*insert pretty here*

Inappropriate clothing [edited]

Inappropriate Clothing

I could tell everyone's eyes were on me as I walk down the corridor. They watched me, with their eyes wide open and jaws grazing the grey linoleum. The only sound to be heard was the faint tapping of rain against the glass. Their expressions resembled that of a fish. I clutched my books close to my chest, hoping and praying nothing would go wrong.

"Why did you have to do this today?" I asked myself.

I reached my locker without much trouble and grabbed my books for my first class, World History. I thought I was home free but my stomach dropped when I felt a cool hand rest on my shoulder.

I turned around expecting to see the stern face of my Year Tutor Mrs. Cosgrove but was greeted by my best friend Penelope.

"Oh Penelope thank God I thought you were Mrs. Cosgrove!" I sighed.

She glared at me as her normally stunning, silver eyes turned stormy grey. She was angry and I had a feeling I knew why.

"You're lucky I'm not Mrs. Cosgrove!" she snapped "What the Hell are you wearing?"

I looked down at my dark wash skinny jeans, purple tank top, and black ballet flats, it was cute yet simple. And that was the problem, it was simple.

"Pen don't worry, I'm sure I'll be fine!" I said reassuringly

"You better hope so!" she warned pointing her finger at me, "Because I will not hide a letter to your mother. Why are you always testing the boundaries? You know you'll only make it worse for yourself."

"Okay! Stop acting like my mother." I snapped, slamming my locker door in anger.

The bell rang before she could lecture me anymore and I rushed away before anyone else could say something. Usually when Pen and I had a fight it was forgotten about by lunch, but this time I wasn't so sure. I was the first to my seat in class and arranged my things around me trying to hide what I was wearing.

No-one seemed to notice until my hawk eyed teacher came in. Mr. Jennings was the kind of man where if he didn't know your business, he made it his mission to find everything out. Unmarried and living alone he was a bald, short sighted busybody that no-one liked.

I tried to avoid him as much as possible but today was not my day.

"Miss. Matheson would you care to explain why you are dressed so inappropriately?" he called from the front of the classroom.

I looked up from my book and tried to reply as sweetly as I could, "What do you mean Mr. Jennings?"

He removed his glasses and set them down on the desk, "You're wearing jeans and a plain purple tank top, I think you know exactly what I mean,"

I gathered up my things and headed towards the door. Mr. Jennings didn't need to tell me where to go, I already knew. Yup, there was a seat reserved for me in the principal's office.

For most people a trip to the principal's office is a terrifying ordeal. Usually what happens is that a sweaty, balding man sits behind a large mahogany desk in an office with beige, mould covered walls. He gives you an earful then sends you on your merry way, but my school was nothing like that.

No, my principal's office is pink. Pink walls, pink rug and pink stationary. Pink, pink, pink, it made me nauseous just thinking about it.

Walking through the empty hallway I contemplated running but they'd catch me, they always did.

I raised my hand to knock but before I could, a voice called out from behind the door, "Come in Miss. Matheson."

Her shrill voice sent a shiver up my spine, it was like nails on a chalkboard.

I pushed open the thick, cream door and the smell of cheap perfume attacked my nostrils. I resisted the urge to gag as I sat down in the large puffy chair.

"Good morning Mrs. Lavonowitz," I said trying to break the tension.

She glared at me from behind her glasses, what was with all my teachers wearing glasses?

"I trust you realize why you've been sent here?" she asked.

I nodded, afraid to answer in case she bit my head off, (honestly though I wouldn't put it past her).

"Well I just have one question, why? Why would you make such a spectacle of yourself by dressing like a common street whore?"

I chose this moment to turn on the waterworks. Mrs. Lavonowitz was a sucker for a sob story.

"Honestly Miss I didn't mean to!" I wailed "My car broke down so I had to walk to school and another car splashed me, these were in my car as emergency clothes. I thought I could change in school but by the time I got here it was too late! I'm so sorry!"

Her face remained composed but I could tell I had struck a nerve. She patted my hand gently and gave me a reassuring smile.

"Now, now don't get upset! I'm not going to punish you."

"Really! thank you Miss," I said wiping away my tears.

She pulled out a pink notepad from her desk drawer (ugh pink again!) and wrote my teachers a note.

"Give this to your teachers so there won't be anymore misunderstandings." She said handing my the slip of paper.

I cringed as I touched the frilly page but gave her a quick smile before leaving.

The rest of the day seemed to go by in a blur. My teachers didn't give me any hassle and I guess word spread about what I had said to Mrs. Lavonawitz because suddenly, girls were coming up to me offering to give me their clothes.

"Are you sure you don't wanna borrow my skirt? It's from the new Juicy Couture collection!"

"No I'm fine thanks!" I replied each and every time.

By the time I got home all I wanted to do was lounge in the couch, but I knew my fashion choices for that day wouldn't go unnoticed. Much like Mr. Jennings, my mother had the eyes of a hawk.

"Excuse me young lady, what do you think you're wearing?" she demanded.

My mother was a petite woman, which was strange because usually she would have been given a growth injection to make her the perfect five foot ten. She had bright hazel eyes and golden blonde hair. Everything about her was perfect, as it should be.

I on the other hand had eyes bluer than the sky in a sunny day, and hair as blonde as honey with carmel highlights throughout. It was all natural of course, well as natural as it gets around here. Apart from our height differences, we could have passed for twins.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"You know exactly what I mean!"

I tried to use the same story I had in school but my mother was too quick.

"Don't even bother with the waterworks Clarissa, I know when you're faking!"

"But Mother......."

"Enough!" she interrupted. "You're lucky your principal is soft or she could have sent you straight to Halewood!"

Halewood, the name sent shivers up my spine. Only people who disobeyed went there and once you went in, you never came out.

"Mother I'm sorry it won't happen again!"

"It better not or I'll send you to Halewood myself!"

She stormed off and I ran up to my room, real tears flowing down my cheeks. I slammed my door and collapsed onto my bed, my body raking with sobs.

I had taken it a step too far and I was lucky I wasn't punished for it.

"From now on just keep your head down and blend in" I told myself. But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself I would, I knew I was lying.