Remain True to Your Self | Teen Ink

Remain True to Your Self

October 9, 2013
By Bellee BRONZE, Vancouver, Washington
Bellee BRONZE, Vancouver, Washington
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

There once was a girl who always tried to fit in with everybody else. Pretending to act as someone she’s not—living a lie until her sophomore year in high school when she decided to finally let loose and let her true self come out.

Why did everyone wish to be like to be like me? The person I am at school isn’t the person I am at home. I hate being fake but I just can’t. I’m too afraid of losing everything. It’s understandable as to why they want to, but it’s not clear. Every time Destinee walked through the halls, passing people she always heard them talking about her: “Her hair! Look at how long and luscious it is! I wish my hair was that long. From a distance it looks so soft. How does she do that? Her eyes also, just look at them. They look like the sparkling blue ocean on a nice sunny day.” While she appreciated these compliments, she hated the fact that they only saw her in that way—perfect and beautiful. They never made the attempt to see the true side to Destinee.

No one knew my true identity or my true personality. The only thing that people knew about me happened to be the side I lived since the sixth grade only because I wanted to fit in with everyone else. I acted as the person I said I disliked. Being afraid of showing my true self, being afraid of losing my friends and that they wouldn’t accept me for who I truly am. That’s what I fear most. Everyone liked her because she was that person that everyone went to for absolutely anything, ranging from help with homework, advice on boys or girls, and advice on what to do with friends who fought every day. All of it ending because I show my true identity—not what I wanted. People treating me differently because I decided to stop pretending to be someone I never saw me being. The way I was raised is the way I felt most comfortable in—I’m going to take that risk.

In Destinee’s vocabulary there is no such thing as being a typical girl. I absolutely hate the color pink, I despise it. Although, I wear pink because people say that it looks good with the luscious, golden blonde hair. I despise being girly. Destinee enjoyed playing football with the boys throughout her whole childhood.
Sophomore year, I can’t go through high school this way. It just isn’t me. I need to put my foot down and be absolutely okay with the fact I may lose friends this year. It’s the startof her sophomore year and little by little she starts showing her true self; a country girl. Now is when she finally decides to let loose and let it all out. She prepared for all of the looks, all of the questioning, and all of the accusing she was fake.

As I pulled into the parking lot at school, and drove down the first isle to park, I already felt the looks and comments coming my way. She got out of her car, locked it and made way to those double doors just outside of senior hallway; one of the most popular hallways in the school. Students hung out in the hallway in the mornings, during lunch, and after school. This is also where Destinee met her friends every morning before school started.

As she opened those double doors she prepared mentally and physically, fixing her clothes. Okay today will be the day where I am ready for absolutely anything thrown my way. If I lose friends today, I am okay with that. I know I will make new ones by the end of the day. She walks through the doors ready for the comments to be thrown at her face and circle around her head as she gets through the day.

The looks already began; this is the day she waited for. She walked through the crowed to where her friends were standing. I got this. I will not let people’s words bring me down!

Her friends had given her the look. The look is something you wish not to receive. You receive this look when you are not welcome, not liked, or weird looking. Great, the look; this can’t be good. “What are you wearing?! What happened?!” One of her friends squealed. “Well, I’m wearing Romeo’s, jeans, a camo t-shirt, and a camo jacket. I am sick and tired of being someone I’m not. This is not the way I want to live. Being my true self, a country girl is who I wish to be from here on out.” The bell rings and her friends shoot off into the crowed of students going to class—not saying a single word as the walk away.

They weren’t true friends anyways. I knew this was going to happen, I prepared myself for it, and now they are the last of my worries. They weren’t the friends they said they were. As
Destinee watched her friends mesh into the crowd and walk away she told herself she’d never said a word to any of them again.

She had made it through her sophomore year with just that one person who remained true to her.



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