Other girls were always telling me that I didn’t belong. I didn’t belong in a girl’s only prestigious school for the upper class. And I have to admit, I didn’t really look like I played the part. My every day outfit was a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, as well as my hair in a ponytail. This was “my style” and I never really planned on changing it. So what if I didn’t like wearing designer clothing from the latest magazines. My parents didn’t mind, even though they owned multiple businesses therefore being able to afford my education. That was their way of showing me that they love me; by not being embarrassed of the way I looked. Plus, I don’t think 13 is an age where I should be judged for not wearing makeup. My parents say that I would always have this killer confidence to not let anybody else change me, but that confidence started plummeting quickly when I turned 15.


     I decided to start planning my 14^th birthday party with my parents. I didn’t want it to be a huge blowout, and frankly, I didn’t even want to have a party but my parents thought it would be good for me to invite some of my “little friends” over and bond. First of all, those little friends have been making my life a living nightmare since I was 12 when I came to this school. They were the once who constantly bullying me about my appearance, but until now, I hadn’t cared. Well now I did. I didn’t want them to see me another pathetic day looking like I did every single day. I decided to call over the only girl who hasn’t insulted me. Now, she wasn’t my best friend or anything, and she didn’t hang out with me, but she tolerated me and was nice when we talked. “Hey Claire,” I said, once she picked up. “I was wondering if you could come over to help me with something.” I could tell over a quick silence that she was hesitating about what to say. “Well um you see I have to” “Claire listen,” I interrupted her. “I really need you to give me a makeover before my party” I said fast enough so she didn’t hang up. I heard a muffled squeal on the other end of the line. “I’ll be right over!” She said, full of excitement.


   The doorbell rang 15 minutes later, so I opened the door to a beaming Claire. Her hands were full with bags and boxes. I lead her up to my bedroom, where she spread everything out on my bed. “So I was thinking that we should start with makeup, then hair, then your outfit!” she said so fast I could barely understand her. “Now I’m going to need you to sit down, close your eyes, and relax.” I was getting a bit nervous, but I did what I was told. The next thing I felt was a sharp pain on my brow bone. “There’s some deforestation happening. I know it hurts, but it will be worth it.” She said as I clenched my jaw preparing for the next tweezer attack.


   For the next 20 minutes, Claire continued to apply globs of makeup to my face, from mascara to blush. She finished off the makeup by telling me to look up and not blink. I obediently followed, but I was skeptical. I realized that she was putting a contact lens into my eye. “But I don’t wear glasses…” I said a bit confused. “Look in the mirror” said Claire. I looked in the mirror to see that my eye color had changed from boring brown to a vibrant emerald green. “That’s awesome I exclaimed, astonished.”


   She took out my ponytail revealing a scraggly mess of hair. “I can’t work with this.” She said, sighing. I braced myself for hair ripping when she brushed my hair, but there was this miracle type spray she put in it that made it tangle free. Claire whipped out a curling wand and used it to make my hair more gorgeous than it had ever been. She finished of the makeover with a stunning lavender dress, embellished with pink flowers. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly. Claire tied a silver belt around my waist, and put some silver bangles on my wrists, as well as some matching iridescent sandals. I definitely cannot say that it was the most comfortable thing in the world, but Claire convinced me that I looked fabulous. There was only 20 minutes until the party started, and I was confident that everyone would love my new look. I bumped into my mom in the hallway when I heard the doorbell ring. “Oh sweetie you look… nice.” said my Mom. “Don’t you like it?” I said a bit worried. “Of course, but aren’t you uncomfortable?” My mom said, staring at my outfit. “It’ll be no problem,” I replied. “Everyone will love my new look.”


   Every guest that arrived praised me for my new look. Charlotte, the one who tortured me in school, even had at least one nice thing to say. “Wow you look so much better than you did before. Thank goodness for Claire. I mean seriously you were a mess.” “I wasn’t that bad before.” I mumbled, a bit hurt. The rest of the night wasn’t what I had hoped for. The dress itched, I kept tripping over the shoes, and I think I was getting an allergic reaction from the makeup. None of it felt right. I felt like I was a whole new person, not myself. I darted up to my room and got changed into shorts and a t-shirt. I took off all of the makeup with some makeup wipes Claire left for me, and slowly but surely took out the contacts. I decided to leave my hair down because it wasn’t bothering me much. I walked back downstairs for the last 20 minutes of the party. Claire screamed when she saw me. “What have you done!?!” She yelled. “I changed back into myself” I said, proud.


   If I could give one piece of advice to any girl, it would be:


Don’t try to change yourself for anyone else. Be comfortable in your own skin, and don’t be afraid to stand up to anyone who thinks otherwise. J


Yeah I know it’s cheesy :P