The Special Sparkle About You

Untitled Part 1

Natalie stared into the diminutive mirror on her bedroom door viewing herself as an ugly individual. Their family was poor so Natalie remained thin and possessed her sister Sarah's torn, old clothes which were out of fashion. She wore huge glasses covering her cheekbones. Even though she wasn't attractive, all her teachers favored her out of all her classmates. She was so bright that she had to go to high school to do honors Algebra II in high school and she was only in seventh grade. She felt as if her intelligence had made an invisible barrier between Natalie her peers.

Natalie envied Sarah and constantly wished she could be her older sister for just one day. Sarah lacked the brains that Natalie possessed, but as the older sibling, she got all the new, stylish clothes. Sarah was gorgeous and athletic; everyone adored her. She was outgoing and was friends with everyone, and she never missed the bus.

Natalie was rushing getting ready for another ordinary Monday of school. Natalie sped down the stairs while wrapping a scarf around her to make her appear the most presentable she can be.

Natalie always thought, Even though I can't look pretty, I can still try.

She hastily gobbled down a ripe banana and hoisted her backpack on her right shoulder while she ran to catch the bus nearing her stop.

She instantly entered the bus when she got to her stop following Sarah who already was at the stop five minutes earlier. Sarah strolled down the aisle to where her friends were sitting. Natalie greeted the bus driver, although he didn't seem to notice, and started to make her way to her seat.

Right when she progressed down the pathway to row six, she tripped and fell on a backpack that was on the floor, and tumbled face first. If she ever did get the bus driver's attention, it was always like this. Natalie's cheeks flushed as she got up, walking to row 8, avoiding the stares and murmurs spreading across the bus. What troubled her the most was that even her sister, Sarah, snickered.

Natalie stared at the window in deep thought about what it was like to be Sarah. She thought about the big bruise that will appear on her face. She wondered if Sarah has ever tripped on the bus as Natalie does at least once every couple of years. She questioned if Sarah even had someone laugh at her instead of with her.

While the bus pulled up next to the school, Natalie collected all of her items. She rose up to leave before the wild stampede of kids rushed to get down the steps trying to not get a tardy slip from the teachers.

After dropping her backpack in her locker, she headed to her first-period class. It was her favorite subject, language arts.

For the fifty minutes spent in that classroom, they worked on identifying verbs. Natalie was the only one in that classroom who knew every single answer to the questions given and understood the concept.

During the last minutes of class, the teacher asked if anyone needed additional help. All of the class besides Natalie raised their hands. Then the teacher asked if anyone can help the class. Natalie didn't raise her hand, assuming that if she did, everyone will call her a teacher's pet.

The rest of the day has gone by with nothing out of the ordinary. She aced her math test; She completed her homework in class for Social Studies; She had no English homework because their teacher simply told them to understand verbs. All she had was some science homework.

Perfect, Natalie thought, I get to relax while Sarah completes her homework. With a light head, she walked out of school and onto the bus, feeling ready to finish the day with the novel she had longed to read. It was the book, Defy.

When the bus pulled up to their stop, Natalie rushed to exit the bus and without stumbling over her foot. She opened the door entering her house.

She shouted, "I'm home," and flew up the stairs to get her homework done, unlike her sister, who would save it to do the last thing at night and sometimes in the early morning.