A Wish For Her | Teen Ink

A Wish For Her MAG

By Anonymous

“Is that her?”
“What? Who?”
“Shh … here she comes.”

“Oh … her.”

We avert our eyes as she walks by. We clutch our books tightly to our chests, stare down at our sneakers, and hold our breath as she passes. Whispers follow her like shadows as she scurries up the stone stairs, through the metal doors. Lisa and I exchange looks. The bell rings in our ears, and we head inside.

“Who’s she with today?” Lisa asks at lunch.

“Toby,” I scoff, biting into my ­sandwich.

“Figures. Apparently they had a great time at Jack’s apartment last weekend.” I make a face.

“Disgusting.” Lisa laughs.

“I bet she has all sorts of diseases.”

“I bet she’s wearing his sweatshirt. The one that smells as bad as he does.”

“I bet she’s gonna be one of those girls who never goes to college and ends up on the street.”

“I bet she’s gonna be a …” I look around to make sure no teachers are listening, “whore.”

That’s her new name. It spreads like a foul disease around the school, through the hallways, passed from one lip-gloss-smeared mouth to the next. Some kids just call her “The W,” or “The H” for the stupid ones who can’t spell. It’s what she is. It’s who she is. And none of us like her. None except Toby and Mitchell and all those guys who are too dumb to see her for who she really is. We see her kissing guys in the alley after school each day, like she doesn’t even care, like she doesn’t even know.

Don’t worry, we’re gonna make her realize who she really is. We’re gonna make her feel so bad she’ll shrink like a little mouse and learn her lesson and stay away from all of them, especially Devin, who liked me all of sixth grade ’til she stole him last summer.

We isolate her. We don’t speak to her, not even when she asks what the homework for last night was. Find it out yourself, stupid. We leave notes in her locker, and we snicker as she walks by.

Have you learned your lesson yet, princess? Are you ever gonna stop wearing so much lipstick and eyeliner and skirts that are way too short? Are you ever gonna put out that cigarette or throw out those bottles? You’re 13 – what’s wrong with you? Didn’t your parents ever teach you what’s right and wrong? Half the grade hates you. Sticks and stones, you say, but soon it’ll be real. I will smash up your pretty face if I have to. I’ll break your bones. I could snap your neck over my knee.

***

I walk home from Lisa’s house, and I take the long way because I want to look at the moon and the stars. I want to cross the cornfield, because once I saw a shooting star. I have to walk through the sketchy neighborhood to get there, though, but I should be okay if I hurry.

Suddenly, I hear a man’s voice ­coming from one of the houses, the one with the shingles falling off and the rusty car in the driveway. He is yelling. I rush behind a tree, heart ­racing so loud I’m sure he can hear. Suddenly I see a familiar figure. It’s her. She and the man are yelling at each other. He lashes out at her, and I wince. I can hear the slap.

And then the door closes. She is alone, and she sits on her porch steps. And she cries. I’ve never seen her cry before. Alone, with no boys, out in the cold night, crying, crying, crying so hard she can’t breathe. Her tears make ugly black lines down her face. And suddenly, she looks up, and our eyes lock. I run.

I run past the houses and the deli and the gas station with the creepy owner, and the ice cream store where we get really great slushies. I cross the street, my heart racing, out of breath and into the lush grass of the cornfield. I collapse on the ground, my arms and legs spread apart, trying to catch my breath and hold back the tears, though I can’t understand why they’re coming.

She was so alone. So sad. She is loved by no one but those boys. And I’m not sure they even really love her.

Suddenly I look up and see something sparkle across the indigo sky, a little explosion of white like a firecracker on the Fourth. I close my eyes.

And I wish for her.



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This article has 546 comments.


on Feb. 25 2011 at 4:50 pm
BlackBaroness BRONZE, Kampala, Other
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It's never that serious."
Anonymous

totally amazing...

on Feb. 20 2011 at 9:50 am
AthenaBook SILVER, Arlington, Virginia
5 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
You should not live the way the world asks, but the way that you ask of yourself.

WOW!!! That was really amazing! You really captured the whole school teasing and disgust at this one girl and you described everything really well. Fantastic job!!!

ferosa45 said...
on Feb. 13 2011 at 7:38 pm
beautiful. lonelicess is like a cankerworm eating away at the soul. everyone needs someone to love and requite love.

Daydreamish said...
on Feb. 8 2011 at 10:03 pm

Wow... just... WOW!!! :)

This is incredible! I love the style; it suits the story very well. The ending was especially great. You could definitely make this into a book... I know I would buy it! :D


dance_babee said...
on Feb. 8 2011 at 6:08 pm
wow, it gave me goose bumps when i read this, great work!

on Feb. 8 2011 at 5:14 pm
Falling_Farther BRONZE, Jkdvls;afnieow, Maine
1 article 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching."

so good!! keep up the good work! this was amazing :D

on Feb. 8 2011 at 4:48 pm
Skylersmith1997 BRONZE, Gales Ferry, Connecticut
4 articles 0 photos 7 comments
WOW! That was really good, and what a nice lesson learned. Don't judge a book by its cover, well, at least it kinda is. Haha, great work

on Feb. 8 2011 at 3:02 pm
Niya_Smilees GOLD, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
13 articles 0 photos 21 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Live in the moment because reality hurts."

Wow i really liked that, it shows alot. some people need to be wanted so bad that they do things that they know are wrong

Keeper6 GOLD said...
on Jan. 31 2011 at 2:26 pm
Keeper6 GOLD, Buffalo, Minnesota
16 articles 0 photos 39 comments

Favorite Quote:
Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak, sometimes it just means you are strong enough to let go.

 i agree! so wonderful!

on Jan. 27 2011 at 3:21 pm
Bookworm2010 SILVER, Riverside, California
6 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Lively of the mind."-Beautiful Creatures

Simply wonderful. Great story!

riteren said...
on Jan. 19 2011 at 11:56 pm
wow, that was so beautiful and drove home a very important lesson; we tend to judge ppl to quickly without realizing they have feelings, same as we do

on Jan. 17 2011 at 11:03 pm
writerinfinity PLATINUM, Arlington, Texas
35 articles 0 photos 105 comments
Second time I've read it, and it still is good. :) Good job!

on Jan. 17 2011 at 9:51 pm
ohsnapitsmegan BRONZE, Stockton, California
2 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
Writing is just thinking on paper

That is really good. That would make a great story. Like the girl keeps wishing for her, then they end up becoming friends. Then the girls finds out who the "W" really is. 

Alia_Tan GOLD said...
on Jan. 17 2011 at 8:29 pm
Alia_Tan GOLD, Elk Grove, California
15 articles 0 photos 69 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I gotta right to sing the blues/
gotta right to moan and sigh/
I gotta right to sit and cry" From "I gotta right to sing the blues" By Louis Armstrong

Love this story! Great Job!

NateJS BRONZE said...
on Jan. 17 2011 at 6:40 pm
NateJS BRONZE, Burlington, Other
2 articles 1 photo 7 comments
The style of this story was so engaging and just great

NeVassa GOLD said...
on Jan. 17 2011 at 11:41 am
NeVassa GOLD, Ft. Belvoir, Virginia
18 articles 0 photos 50 comments

Favorite Quote:
Oh god I was a stupid twelve year old

Wow. Amazing. This expresses alot of the people I know.

on Jan. 10 2011 at 6:33 pm
CorahGristel BRONZE, Side, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 2 comments
i really like this. alot.

on Jan. 3 2011 at 10:07 pm
abimuffykitty, Elk Ridge, Utah
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
-"That which does not kill us, makes us stronger."
-“Your hate won't change anything; you must encounter hate with love, and tolerate them. Forgive those who cannot understand who you are on the inside. And screaming will never help any situation."

very insightful! it makes you think how many other girls are treated, and act like this. i wish for them too! i loved it!

on Dec. 27 2010 at 6:45 pm
Alexa97522 GOLD, Portland, Oregon
19 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
With God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

one word. unforgetable.

on Dec. 27 2010 at 7:51 am
niko_timmy BRONZE, ---, Michigan
1 article 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
the Battle of the Sexes with never be over, there's too much fraternizing with the enemy.

amazing! wonderful piece! at first, i have to be honest, i was wondering where it was going, but the end really tied it together. great job!