It's Hard to be Lee

4. Standing Out

At school Monday, Lee dressed up her ponytail with school-colored ribbons. Everyone commented on her hair. They loved it! Lee enjoyed her newfound fame. Today was her first game as a cheerleader and she wore the uniform of a short red skirt with white trim and a matching sleeveless shirt with LHS across it. She thought it was a dorky outfit.

"Hey foxy," Mark said, walking over to her locker. Why was he so cute and calling her foxy now? She cringed a bit. Cute she may be, but foxy sounded like something you call an old person.

"Hey!" Lee pulled him in her arms to give him a hug. Maybe they would have a first kiss later. All she cared about was that she liked Mark and he liked her.

"I'm coming to the game tonight just so that I can see you cheer."

She groaned looking over the sucky cheer outfit. She was too tall for it to be cute on her. "I suck."

"Well, you look hot in that outfit," Mark grinned, staring down at her legs.

Now she felt self-conscious of her tall, skinny legs. She loved her height, she did, but some things made it a downhill battle with the petite and perky. The skirts were not meant for someone as tall as her. The little petite girls looked so adorable in their uniforms. She was about as tall as her idol Zendaya, but she did not have her confidence for sure.

"I hate this thing!"

"It's cute."

"Hey Lee." It was Yvette walking over to them.

"Umm, is Lee the only one you see here?" Mark asked.

Yvette put her hand in Mark's face and ignored him.

"Lee, bestie, everyone is talking about your new hairdo. You kind of went from nobody freshman to one to watch. You may even make the Hottie list."

She rolled her eyes at that. What nonsense. She had been at school a week and heard of the "Hottie List" before and thought it was the lamest thing ever.

"You're an overnight success and probably the most popular freshman. Maybe in the whole school!"

How could that be possible? She questioned her classmates' taste. 

"And she's my girl!" Mark said, his arm around her.

"Ugh! Off a silly ponytail. I'm beginning to think this school is super lame."

"And you're my best friend. My only friend. Come on Lee, let's get to English class." Yvette grabbed Lee's arm and pulled her away from Mark.

"He-ey!" Mark pleaded but there was nothing else he could say, they were halfway down the hall.

"Bye Mark!" she called out to him, already down the hall with Yvette. "Yo Yvette, you and Joe...are you guys, serious? Like a couple."

"Joe is the man. He is so dreamy! Yes, he's my boyfriend."

She felt weird asking her friend this, but- "Soooo...did you kiss him?"

Yvette laughed. "Hell yeah! Kiss him, cuddle, make it to darn near third base—"

"Wh-what?" Maybe Mark just moved slow. That did not mean he didn't like her any less. She had to get out of her head.

They were still walking down the hall when a group of girls stood by their lockers, staring at Lee and Yvette. As they walked by, one girl tried to trip Lee.

"He-ey!" Lee said, turning to the girl.

"What?" the girl, Shawntalice "Shawni" Lewis said, and smiled innocently.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, is there a problem, freshman?" Shawni asked, repeating the question but putting and emphasis on freshman.

"Yes, you!" Lee said, getting in the girl's face, which was hard, since she was pretty short. Very pretty, with cocoa brown skin, big doe-like eyes, perfect heart shaped lips. Her hair was very long, and she wore it in a ponytail sitting high on top of her head. Was she the one that originated the ponytail style? This was Baby G?

"Oh, Ms. Pretty-n-Perfect is Ms. Big and Bad now." Shawni and her entourage of girls egged her on.

"Come on Lee, let's go." Yvette held her arm and pulled her.

"Yeah, go," Shawni snickered, and then so did the little trolls with her.

Lee stared the girl up and down. She was a big bully, that's all.

"Yeah, why waste my time," Lee said and walked away.

The group of girls broke out in laughter as she walked away.

"What was that about?" Lee asked.

"Shawntalice Lewis, sophomore, sophomore Hottie Pop. Was ruler of Larkin High till you came along threatening her spot. I guess enemies come with being popular. You know, jealousy."

"I never asked to be popular. I just wanted to stand out."

"I think she's upset because she's not the hottest thing up in here anymore, you are. Just by changing your hairstyle."

Why was high school so stupid. If she heard about that "Hottie List" or a Pop or Wannabe again she would throw something.

"Tomorrow, I will wear my hair back." It was not worth it to her, to stand out and then become the target of bullies.

"Girl don't let her intimidate you! Wear your hair in an even cuter ponytail tomorrow."

And she did.

All week long she changed her hair style to something different. Different kinds of ponytails. Maybe straight one day, her natural curls another, or even wavy curls another. To the side one day, up top and high, or low and pulled back. She loved the bun as well, sometimes she didn't want her hair to be down and out.

Ms. Shawni did not seem to like it much, her signature ponytail was not as special. Shawni began to change her ponytail as well and it was like the two competed with each other for the most attention.

Not that she was doing it for attention, she loved to play in her hair, like her mother.

Her fellow students loved it all and she tried to play it all down. All she wanted was to hang with her friends, get to know Mark and focus on her modeling career. It was so easy to become Insta-famous, but she did not want to go that route. She wanted to do traditional modeling and not pose for social media weirdos.

Every night when she was not talking to Mark or Yvette, she was studying her modeling craft, getting her poses and looks down. No model jobs in site, but she had to stay ready. This was going to be career, her life.

She had the few friends in her life, she did not need more.

Hey readers! 

More on the Larkin High drama with the Hottie List later. Maybe not even in this book, I will have a whole other book in the series delegated to taht. That one is coming soon as well.