Don't Ever Change | Teen Ink

Don't Ever Change

December 17, 2009
By Morgan Walko BRONZE, Hamilton, Ohio
Morgan Walko BRONZE, Hamilton, Ohio
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

It is just like any other day at school for me…. I’m Julie Warrens. Just like every other day, I received another A in school and made my parents proud. I am called “the brainiac” by all my classmates. I helped that kid in the wheelchair with his books. My day basically goes like that every day. Although it is not that I don’t enjoy it, I feel superior when I help others and achieve good grades, however I want to be one of the popular kids, you know, go to all the cool parties, and I especially want to catch Jack Daniels’ eye.

Wow, Jack Daniels. He is the hottest guy at Roseman High School. Jack resembles a Greek god. He is extremely athletic, and not to mention the most popular guy at school. The thing is…. he doesn’t truly notice me. Because I am considered a dork, no guy like Jack Daniels would ever want to go out with me! What I was thinking of is to change, I mean not a bad change, but change for the better. Become a whole new Julie Warrens!

Okay, now this is how I came up with the idea. It was a beautiful Monday morning; the sun was shining so brightly it put a smile on my face. I got to school a couple minutes early to make sure I attended to class on time. My first bell is Geometry and Jack is in my class. As soon as the bell rang, everyone sat down and I passed Jack to get to my old seat in the back, he is perfect. Honestly, I didn’t think he noticed me. I “accidently” dropped my pencil and he picked it up and threw it back at me, maybe thinking I was Eli Manning in the Super Bowl. I felt utterly upset. Then I caught him checking out other girls, the pretty and popular ones. I wish I looked like them and that was when it hit me, that I was going to be different.

I brought the subject up with my best friend Amber James and she knew I had been crushing on Jack since the seventh grade and considering the fact that I am a sophomore that is a long time.

“Hey Amber, what would you think if I changed my image?” I implored while hopping for the answer I wanted to hear.

“In what way,” she asked.

“I don’t know, maybe my looks and the way I act and things like that. You know….. maybe get Jack’s attention.”

“Julie, you shouldn’t have to be different to have him notice you, even though you like him a lot. You should just be yourself and find somebody who likes you for you,” Amber explained with some encouragement.

“But Jack doesn’t even notice me, I am like a door mat he walks on,” I said sadly.

“Then maybe you should look for somebody else, since it hurts.”

“Why aren’t you backing me up on this, you are supposed to be helping me through this and telling me it is okay to change,” I remarked hurtfully.

“What are you talking about I am just trying to help you so you don’t make a big mistake, I mean Jack and you just don’t seem like a good couple,” Amber announced.

“Ugh! Wait so you think that I could never have a chance with a guy like Jack? Man, what kind of friend are you? I can’t believe you don’t believe in me,” I exclaimed angrily.

“Since, I am just stating the obvious, how do you know that he will all of a sudden go out with you if you change?”

“Okay, you are starting to get really annoying!” I screamed with rage.

“I am not going to stand around here and be talked to like that,” Amber burst out and walked away.

Amber made me furious. She didn’t think I could ever go out with a guy like Jack Daniels. Well I was going to prove her wrong. Then I thought to myself, just you wait, I will prove to everybody that I will change and Jack will go out with me!

Today I came in to school with all the confidence in the world. My held up high, I felt like the prettiest girl in school with my high heels and my hair down. As the final bell rang I show up in class and I can feel that I caught Jack’s eye. Next I sit down in my seat and I notice that he looks to be coming toward me. The Greek god, the model, the hottest guy to ever walk the steps of Roseman High School was coming toward me! I felt like this was it, Jack Daniels’ was finally going to ask me out on a date!

“Hey Julie,” Jack spoke.
I thought to myself, oh my god he knows my name! “Hey Jack, what’s up?” I asked nervously and I thought I was going to faint.
“You look different, like really different.”

“Well, is that a good thing or a bad thing?”I exclaimed, smiling up at him.

“Actually it is a pretty bad thing, I mean, why would you waste your time trying to look good. You’re a geek and you will always be a geek,” he informed me while looking at me like I was a freak.

I was speechless and I ran out of the classroom before the teacher could take attendance. I ran into the bathroom and I can’t stop the tears from streaming down my face. Then I noticed that Amber was standing right there washing her hands. I didn’t care that we were in a fight and I ran up to her and gave her a big hug. She didn’t seem to care about the fight either because she hugged me back. Then as soon as I calmed down, we started to talk and I told her everything.

“I can’t believe that Jack was such a jerk to you,” She proclaimed, “He deserves to get punched in the face!”

“Well out of all this, I now know that you were right and that I shouldn’t alter the way I am for him. It didn’t do any good and all it did was make me really upset,” I pointed out with some tears falling down my face, “And I am really sorry about yesterday, I just, I don’t know. I felt very determined and I lost it. I am such a terrible friend for saying that stuff to you. I am incredibly sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, it is okay.”

“Thank you for helping me get through all of this.” I said.

“I am your best friend, it is my job,” Amber reassured me and smiled.

As the cry fest ended, I felt a lot better. I know, it is hard to believe, but I guess I really don’t need Jack Daniels to make me happy. I think I will take Amber’s advice and find a guy who likes me for me.

We leave the bathroom and I pull my hair back and wipe all the make-up off. Then we walk to my locker and grab a pair of sneakers I brought to school just in case my feet hurt from the heels. My feet hurt so much that it felt like there was scorpions stinging my feet. Then I walked back to class acting like nothing happened. After all I had my best friend to help me through the year. Who cares about Jack Daniels? I DEFINITELY DON’T!



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