The Ugly Ones | ✓

Epilogue

Senior Year

The art classroom was silent. Jamie was patiently waiting for her friends to enter with the other kids. She had organized the stools in a circle, leaving a space big enough for six persons. She did not want the kids to feel like they were on an AA support group, but that was the best way she and her friends could reach them and talk to them, face-to-face.

The door opened and in came Christopher with two girls and a boy. One of the girls was thin as a stick. There was a fat girl. And the boy was a redhead, with lots of freckles. The three sat on different stools, away from each other. Jamie smiled at his boyfriend with gratitude, and he smiled back.

Louise was the next to come in. One girl and one boy. Both muslims. Or at least that's what she deduced for the way they were dressed and for the way they looked. She didn't want to judge either way, so she forgot the assumption she made. Louise then called a someone. A shy boy with a colombian flag t-shirt came in. Then Louise rolled her eyes and took someone's wrist. 'Come here, don't run away,' she said. A beautiful girl appeared.

Jamie mouthed thank you to her friend.

Fiona and Mark came together. They brought a big group of kids with them. A bald headed girl and a boy with a mask. There was a jewish boy -again, Jamie tried not to suppose by the way he was dressed-, a girl with a nasal cannulae. Some other kids that looked pretty normal for what meets the eye were there, too. Fiona and Mark sat near Jamie, who was on the professor's desk.

Lastly came Harry. Jamie looked at the kids. An asian girl, a girl with sunglasses and a boy with a hearing aid.

"Okay, I think this is all," said Christopher, next to his girlfriend.

"They are more than I expected," she said. She smiled at the unknown faces, "um, if you don't find a place to sit, feel free to chose the floor." As soon as Jamie said that, everyone was looking for some comfortable zone to put their butts on.

Then the boy with freckles spoke. "I'm not an alcoholic," and everyone laughed. With this, Jamie felt more at ease.

Thank God he broke the ice. "I know, this is not Alcoholic Anonymous, don't worry," she smiled. "Gosh, where do I begin," she muttered under her breath.

"Maybe you could tell them your name," Chris said, giving her a squeeze in the hand, trying to calm her down.

Jamie took a deep breath. "Hi," but her voice cracked, so she cleared her throat. "Hi," she said again, "my name is Jamie, enchanted to meet you all." Some of them greeted back. "Er, I don't think you know what this is for, um, I'll explain why you are all here."

Another long, deep breath.

"We've been - no, not a great way to begin. We - my friends and I one year ago were part of The Ugly Ones. You know what that is, right?"

"Obviously," said quietly the girl with the hijab who was next to the boy she also thought was mulsim. "We are all part of it." A 'yes' was heard in the room.

"I know," said Jamie. "We've been - we've been - okay this is going to sound creepy, but we've been watching you. Don't look at me that way. I'm not good at all with speeches. I-" Jamie was trying to explain herself but the sunglassed girl talked.

"I don't find it creepy. At least you can watch people," she smiled sadly. But those words encouraged Jamie.

She opened her mouth to talk again, but the asian was faster. "How in the world is it possible for you to be part of The Ugly Ones? You are all gorgeous."