a ghost inside of me. cleo. clue
Aug 23, 2020 18:20:00 GMT -5
Post by charade on Aug 23, 2020 18:20:00 GMT -5
Seventh Grade
“Give it back!”
Cleo could feel tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. Esme had pulled her headband off and she and her two lapdogs were tossing it back and forth, keeping it out of reach. What had she ever done to those girls? She’d just wanted to be friends. Esme was so cool. She always had the latest clothes and everyone that had gone to her birthday party had gotten a gift bag that was crazy awesome. She’d even had a real band playing. But Cleo hadn’t gotten an invitation. Because Esme thought she was weird.
They all did.
Maybe she shouldn't have brought her camera and pictures of bugs for show and tell.
“You’re never going to kissed. Boys are afraid you might cut their tongue off. Braceface.”
“Stop calling me that, Esme!” she whimpered, her bottom lip trembling. Maybe she’d just ask her poppa to buy her a new headband. They could keep that one. She pushed through the throng, but one of them tripped her and she hit the ground hard, dropping her books and skinning her elbow. She clenched her teeth together. She wasn’t going to let Esme see her cry. Not again. It had only made things worse last time.
“Watch out, don’t get your shoelaces caught in her teeth,” one of Esme’s friends said. They laughed and started walking away, dropping the headband by her side as they did so. Cleo knelt, holding onto her elbow as her eyes watered. She picked up her headband with a sniff. She wanted her sister. Why didn’t Clara have the same lunch as her? This was so dumb. Why were they so mean? It wasn’t her fault she had to wear them.
“Hey,” a voice said, offering her a hand. “Are you okay?”
“Maybe,” she responded, sniffing. She took the hand and got up, putting her headband back on and looking forlornly at her books. She pushed her glasses up her nose. “Are you sure you want to talk to me?” she said a frown turning the corners of her mouth down. This had to be a trap. Even the girls that didn’t push her around tended to make fun of her. If it wasn’t her braces, it was her glasses and if it wasn’t that then it was that she was clumsy, awkward and gangly.
“Why not? They’re just being dumb. I’m Parker.” Cleo smiled, then immediately closed her mouth, not wanting Parker to say anything about her braces. She rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand. All she wanted was to fit in, but they wouldn’t let her. Maybe Parker was different.
“I’m Cleo. Thanks.”