemed, they were good friends. Their conversation was much different. How was your vacations? Did Monica text you? Do you like him? I couldn’t follow and, to be honest, was too nervous to even try.

I just stood there.

Then, as quickly as they had appeared, they suddenly turned and ran up the stairs. Continuing their loud chatter and shrugging off my shadow.

I just stood there.

Then, I turned on my heels and was back to square one.