The take-back of Ravenshire Prep {UNDER REVISION}

chapter 13

I pulled on my windbreaker and laced up my Adidas, Ollie yapping at my heels. "C'mon, boy." I tutted as I clipped on his leash to his collar and slipped in my earbuds. "I'm taking Ollie for a walk!" "Have a good time!" Artie responded while he laughed with someone on a call. I went outside starting with a light jog, mouthing along to the words of the song.

Sorry, I left you unread for the day.
I couldn't think of anything worthwhile to say. I don't know just yet who you take me to be, and I don't wanna spoil your impression of me...

I took up running in 7th grade, and it hurts to remember why.

I was sitting at my table watching all of the popular girls talk. They were congregating around Tori, sharing an inside joke with each other. They never treated me in a mean way, exactly; I was just not part of their 'tribe'-core members including Tori, Darcy, Poppy, and Olivia. I wasn't bullied or made fun of but I wasn't the type to joke around with people so casually. I couldn't stop thinking about what they would think of me and how pathetic I was. The bell rang and Darcy comes back to sit by me. She's pretty with her red-brown hair and hazel eyes. I want to say hello but by the look on her face, it is clear she would rather be sitting with Tori. They send each other looks across the room, Tori giving her a pity look as Olivia chatted her ear off. After we are given our assignments Darcy moves to Tori's table without giving a second glance at me. And that was the girl I had a crush on.

"Hey." I turned my head to see Eddie, a boy with a buzz-cut who sat at my table. "Hey..." I scooted my binder over as he took Darcy's spot next to me. Not that she'd care. Me and Eddie talk and work on the assignment together by labeling different types of fossils. He jokes around and I finally feel some form of comfortable over the next few days that we work together. We were talking together at lunch when one of the popular boys oohed. "Aw, widdle Eddie's got himself a girlfriendddddd-" "Cut it out!" His face turned bright red and he pushed them away as he stormed off angrily. The boys smirked at me and as they left I heard one of them mockingly whisper.

"fatty."

Was I fat? My doctor told me I was in great health and I didn't feel fat. Not like Alyssa Burtigreg, the only 8th grader who could eat a whole sub in one bite. All the other girls seemed so skinny, though. I looked up at them across the room and all of them were rail-thin, wearing cheap mascara and crop tops with their bra straps showing. Heck, did I even need a bra? I was the most flat chested 7th grader there ever was. I sucked in my baby fat and sat up straight, trying to make myself look skinnier then the pretty girls.

"I'm going running!" I called to my dad. "Going running here?" He asked, motioning at the floor of our NY apartment. Right. Big city. "I'll just run around the park," I assured him. "Okay, be safe." He sent me a you-better -not-get-hit-by-a-car,-kidnapped-or-die-or-I'll-kill-you look. I ran for a little, but had to stop into a few minutes through. This was going to be hard but I needed to do it if I wanted to stop being called fatty. I looked up at the sky and blew my hair out of my face as I made a promise to myself. I would come back here every day after school to run until I could run no more. I knew that I also needed to work on my clothes, so I asked mum to go shopping and somehow, she complied. Maybe she went through the same stage of life. I got blouses and crop tops and bras and lots and lots of skirts. I actually liked skirts then. I liked how they perfectly rounded the girl's hips and I liked how the pleats would billow as she spun. But now I realized I probably liked skirts because I was watching a girl's butt.

Somewhere along the line, people saw a change. Maybe because the mascara looked good with my naturally dark lashes or my lips were even redder with my strawberry lip gloss. Maybe because my hips got wider and I got bustier, not to mention the horrible punch in the gut I would feel every month. I knew people couldn't tell if I got my period, but I carried the sense of womanhood with me as I walked taller then I was before, not only with confidence but also my growth spurt.

Guys started liking me, which I didn't really give a crap about. Tori warmed up to me and let me hang with their group. Darcy even seemed to like me.
I was so, so happy.

Until I decided to kiss a straight girl in the middle of Tori's birthday party sleepover. Darcy's lips looked so inviting, and I wanted to stop time as soon as I saw the disgusted look on her face. I ran out and called my dad to pick me up as I waited in her front yard with my sleeping bag.

The following Monday, all people did was whisper behind my back while everyone had Darcy's same look on their face.

I'm human.

Aren't I?

A car whooshed by, taking my mind back to the present. I kept jogging as I felt my heart ache to the beat.

She gave it her best-she tried to fit in
She tried to be cool, but she never could win. Her mom says she's great, the kids think she's weird...honestly she wish she could disappear

Lyric credit-Sorry, I Fell Asleep by Egg, and Headphones by Britt Nicole.