Tenth Grade English Paper

I really respect the opinions of the writers on this forum. I would greatly appreciate comments, edits, etc. for this personal narrative. Thanks!


As I entered the cafeteria, my head held high, I couldn't help but smile, basking in all the possibilities of the upcoming school year. After watching the sixth graders since my arrival in the second grade at Maumee Valley Country Day school, I couldn't wait to be one of them. The year had finally arrived, and my heart rate increased at the thought of being one of those select few sixth graders that ruled the school - the kids that everyone knew about. The stars were perfectly aligned for me and my friends: Amanda, Alex, and Paul. We were "lifers," having been at the primary school since the second grade. Through our years together, we studied the older kids who circulated in and out of the school. We picked up their slang, their style, and their suave, and we were determined to be those sixth graders that everyone looked up to.

The first day of school was crucial in establishing who was boss. We casually strolled down the halls, our freshly ironed school clothes fitting perfectly and our sleek new backpacks bouncing excitedly on our backs. All four of us were selected to tour new sixth graders for the day, and we were delighted at the possibility of another hipster coming into our grade. I held up a sign that said in cold, black writing "MICHAELA GRUNDY," flashing a million dollar smile.

After a few seconds, a girl entered the cafeteria and after glancing at all of us, began to walk toward me. I surveyed her body, my eyes focusing in on every element of her appearance. She stood squatty, 4 feet eight, likely weighing upwards of 170 pounds. Doughy fat protruded out of her skintight "Princess" tank top, and her hefty arms were home to coarse black hair. Her greasy hair was tucked sloppily behind her ears, and a rhinestone barrette tugged on a lifeless strand of frizz. Several sore pimples festered on face, and her oily nose reflected the institutionalized light above us. Metal braces suffocated her pointy teeth, and bits of food stuck between the wires, creating a giant yellow tooth that was visible when she smiled. As she neared me, I noticed that she smelled like a mixture of cheap perfume and dry sweat.

"Hi! I'm Michaela!" she said, her voice high and cheerful. I was mortified. She flashed me an uneven smile and offered her hand. I shook it and felt her clammy skin press into mine. "Welcome. I'm Josh…it's nice to meet you." I forged a thin smile, and managed to motion for Michaela to follow me to home room. Michaela had begun to lose her breath as she bounced alongside me, trying her best to keep up with my impossibly fast stride. "So…where are we going? What do you guys do for fun? Oh I'm so excited to be here!" She giggled with excitement as we walked and didn't seem to notice that I was clearly disgusted to be near her. "Oh I just love a fresh new start," she said. "Ottawa Hills just wasn't the place for me." "Really? Why not?" I managed to ask. "The people," Michaela replied, suddenly terse. "Kids can be really mean." I started at her, blinking like a lizard in the hot desert sun.

Finally we arrived outside Room 12. I took a deep breath and opened the door, entering the room with a huge smile. Seeing Michaela behind me, I quickly introduced her, watching the appalled faces of my classmates and hoping I hadn't been so obvious with my repugnance earlier. I slipped into a seat next to Alex and didn't turn my head to see where Michaela would sit.

The rest of the day I continued to not-so-subtly push Michaela away from me. I knew that being seen with her would plague me for the rest of the year, and I wasn't about to let her tarnish the reputation I had invested four years in. Sure enough, Michaela had been socially blacklisted. For the following months, descriptions of her spread like wildfire throughout the halls, and everyone was hoping to get a glimpse of the freak-show new girl. Guys called her the "fugliest" girl ever and girls picked at her appearance like vultures on raw meat. Trashing Michaela became everyone's favorite pastime…even the third and fourth graders rolled their eyes when she walked by. What puzzled everyone, however, was Michaela's blind ignorance to the fact that she was hated. She walked through the halls every day, her head held high, smiling and greeting everyone. She even had the audacity to try out for the girls cheerleading team. No one had the guts to say anything cruel to Michaela's face, she was simply ripped apart behind her back. Whether she knew what was said about her, I will never know, but Michaela seemed content sitting in the corner of the lunchroom every day, always being the last pick in gym class, and never having a friend to walk down the halls with.

I laughed at the jokes about Michaela, but inside, I felt a tinge of guilt for never giving her a chance. She had been so excited and eager to begin a new life at Maumee Valley, but I'm sure the treatment she received from us was the same, if not worse, as her old school. Despite the occasional thought, however, I, in my own vanity, managed to push Michaela out of my mind and focus on living out the idealistic life I was constantly creating for myself. I did what I felt I supposed to do, letting my inner impulses be suppressed by the desire to conform to my small circle of friends. I was a chameleon, always changing just to please the people around me, and in return I was accepted, and even venerated, so I continued with the act.

Halfway through the year, I laid in bed, watching a lone snowflake criss-cross its way through the ugly winter sky. Despite the bleakness around it, the snowflake glittered, filled with light. I realized that night that Michaela was the snowflake. It was her that was beautiful amidst a sea of truly ugly people. As I traced the snowflake as it fell slowly through the sky, I realized I hadn't given Michaela a chance. I, in my ignorance, had thought that I was superior to her simply because she did not fit the cookie-cutter image of beauty that our school perpetuated.

The next day, I walked into the dining hall, my lunch box swaying carelessly at my side. I spotted Michaela in the corner and turned to sit with her, ditching my regular route through the center aisle of tables leading directly to Amanda, Alex and Paul. With each step closer to Michaela, I became increasingly aware of new pairs of eyes focusing in on me. "Hey," I said, opening my lunch box and popping a raisin in my mouth. "Hi Josh!" Michaela gushed. She was vivacious, not harboring any hostility for the fact that I had blatantly ignored her for months. For the rest of the period, Michaela and I talked about class, our Winter break plans, and why we both liked the Disney Channel so much more than Nickelodeon. Her energy was raw and infectious, and her goofy laugh consistently brought forth a genuine smile on my face. I found myself gasping for breaths as my stomach spasmed with deep, full laughter. I no longer cared that I was laughing with half chewed carrot in my mouth, or that the way I was giggling made me look stupid. With Michaela, I was in the moment. I was myself.

That day, a decision was made for me. By hanging out with Michaela, I was disrespecting my standing with my friends and violating our brainless "social code of conduct," and all the years we had invested in a friendship were no longer important. One simple meal had completely changed my standing in the school's hierarchy, and by giving a girl who I had deemed "less than me" a chance I had diminished my own personal status with my friends.

Michaela and I became best friends quickly, spending the rest of the year inseparable. She was always supportive, interested, and protective of me, and I knew I could always call on Michaela for anything. At present, while my petty primary school relationships have faded away, Michaela and I still keep in touch and talk on a regular basis. Her unfaltering positive outlook on life and ability to live with zeal despite the constant criticisms of those around her has inspired me to remain true to myself even in the most uncomfortable situations when conforming to a group would be an easy escape. Michaela is a lone snowflake that shines in every direction; she is a prism of confidence, self-assurance, and inner beauty. Even though it took me several months to release it, Michaela is the most gorgeous human being I know, inside and out.