Spoken Lies And Broken Ties

Reb's P.O.V.

*****Flashback*****

I was walking back home from school today because mom and dad were out of town for a week and I insisted Margaret should not send the driver to pick me up. It was a fine day; one could walk around with ease without having to worry about the sun and its heat. My school wasn't too far away from home and I had anyhow memorized the way back home from school. When I told Kate yesterday about how I troubled Margaret so that she wouldn't send the driver to pick me up from school, she became all excited and said she would accompany me after school. She called me later that evening to inform me how she convinced her mother and father to let her come home with me.

You wouldn't believe the sacrifice she made for this. It was so humorous. She promised her mother that she wouldn't use her expensive makeup behind her back if she lets her walk back home on her own just for this one day. You would think that this was so lame. But it was a huge sacrifice from her side considering how much she loves the makeup especially her mom's expensive branded cosmetics. I can't blame her for her love for makeup. Man, we were 10 and all those big girl things fascinate every girl at this time. It's like we suddenly want to step into the big girl shoes at the age of just then.

So, was the case with Kate. But Kate and I never had the same thoughts about this. She was fascinated by all these things right from the start but I was more into books. Books fascinated me right from when I was a baby. My mom tells me how I played more with books than with the toys when I was just some months old. I was a quick learner as she tells me. When other children were busy learning the sounds and phonetics, I started reading the initial letters of the alphabets. You must be thinking I was quite smart. Trust me, I know (laughing).

But this smartness didn't take me too far even though I have always been the topper of my class. Everyone would think that I must have been very popular at my school because of my smartness but I want to tell you that you are thinking wrong. I was only popular among the teachers and all the other students used to hate me. I guess beauty has always been more appreciated than the brains in this society of mean people.

I have always been bullied because of my weight and the big glasses that I wear. Even being the daughter of a millionaire and the trustee of the school didn't help me. The bullying became so frequent that I got used to it to a level. I still remember the first time it started we were in kindergarten. The teacher was teaching us the word fat with examples when one girl from my class was asked to repeat what the teacher was telling. I can quote exactly what she said then. I remember her each and every word even now after so many years not because I hear that very often now and I've got used to it but because it was the first time and it hurt me so bad that I went home and cried for hours that day.

When I told my mom the reason why I was crying so hard she got so furious that she immediately called the principal. The parents of that girl were called the next day and she was scolded and then she had to come and politely apologize to me. I guess that made her despise me even more than she already did. She started rousing everybody to do the same as her. It soon turned into bullying. I complained once, I complained twice. But when it started happening every day, I realized I can't complain every day about everyone. I understood I had no other option but to come to terms with the fact that I am not liked by the other students in this school. I realized the fact that beauty matters more than the brain. This world runs by the motto that you ought to be beautiful to survive in this world no matter if you are brainless. They want beauty even if it comes without brains.

I had somehow learned to deal with all this and that was by ignoring everybody. But sometimes it would get so worse that I would actually start hating God and blame him for making me so ugly. I even considered changing school but then thought it would be the same everywhere, ugly people are never welcomed anywhere. I know, it wasn't right, I know I shouldn't have blamed God or think so low of myself but I am not to be blamed for this. I had no friends to turn to or to share my problems with. Anybody who would say even a hello to me would be boycotted so nobody would even stop by to at least say hello to me or to smile my way, forget about being friends with me. I used to question God every time I visited the church if I am so ugly to even have a friend.

I couldn't even tell my parents about it. I know they would get so angry at those kids but more than that they would be so worried about me. I couldn't trouble them for things I know I can handle on my own. Moreover, I didn't want others to know about this. I didn't want my relatives to feel sorry or pity for me. I was never a person who could vent out their feelings so easily. I had accepted my fate and the pain but I never once let that show on my face. I have always been a happy-go-lucky girl for I knew I was blessed no matter what others have to say about it because I had such wonderful and loving parents who would go to the earth's end to make me happy and a family who I loved dearly. The only thing I ever prayed for was to have a best friend.

But I wasn't aware of the fact that God had actually answered my prayers. I didn't know it then that soon I was about to meet a girl who would be the answer to all my prayers.