Against the Status Quo {Coming}

Chapter One: The Social Butterfly

"We're actors in our lives, pretendin' to be who we want people to think we are."

― Simone Elkeles, Perfect Chemistry

Chapter One: The Social Butterfly

As people, we tend to label everyone and everything around us. Sometimes this is considered judgemental, narrow-minded and prejudice.  Other times, it's considered to be a simple way of organising and remembering information about other people and it reduces the amount of cognitive effort we need to make. However you look at it you are still labelling and stereotyping everyone and everything.

Stereotyping. We all do it, but a lot of us don't want to admit it or prefer to ignore it. Stereotyping has negative conations' linked to it, automatically making people believe it's something we need to conceal within our set of traits we have. People want to pretend we're all above being judgemental and prejudice against one another, but our history as human beings says otherwise.

In current society, there is a need to conceal and pretend because people will judge you for being openly judgemental. It sounds ironic to be frank, I mean, if your openly judgemental people will judge you for being judgmental, but them making a judgement on you based on that, it equally as judgemental but it's concealed by the pretenders. It's like one vicious cycle that doesn't know how to break. Well, I suppose that's why people are in denial about being stereotypical.

The best example of all this labelling and stereotyping is at a high school. High school has its fair share of dividing the student body into cliques, as cliché as this may sound. High pupils are all victims of this vicious cycle; they're all victims of judgement, prejudice and stereotype.

So, you may ask, how is all of this relevant to me? I, Erin Rickman, have been the one to judge a person. As embarrassed as I am, I have done this on more than one occasion. When you're at the top of the social ladder you seem to forget about your morals, and do things that you are expected to do; act like how you're meant to and, pretend to be someone you're not but be some that society has made you to be. You go on pretending to be someone else, for the sake of your social status. I know how shallow that sounds, but the truth is undeniable. Even the most powerful, sometimes feel powerless.

Does this make me a bad person? I wouldn't say so, not really. I have not committed such a sin that will damn me to the deepest and darkest pits of hell, nor have I perpetrated such a crime that is unlawful will consequently lead to imprisonment.

Some of you are perhaps thinking that, I simply selected bad deeds as a consolation for all the bad deeds that I have committed. Truth behold, if you were thinking that, it's true but to some degree- of course. Consolation is the only way that I make myself feel more moral; everyone has insecurities'. Everyone, this also includes me. How can this be, you ask? A social-butterfly, has insecurities? I'm still human. I'm not void of doubt, fear or any other emotion another human may feel. Do I want to change the status quo? Of course. When will this happen? I don't know as I'm not brave enough nor do have anyone's support in the matter,

When silencing your inner voice you tend to be a different person when wanting to voice your thoughts. Your inner voice won't judge you, but people will. It doesn't really matter about the message you're trying to address, they only care about the messenger who is voicing these thoughts. If the messenger doesn't meet their status quo, the message won't matter. After all, in today's society, they don't believe in 'it's the message not the messenger'. They believe it's the 'you're not the message but the messenger' principle. I'd be a traitor if I didn't think the same.

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 "Erin, are you even listening to me?"

A stinging sensation travelled up the length of my right arm. It drew me back from my chain of thought, and into reality. I narrowed my eyes, and winced at the pain. I reluctantly glanced to my right, and saw an irritated looking Jenna. I inwardly glared at her, for inflicting such physical pain upon me.

I ignored her, and absorbed my surroundings. I was sat on a sofa in the empty Falcon's common room, with my 'friend', Jenna Fitzgerald. Oddly, no one was present in the room. Right so, where was everybody? What time was it? I rapidly blinked my eyes and turned my attention to Jenna who, might I add, looked rather impatient. "Where's everybody?" I asked suspiciously.

"They've all gone to class" Jenna groaned out of frustration. "Now, can we go back to talking about my birthday party." she insisted.

My eyes bulged out of my eye sockets. "What? What do you mean they've all gone to class?" I asked, "What's the time?"

I rummaged through my school bag to locate my phone.  I yanked out my mobile and read the time it had shown. Oh my lord, 2:45 pm! I've missed fourth period, History, and I am extremely late for fifth period!

"As I was saying, do you think you can get the cake for my party?" Jenna asked, completely ignoring my question. She flicked her perfectly combed auburn locks over her shoulder, in a nonchalant manner. Before I could reply, she beat me to it. "I know you'll be there, I was just wondering if you can pick up the cake."

I didn't say anything for a while. I didn't know what to say or, more importantly, how to say it. Honestly, I didn't want to go. But, of course, I knew better to say that at loud. I knew I had to say something or else she'd never let me go, and I don't want me skipping classes to go down on you my school records. "Sure, I'll be there and I don't mind picking up your cake." I gave Jenna a tight smile. I gathered my things, ready to leave the common room.

"I know you'll be there, I mean c'mon!  When have you ever missed a huge party?" Jenna obnoxiously scoffed. "I want that three-tiered chocolate sponge cake, with red roses coming down the cake." She added. 

I curtly nodded at Jenna, as jogged out of the Falcon's common room. I quickly shut the door, and leaned on it. I closed my eyes, and thought 'When will I have the courage to miss one'.

I slowly made my way  towards my last class of the day, Psychology. I decided to skip fifth period, as I  I didn't see the point in turning up late to Biology; I'll have to catch up with the work later. Just as I was about to enter the social science department, my bag started vibrating. I looked through the pockets, and found it was my phone. It was a text from Chelsea, a girl in my Maths class who I barely had one conversation with. I opened up the text message and it read:

Erin! I can't wait to see you at Westfield tomorrow!

We'll shop until we drop haha, bye!

-Chelsea (from maths)

I exhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of my nose, before I sent her a text message to confirm my future plans. Why did I do that? Was their really any confirmation needed? She wasn't asking, but telling me. Well, how else am I going to uphold the reputation of the school's social butterfly?