“Get away from me you betrayer.. you conniving little.. nobody of a person...” I
screamed at Mary forgetting the life we used to have.. That was in the past and now was the present I exclaimed in my mind. Mary looked at me with complete confusion. I myself had been confused too, but I couldn’t and I was too afraid to show it. Not now at least. Not when I knew that this long lasting feeling of empowerment would just wither away. If I gave in to her I would feel defenseless against her. She is a nobody, and I am a somebody finally I can look down on her... I thought in my head. I felt like a cold hearted person thinking of my best friend like that, yet I knew that if I made a move or said something she could into me and I would feel defeated and hopeless. I wish I could just tell Mary that I.... Never mind I will tell you about that horrific event later on. Let me start by telling you about me and starting from the very first day of the incident, or for short the event that changed my life.


To begin with, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I live in the town of Luxenburg, VA. With my parents and my dog Marge. It is a small little town but I am proud to call it my home. I live on Ludberg Street, across from Ma and Pa’s Grocery Store. The store is on Dimbleton Road Exit 233. My name is Annalisse Rose Whisten, or for short Annalisse. I was twelve years old when the incident happened and I just turned thirteen. I may seem like a normal person with a
normal life, but I have one special thing that I have that nobody else has. I have the most amazing best friend.

Now let’s continue with the incident that changed my life for the better. It all started on a sunny, sweltering morning on the 28th of June. The sky was as if the clouds were hiding from the sun, in fear of its burning rays. The trees whispered in unison with the whirling humming of the wind. As usual, I was walking to the bus stop on to Grey Street and waved hi to

Mr.MacGroy, from across the street. He always made me happy no matter what. He had a
slight accent because he was from Australia.

“Hi Mr. MacGroy, how are you today.” I asked. “Peh-fectly well mate, how ah you?” He replied backin his unmistakable australian accent. “ I’m good sir thank you for asking.” I replied back. See down in Virginia (or in the south for short), everybody always is so polite and calls each other but ma’am and sir. So in this case I had called Mr. MacGroy sir.

As I was walking towards my bus stop on Cimbleton Avenue, I heard the faint sound of laughing. It stopped for a minute, then continued again for another 5 minutes. Three minutes later it was barely audible as I could not hear because of the cars rolling by on the main road. As I slowly paced and headed towards my bus stop the sound returned as if following me like a lost spirit. Then out of nowhere came the loudest laugh I had ever heard. It was really annoying as if trying to taunt me.

I realized who it was at that very moment. “Jasmine!” I said aloud and quite loudly because she had scared me with her half grunting and half laughing. Oiy Vae Here she comes the wicked witch of the west! Sure enough it was her.... “ EWWWW” she said as she walked through the dirt on the way to the bus stop, leaving splattered spots all over her brand new Coco Chanel designer flip flops. I managed to keep in my giggling but it returned to a low grunting hiccup sound. I looked down at my feet feeling stupid because I had worn my tattered black Pacsun black sandals with gray padding underneath. “OH its you again” she snarled examining herself in her mirror of her Droid phone.

“Of course its me Jasmine! We have been going to the same bus stop for years and you still don’t know me?!” I said to her. She looked at me annoyed. Jasmine was THE coolest 7th grader in the entire school. She was up to date on all the latest technology and clothing. You name it she has it. Iphones, MP3 players, touch screen phones, and really REALLY nice clothing. But Jasmine was certainly NOT the best person or nicest person in the school (or for short the entire world).

To me the best person and nicest person was my best friend Mary Gunia. Mary and I have been friends since third grade. It feels like forever because we know each other so well. Anyway, as our bus arrived Jasmine looked with disgust as she hiked up her dress and twirled her perfectly brown hair around her french nailed fingers. And I looked up at my nail bitten mangy sausage fingers. As we boarded the bus, I picked up my Beatles lunch box, while she picked up her Vera Bradley lunch bag.

I have always wanted to be a popular kid. Since the fifth grade Jasmine has always been the leader of the school. She set all of the latest trends in our school. Last year, she introduced heely shoes and silly bandz, and this year was french nails and vera bradley lunch bags. Was my Beatles lunchbox on the trendy list? No. Of course not, because why would someone want a stupid unimportant Beatles lunchbox? These were the things that made me angry. Jasmine always picked on almost everyone in our school. I admit that even though she did these horrible things everybody still looked up to her, including me. Well everybody except one person out of the 1257 kids in our school. That one person was indeed Mary Gunia.

The only person thought she was as lucky as Jasmine and was equally important was my best friend Mary. mary also has the most confidence and trust I have ever seen in a human being. She even thinks Jasmine wasn’t even that big of a deal. I don’t know how she could think that, but I guess she can say what she wants to say. On the ride to school Ms. Bertha the bus driver pulled onto Mary’s stop and as usual yelled “Get on quickly I am on a tight schedule!” Which was pretty ironic considering the fact that she was always at least 10 minutes if not more minutes late for every bus stop. “Mary come sit with me!” I yelled even though I knew that she was going to anyway.

“Hey Annalisse!” she yelled back. We both giggled and started sputtering bits of laughter as we realized how loud we both were. When we got into the main hallway of our school, after we left the bus I stopped looking at Mary and turned towards Jasmine and her... well... friends. They all giggled at something that didn’t even seem funny to me at all. But I have to admit I really wanted to be one of them and also stand by them giggling together. I wanted to be like the populars.

Mary looked at me then at them she rolled her eyes with the look of dont-get-involved-in-their-business-because-its-not-worth-it sort of expression. Ignoring her I rushed over to the crowd with Jasmine and her friends. I stared at them for what I thought felt like and hour, but in reality only 5 minutes.

“Yessss? What do you want” one of Jasmine’s friends asked me.

I was too afraid to answer, but somehow I was able to try. “I...I ww wanted ttt..to tellll you that you sh.... shou.. should be a...a little nicer to the kids in this school.” What an idiot! That was all I could manage to say to Jasmine! I had wanted to ask if I could join in their group, but instead I looked like complete ninny and a fool! just then, I felt like fresh meat and she was the predator waiting for the kill. I had wanted to say if I could join them but my mouth was speaking faster than my mind.

All of the sudden despite my despair and anger towards myself and my stupidity, Jasmine looked at me as if she had an idea. She called her friends over and they talked for a while, but in 6 minutes they had finished their “talk” and Jasmine looked excited with a slight glimpse of friendliness that I had never seen in her before. “Hey Annalisse Come here. We would like to talk to you !” she called to me.

Right away I came to her side. She stared into space for a while, then looked at me and said “ hey how would you like to be one of us?!” she asked. I looked at the back of her shirt along with all her friends shirts that said Girly Girl in pink rhinestone. Without question I looked directly into Jasmine’s eyes and said “Yes.” I soon as I said that Mary turned and looked at me with an expression of absolute confusion and anger. It was then that I realized she had heard the entire conversation. Ohhhh Great! Just wonderful! The next thing I needed was to make my best friend think that I had no interest in her what so ever!

Until now did I not realize that when I said those three letters Y-E-S to Jasmine and her friends, had meant something more of its original meaning. And later that day those three little letters would change my life.

Later that day during period 3 I talked to Mary about what had just happened, and she just stared at me. She said she wasn’t angry at me just frustrated. During that time which was gym I put on my rhinestone Girly Girl shirt. I felt so happy that I was finally a Girly Girl and part of Jasmine’s “group.” Although Mary didn’t really like the idea I didn’t care. Even though I was her best friend I realized that I would rather be popular and have many friends then not be popular and have only one friend.

Just then in gym Jasmine called me over to her group of Girly Girls. Her one friend commanded me to come over to them and she was making hand gestures with her perfectly filed french nails. I gestured back that I would be right there, but she mouthed back “come right now or you’re out of the group”

“I have to go see Jas...” I started saying. Mary interjected and said “Go... Go with Jasmine and “them” I don’t care, since it seems like you like them more then me. She said “them” as if she had just stepped in something disgusting or touched gum on a chair. I being annoyed by Mary’s response turned without a backward glance and sprinted over to Jasmine. I strolled over to her group and listened so carefully that I could make out all the syllables of the words that she and her friends were saying. They (and I) were laughing about something that didnt even make sense. In fact when we were done laughing I had no recollection of what we had been laughing about. But I guess since they laughed I felt like I had to laugh along with them. I laughed until my throat hurt and and tears puddled in my eyes. When me and Jasmine were done with our conversation I gave Mary a glare only to find that when I turned around she looked like she was a puppy with big sad puppy eyes.. Ahhhh well I’m glad I don’t have to deal with her anymore! Now I have new friends!

During lunch I went over to sit by Mary, but stopped in my tracks when I heard Jasmine call me over to the cool table. OMG! The cool table I could just scream with excitement! I never thought that I would be invited to the cool table! I ran over carefully trying not to spill my chocolate milk and my cardboard texture like pizza (at least I hope it was pizza). I quickly took my place at the cool table. I ran over only to find that they were inviting Elise! It wasn’t me!

“GET AWAY FROM US EEEWWWWW” Jasmine screamed.

“What? do you mean” I asked confused.

“We decided that having you in our group was a no-no and that you aren’t cool at ALL!” she replied with a distinct disgust in her voice.

I ran over to Mary with tears filling my eyes. But when I went back over to Mary I saw that she had invited Hallie Wezt to her table. How could she! That was our table! Only I was allowed to sit with Mary together at the table! I ran over with even more tears welling up in my eyes. I felt like a bottle with a cork shutting in my emotions I. I felt like I could blow my top any minute.

I ran, no sprinted back to what used to be me and Mary’s table and looked at Hallie Wezt and said “GO AWAY, NOBODY WANTS YOU!” Hallie whimpered and frantically grabbed her backpack and lunchbox and dissapeared out of sight.

I put my stuff down hastily and screamed at Mary saying to her that I hated her and would never forgive her. As soon as I said those words about hating her I wanted to take them back. I had never seen sucha hurt expression on her face. And trust me.... me and Mary have been through a lot.

What was I doing! I loved Mary as though she was my sister and I had talked to her like she was a nobody, or for short a piece of garbage. What had I done to her! I looked at Mary and she looked me. Then without even a backwards glance towards the totally NOT cool table Mary and I collapsed into hysterical crying. After a while of apologizing to Mary and af6ter a few sobs, she and I realized how loud we had been and collapsed into heaps of giggles and laughter.

I turned to Mary with my red stained blotchy face and said “Mary you were the only one who didn’t betray me.. unlike the Girly Girls who didn’t even care if I was upset and well... excluded me because I know you ar...”

“It’s OK” she said back interjecting me but I didn’t care. Then we both gave each other a big bear hug and I said “ You know Mary, there is one person that really changed me for the whole better through this experience today.”
“Who?” she pondered
“The person that changed my life, or for short Mary Gunia my best friend.” I replied.
Just then Mary looked at me with a twinkle of happiness and yes.. this time honest friendliness in her big hazel eyes and her red stained blotchy face.