Barefoot Cinderella

9. Wildest Dreams

5 years ago...

A week had passed since the dance, the one I did not attend. I had refused to get out of bed that day, claiming that I was sick. Drew begged and pleaded with me to go but I wouldn't bulge.

He looked so cute dressed up for the dance. He also brought a corsage for me which was a little weird considering we were just going at friend. Still it was a sweet gesture, one that I could greatly appreciate but unfortunately not return.

I just thought that if I didn't go to the dance and gave Nicole enough time to cool off she would eventually agree to talk to me again and consider forgiving me. After everything had been cleared up and I had, of course, apologized profusely.

I had been oh so wrong.

Today, I approached her at school. She was having lunch with all her new friends when I walked to her table. "Hey Nicole, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked her softly.

"Oh look who is here, Little Miss-I-Want-To-Be-Friends-With-Popular-Kids." Amber Fitzgerald, one of Nicole new friends and nastiest girl I had ever met, said out loud.

Gesturing at her to shut up, Nicole responded with a terse "What do you want?"

"I just want to talk to you about what happened between us last week" I pleaded.

When I saw that Nicole wouldn't bulge from her spot, I started to make my case right there, in front of all her friends and the entire student body, foolishly might I add.

"I don't know what I did to make you so mad at me but please tell me so we can fix this. You are one of my best friends and I want things to go back to the way they once were."

Before she could speak Amber butted in once more, "You mean that she used to be one of you best friends, now don't you? Isn't that right Nicole?"

Nicole, whose earlier expression of confusion was replaced with one filled with determination. Her eyes was glazed over and she was glaring at me with intense hate.

With a voice carrying all of that hate she practically spat at me, "Yes, Amber is right. I used to be one of your best friends. Now I finally see who you really are and what you are made of and believe me honey, I don't even want to be caught dead anywhere near you."

I blinked, trying to keep the tears that were gathering in my eyes from falling.

"Besides," she continued, "Now I have the kind of friends that I deserve. Friends that care about me. Friends who put my needs before theirs, unlike you."

She paused, taking a look at the crowd gathering around us, "And most importantly, friends that are not as fashion-disabled as you are. So shoo-off little froggie, before you get crushed by being somewhere you do not belong."

She smiled, seemingly pleased with herself and walked out of the cafeteria, her new group or posse of friends trailing behind her, while I just stood there, rooted to the spot.

Never had I ever felt as humiliated as I felt in that one moment.

Everyone was pointing fingers at me and laughing. These kids might be the apple of their parent's eyes but they could be really cruel and mean if they wanted to be.

I was so embarrassed that I ran out of the cafeteria and locked myself into an empty stall in the nearest girl's bathroom, crying my eyes out.

I had never felt this lost, ever before. It felt like I was all alone with nobody to call my own, no one to fall back on.

I was still in that state when the bell rang signalling the end of lunch period.