Anonymous (Second moment assignment)

Tears were streaming down my face as I walked to the mirror.The events of earlier came flashing back to me as I examined every aspect of my being.


"Those shoes are hideous. Get Uggs!" The leader cried. Her twin nodded and added "Black. Like Ari's," motioning to my former best friend. The rest of the girls nodded like clockwork dolls.


With a sob I yanked off my shoes and hurled them at the mirror.

"And cut your hair. You should straighten it too," piped a minion. The leader glared at her but nodded. "Yuh," she said "you should. And visit Lululemon. Tie-dye is in." Pointing at her mottled blue sweatpants. They were hideous. "And they're slimming! I love it!" She was 4'1'' and weighed 68 pounds.

I examined my butt in the mirror, certain it looked huge.

"Maybe some eyeliner," said Ari softly. "Purple might look nice."  Jessica the leader grinned fakely at me. "Sure," she forced out, "why not?"

I ran to my mother's bathroom and grabbed her jar of makeup.

"OMG guys, we should paint her nails!" Yelled her twin. They all squealed and rushed towards me, grabbing my hand and almost pulling me down the heavy concrete steps.

I grabbed the purple eyeliner.

"Ew, do you bite your nails?" minion Hannan screeched. I nodded. "Ew," said minion Miranda vacantly, "you shouldn't do that." They nodded. "Color them pink!" said Jessica, waggling her oval fingernails. "Yeah," said Ali, her twin. She showed me her ice-cream-pink nails.

My hand shook as I dragged the eyeliner across my eyelids. I stared in the mirror.

"Oh, and get your ears pierced," ordered Jessica. They had been pierced since first grade, but no-one remembered. Meekly, I nodded. "You need stud earrings," said Miranda vacantly, staring at a tree.

A fat clown stared back at me. Shocked, I dropped the eyeliner, ran to my bedroom, and cried for hours.

"Oh, and you need lip gloss," droned Jessica. "Oh, I got  new one!" Shrieked Hannah. "Look!" She thrust it at Jessica, who dismissed it with a smile. "And you need to go to Juicy. Get sweatpants."

I cried.

The bell rang, and we all lined up by the four-square courts to be let inside. We shuffled mechanically up the stairs.

I cried.

Pulled off our sneakers and put on our indoor shoes. Together we filed into the classroom.

I cried.

We sat quietly in our groups of four and turned our attention to the teacher.

And I stopped crying. Slowly I walked to the mirror and looked at my reflection. I sat and I touched her hand. And I stayed there for a long time.