Redefining Beautiful

Chapter Fourteen: Tangled

Before I went to the track for cheer tryouts, I walked into Ms. Sanchez’s classroom where I found Alyssa Rose heavily sobbing at a desk in the back of the class. I walked in to copy down the homework because I forgot to do it in class earlier since Megan and I were chatting away about homecoming plans. They were plans I pretended to be excited for when I was actually really nervous about them.

I have found it hard to, not only talk to boys, but to talk to Destiny’s friends because I felt judged on every word I said and every move I made. Even worse, I felt Megan would report everything I said to Destiny because she was a snake like that.

Anyway, when I saw Alyssa crying over her desk, not even realizing I had walked in, I silently copied down my homework. I planned to slip out since I told Megan I was going to try out for cheer with her after school, but I couldn’t just leave Alyssa like that. I think it’d be better if I gently confronted her than for Ms. Sanchez to kick her out without a word.

I plucked a couple tissues from the Kleenex box on Ms. Sanchez’s desk. Then, I shoved my planner into my bag and sat it on the chair I was sitting on before I slowly approached Alyssa. Her head was buried into her arms and her shoulders were jumping as she sobbed.

“Hey, Alyssa?” I tried. Whenever Destiny cried about something, I just let her vent for as long as she wanted until she was over it. So I’m not experienced in the area of comforting someone. I’m too awkward.

Alyssa lifted her head, and I handed her the tissues. With a delicate hand, she took the tissues and held them to her beat red face. “Thanks,” She croaked. I pulled a chair up to Alyssa’s desk and asked her if she wanted to talk about it. “Rustin broke up with me,” She said, playing with the unused tissue in her hands.

This was a shock to me because Destiny told me on the first day of school that they had broken up at lunch that day. Then again, Destiny has a way of finding things out before they happen and making stuff up to get her way.

“And I mean, he tried breaking up with me on the first day of school.”

Bingo.

“But we ended up working it out, and now a week before the big game and then the stupid...the freaking stupid homecoming dance is coming up and he decides to call it off...officially?” Alyssa blew her nose. “I already picked out my dress, and it’s designer.”

“Well, Alyssa,” I began. “Rustin is a total asshole and you’re such a sweet, and beautiful girl. You may even hear this a lot, and you are going to hear it more once this gets around, but you could do better.” I really didn’t know what I was saying. I pretty much went with whatever popped into my head and what felt right to say.

“Thanks, Charlie.” She broke out into a smile. “I just...I don’t know. I...He broke up with me because we were together for nine months, and I wouldn’t sleep with him.”

Well, this is something I bet Destiny didn’t know.

“And I didn’t want to because I knew that’s all he wanted. Charlie, he didn’t love me but I loved, and I loved him.” She broke out sobbing again, this time more hysterical.

“Why?” It never made sense to me that people would be with other people who were not exactly the sweetest candy around. I mean, that’s why I feel as if no one would ever love me because I’m so insecure and scared and—

“Because I saw what no one else did in him. It took nine months to figure out I loved what I wanted him to be, not who he really was.”

“It’s okay,” I told her. I opened my arms wide, and we embraced each other in a hug. I couldn’t believe me, the pathetic Charlie Anna Bates, was hugging the Alyssa Rose. The girl I envied since Kindergarten, the girl who I hated for dating Rustin, and the girl who won Most Gorgeous three times in a row for yearbook favorites was hugging and crying into my shoulder.