The Last Night

4

I walked down the hall to my locker.
Locker 128.
The date of the first night of Hanukkah.
I opened my locker and peered inside.
I saw the mirror. My mirror.
And the reflection of an ugly duckling.
My eyes were too far apart. My nose was too pointy. My lips were too thin. My body was too fat. My head was too oval-shaped. My ears were too small. My hair was too curly. My hands were too dainty. And that's when I realized I needed to take my mirror down.
It was too distracting.
Way too distracting.
Then he came strolling down the hall.
Him and his friends.
It was Aaron, the biggest jerk in school. His hair was red and his face dotted in an iota cluster of freckles. He was so mean. One time, he asked me if I was a balloon. And another time he told me that I was no good at soccer because I "accidentally" kicked the ball into the wrong goal.
I hate Aaron. I just HATE him. I wish I didn't have to hate him, but I do. I hate Aaron and I hate hate.
Then he stopped. He didn't come over. He just collapsed dramatically.
He sprawled out on the floor with a hand over his head.
"Oh no!" He cried. "I have fallen to the ground. Her big ass pushed me! Oh, that fucking ass!  YOU ARE SO FUCKING MEAN!"
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Now he was making jokes about my butt? His finger was shaking at my bottom and everyone started laughing.
I wanted to say something. I wanted to tell him he was the mean one. But I couldn't. I just couldn't.
I felt like crying. But there's nothing worse than crying at school.
So I snatched my books and walked away, pressing them against my puny breasts.