It’s
September 4th and it’s the first day of middle school. I walk into
school with my hand-me-down jeans and shirt. I am standing all alone smiling in
the school yard while the 7th and 8th graders are jumping
rope and playing basketball while waiting for their teachers to arrive. I spot
my new teacher; remembering her face from orientation and starts sprinting
toward her by the gate that separates the hill going into the lunch room and
the big school yard. I yell out a very excited, “Good Morning!” with a huge
smile and the teacher returns the favor. I think it is going to be a good year,
a good beginning to my middle school career. What I didn’t know is that the
three years coming up are going to be the hardest years I have ever faced.
Walking in two lines was very awkward for
me. Everyone in front, behind and next to me was a complete stranger. Even the
teacher was a complete stranger; I didn’t even know her name. It seemed like
centuries before the teacher stopped the class in front of this big blue door.
Inside she gazes at the big black chalkboard with work that looks like another
language. It has been so long since I had picked up a pencil and looked at a
book. While sitting down with my new group mates I introduced myself with an
excited, ‘Hi, my name is Tabatha!” Everyone in the group gave me a very
confused look and started laughing at me until the teacher comes over saying,”
Settle down.”
Of course I knew why they were laughing…
My clothes. All of my clothes are hand-me-downs and I had been picked on ever
since I started school. You would think Kindergarten could be easy, but they
even picked on me then. Everyone else has their Polo and Nautica while I had my
Baby Phat shirt, Apple Bottom jeans, and my Twinkle Toe Sketchers and I thought
I looked really spiffy plus my hair was braided nicely with blue beads at the
end. I ask the teacher permission to use the bathroom trying to old back tears
as I go in the bathroom stall to cry. I cry so much that she doesn’t even
notice three girls come in the bathroom. After eavesdropping for a few minutes
Tabatha learns that the girls’ names are Jenny, Rachel, and Cassandra. They all
have the same problem; they are being made fun of because of their clothes. I
walk out the stall and the girls notice that I was crying. Concerned they all
introduce themselves not realizing that I was listening to them the whole time.
I realize that Rachel has on the same shirt. Knowing why they all in the
bathroom she asks if they were picked on because of their clothes. All the
girls said yes. From that day on the four girls have a bond so strong that they
become inseparable. They become so close that they even pursue their middle
school career together.
During the summer going into eighth grade
I find out that my mother received a job for BET. She comes home with a big fat
check and says,” It’s about to be your last year in middle school. Let’s go out
with a bang.” Utterly confused, I ask, “What do you mean.” She replies,” Let’s
go shopping silly!” Knowing how my
mother shops I am not ecstatic. We get in the car and we go some strange way.
We end up in Manhattan on 42nd Street. I see all the name brands the
cool kids wear in school. Prada, Gucci, Uggs, Polo, Nautica, and many more. We
go in every store and I pick out whatever I want. ”This is going to be a new
me!” I scream in my head as I throw out all my old clothes in my closet and put
my new ones in.
It’s the first day of school and I have my
outfit ion. Prada shoes, Gucci bag, and True Religion jeans and shirt. As I
walk in school everyone looks at me with their mouths wide open. I hear,” Is
that Tabatha?” “It can’t be.” Everyone says hi to me and everyone knows my
name. Even the people who humiliated me in the years past. As I walk over to my friends Jenny, Rachel,
and Cassandra the most popular girl in the school grabs me by the arm and
says,” You don’t need to be hanging out with them anymore. You are to fly!”
As the year goes on and graduation
approaches I never talked to Rachel, Jenny and Cassandra again. I catch them in
the hallway one day and I say,”Wassup!” They all suck their teeth
simultaneously and walk away from me as if I don’t exist. I hear them say,” Now
she knows us. Just because she gets new clothes doesn’t mean anything.” Hearing
this broke my heart. I felt like the worst friend in the whole world. I didn’t
want these clothes anymore I just wanted my friends. I knew how to make it up.
Graduation is coming up and I had to make a speech. It was only right.
So to Cassandra, Rachel, and Jenny I’m so
sorry for everything. I realize that you guys were my only friends and I love
you guys. Everyone claps and the three girls get up. I want us to be friends forever. I really and
truly hope that you guys forgive me, As I take off my graduation gown and show
my Sean John and Baby Phat the same outfit I wore when I first met you guys. As
I take my diploma as Valedictorian of the class of 2025 I only hope to take my
friends back. As I shake the principal’s hand I feel a tap on my back. As I
turn around the three girls jump on me giving me the tightest hug in the world
d as everyone cheers. Yes! I did it1 I
got my friends back and I will always have them. I know I will look back on
this in the future with these three. We will grow old together. As I close my
eyes to stop crying I can see us all in rocking chairs laughing and smiling
back at our journey to adults and our middle school and high school career.
“Thank you
parents, teachers and students. I hope everyone has a nice life and pursue
their education. I am proud to say that I am apart of the class of 2025!”
I walk across the stage with my Baby Phat
and Sean John and my Louis Vuitton heels I am smiling from ear to ear with my
friends by my side. This is just the beginning of our friendship….
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