I feel my face growing hot with a blend of anger, gloom, and most of all, utterly severe humiliation as Amy and Regina whisper back and forth, grin, and look my way.

What in the two periods between homeroom and U.S. History could I have done that was worth making fun of?

I go through the day’s events leading up to this moment and can only come up with dropping my books in the hallway as the worst thing.

The worst thing…

Well, my books did go everywhere because people who were trying to get to other classes were kicking them around, without noticing, causing me to scurry, bent over around the congested hallway until I retrieved every last loose leaf in my binder.

Could that really be something that they would spend the remainder of the period AND the period after that making fun of? Is that really the most embarrassing thing that anybody has done at school all day today?

Okay, look over right now and see if they’re still talking about you.

Shoot! I think Regina just saw you looking, quick, quick avert your eyes! I hope she didn’t notice.

Maybe if you listen really well, you can hear your name, and be sure if they’re talking about you or not.

Come on, focus.

No! Don’t close your eyes! What do you want people to think, you’re trying to go to sleep sitting up?! They’ll think you’re a freak!

I think I heard my name, or was it Chuck’s name? The linebacker that got into that fight down at Burger King?

No, that doesn’t make sense. Chuck’s name isn’t even similar to mine.

Fine, whatever, let them talk about me or not talk about me. I don’t care. It’s their loss. They’re annoying anyway. I can’t be friends with people who gossip and annoy me on a daily basis. That’s way too much to handle. Besides, I don’t think anybody listens to them, either, and you obviously don’t have to worry about gossips if nobody listens to them.

Either way, I’m deleting them both off of Facebook and updating my status to something about people who talk about other people having no life of their own. I wonder how much they’ll be grinning when they both see their friend’s list has decreased.

I have plenty of friends, I don’t need them. It won’t ruin my reputation if they say one little thing about me.

I’m going to tell everybody at my lunch table sixth period and have them on my side, too. I’ve got it covered.

All in all, I’m a better person than them because I don’t gossip and talk about others. I’ll grow and prevail from this situation. Maybe I’ll even write a book one day, maybe even a New York Time’s best seller at that.

Was that the bell?

Guess it’s time to go.

“Hey, Christine,”

Who’s calling my name?

Oh, well don’t be rude. “Hi Amy, Regina,”

Why are they smiling? Are they going to now make fun of me to my face?!

Wow! That is low and trashy. They’ve hit rock-bottom.

Oh, let’s see what the lovely, two-faced Amy has to say.

“We really like your hoodie, Christine; we were both trying to figure out where you got it all period so we can get one like that.”

Close your mouth! Try not to look so surprised! “Oh, I, uh, got it at Kohl’s”

Smile, look friendly.

“Okay, thanks. It’s so cute! Well, bye Christine!”

“See you later…”

Well that was nice conversation. I just knew it would be. Amy and Regina are so sweet. I’ve always liked them.