Thursday, March 13, 2008

Sarah's prompt "She suddenly seems smaller"


This morning she was on top of the world, bigger than life! New shoes, new clothes, life was good for a sixteen year old whose boyfriend was the captain of the football team! Queen of the castle, ruler of her destiny, confident and sassy. She chatted up her dad and managed to get another 10 spot from him to buy a cute pair of earrings she had seen at Claires. She had negotiated with her little brother and managed to get out of today’s chores.
She was bubbling and beautiful and nothing could stop her. Nothing. But of course that was before. Before that stupid selfish jock decided that he wanted someone else because she wouldn’t put out for him. Suddenly the new shoes and pretty clothes didn’t matter. Suddenly, even though she’d stood up for what she knew was right, suddenly; she had gone from the top of the social order to one of the lower castes of high school society - the rejected.
Yes, she was still brilliant and funny, and the cutest thing on two legs – which is what her grandfather said so it didn’t really count. All those things that were true this morning were still true this afternoon but as she comes through the door with tear streaks on her cheeks, carrying a bag of books that did more than weigh her down she suddenly seems smaller, like the little girl I had dropped off at kindergarten so many years ago.

1 comment:

Sarah Salway said...

Oh Gina, this felt very real. And poignant. Lovely.