Rejection

Too Jealous

They can never steal one thing from you.

  They used to like Susan, but that was before she became mean. Annie said that. Susan was jealous of Annie, and she always tried to get better of her. But luckily, being mean didn’t have rewards, because Susan never won. Annie was prettier, and Susan was jealous. Annie was better at acting, and Susan didn’t like that. Annie was popular, and Susan was not. When Annie got what she deserved, Susan was unhappy. Once, she even tried to commit suicide. Annie saved her life. Now, everyone didn’t like Susan.

  Susan and Annie had been best friends since they were children. They played together, ate together, laughed together. Susan thought that Annie was pretty, but what she didn’t think was that Annie was jealous of her. Susan had everything: She had the best dolls, the best smiles, the best laughs, the best dresses. One day, they had to go for a party, and Annie liked Susan’s frock. It was pink, with little red rosebuds and silver chiffon.

  “Can we switch dresses, Susan?” Annie asked.

  “Why?” Susan was puzzled.

  “You’ll look better in my dress.” Annie said.

  And so, they switched. Everyone at the party commented on how pretty Annie was, but no one remembered little Susan.

  Susan and Annie went for horseback-riding lessons, and Susan got the white mare. The white mare liked Susan, and she wanted to play with the little girl. Annie got a brown mare, and she didn’t like that.

  “Can we switch horses, Susan?” Annie asked.

  “Why?” Susan was puzzled.

  “My mare likes you more.” Annie said.

  And so, they switched. The white mare didn’t like Annie, but she didn’t mind. Their parents came, and they commented on how Annie looked liked a princess on the white mare. No one remembered Susan.

  Susan had a boy tell her that he liked her. Susan was delighted, because she liked the boy too. Annie didn’t like that. She liked the popular boy in the class, but Susan had the handsomer one.

  “I think I’ll switch targets, Susan. I like yours.” Annie said.

  “Why?” Susan was puzzled.

  “I like him more.” Annie said.

  The next day, the boy didn’t like Susan anymore. He liked Annie.

  Annie joined cheerleading. She became popular, and everyone liked her. Annie didn’t need to take things from Susan anymore. But she didn’t want Susan to be happy. She told tales about Susan, and no one liked Susan then.

  Susan was alone.

  In ninth grade, Susan and Annie went to audition for a play. Susan could act better than Annie, because she had a lot of experience hiding her emotions from Annie. She loved acting, for she could be someone else for that moment, and get away from her own dreadful life.

  Annie made mistakes during the auditions, and she stumbled over her lines. Susan did better.

  The results came out, and Annie was accepted. Susan felt terrible. Why did it always have to be Annie? She asked herself. Why did she always get the good things? Susan couldn’t stop her tears this time. It was as if she was made to live in Annie’s shadow. Annie took everything from her. But this audition…how was it possible? How could it be?

  Susan crept into the office that night. She wanted to know the real reason why she wasn’t accepted. She read the files, and she saw that half the judges accepted her, and the other half accepted Annie. Susan felt her hands shaking as she picked up the last file. This was the person who chose Annie. She flipped it open.

Verdict: Annie

Reason: Prettier. Susan’s acting is better, but Annie has the features of the lead.

  Susan tried to kill herself, but Annie came in at that same moment, wanting to know why she had won. The next day, everyone knew that Susan tried to die, but Annie saved her life.

  Susan knew all of this, of course. She had tried to clear all of it up before, but after a while, she gave up. They rejected her because they accepted Annie. No matter how hard she worked, she would never get anything she wanted because Annie would take it away. After all, that’s what Annie has been doing for the last decade. Annie had taken her dress, her horse, her first love. Annie even took her decision to die and twisted it. Annie took her life. Susan couldn’t be bothered anymore. At least Annie couldn’t take her rejection from her. She was welcome to do so.