Social Experiment

06 | Good Different

Hey guys! Personally, I'm really excited to write this story, but I want to know what you think! Comment your thoughts :) 

PS: Image above is the second day dress 

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I stared at the clock while willing it to move quicker. Usually, I was content listening to Ms. Hayes ramble excitedly about rhetoric, but today I was much too eager to go home and hide from the constant stares. I also couldn't wait to finally slide into my favorite pair of sweatpants and throw these painful boots into the depths of my closet, where I would never touch them again.

When I had walked into class, to my utter disappointment, I risked a glance at my favorite teacher just in time to see her take in my appearance. Her eyes widened as they scanned my outfit and her usual smile fell off her lips for a fraction of a second before she politely composed herself and smiled at me. 

The next person I risked a glance at was Bailey, who was sitting in the front row, all the way at the end of the row. She, too, looked shocked by my appearance, her mouth falling ajar as she looked at me, but unlike Sasha, her gaze wasn't as judgmental. More confused and surprised. In an attempt to salvage our friendship, I take my usual seat beside her.

Bailey sat stiffly for a moment before turning to give me a serious look. "Sasha told me you were dressed-" She stops herself and stresses the next word, "differently today, but I wasn't expecting this."

She beat around the bush hesitantly with a soft voice, probably trying not to offend me. Bailey was always my favorite out of the two, because she was genuinely kind where Sasha was full of judgement. Unfortunately, I knew that she was raised in just as strict of a family as Sasha, and she held similar ideals about how a person should act and dress.

And I knew for a fact that I didn't meet those standards anymore. 

"Listen, B, I didn't-" I'm about to tell her that I didn't change, that I was still the same old Lauren- despite the fact that was an obvious lie- but the final bell cut me off. 

Class went by almost as painfully as it had earlier with Sasha in Calculus. Like every class before this one, students stole glances at me throughout class, and I heard my name among the whispers in the rows behind me. Bailey didn't as much as look in my direction for the rest of class and certainly didn't make her usual comments to me. 

The dull sound of the bell goes off, effectively pulling me out of my thoughts about Bailey and Sasha. Bailey packs up quickly and practically bolts out the door without saying anything further, and I frowned at the now empty seat beside me. As everyone piles out of the room, eager to leave and go home, I pick up my belongings and follow them out.

Ms. Hayes watches me leave with a thoughtful expression, and I knew she was contemplating saying something to me, but luckily, she bites her tongue. I wasn't in the mood to dish out the familiar lies that I've been giving out all day, especially not when I knew I was in for an interrogation from Luke when I got home, considering it was likely that Cole ratted me out for my change.

When I make it to my locker, Lisa and Brendan are firmly against Brendan's locker for the first time all year, and I smirk to myself while I retrieve my books. After I gather my things, I cross the courtyard and make a beeline to my car. However, the second I reach the parking lot, I see a crowd of people standing somewhere behind my car. My brow furrowed as I approached and heard shouting the closer I got.