Why Pretend | Teen Ink

Why Pretend

November 12, 2009
By kiersten koenig SILVER, Houston, Texas
kiersten koenig SILVER, Houston, Texas
6 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Aren’t girls pretty? I walk down the hallway at school and see all my girlfriends with their hair all done up and looking good. But how do they get so pretty? I was walking down the hall at school the other day and I overheard a group of my friends talking about the new Maybelline mascara and Dior eye shadow. It caught my attention so I decided to walk over and see what was going on. They were all saying how the new mascara looks really good and how they want to try it, and how the eye shadow is supposed to make your eyes look amazing. Just I started getting engaged in the conversation, I heard Penelope say, “Yeah, I agree, I want to try the new mascara too.” Everyone agreed and then started talking about boys, and whom they liked when Penelope cut in again and said, “Yeah but I want guys to love me for who I am, not for something I pretend to be,” and of course everyone agreed with her. But it wasn’t until after she spoke the words that I realized what she had said.

Penelope said that she “wanted to be loved for who she was, not for something she pretended to be”; but I’m pretty sure she was just talking about how she wanted to try the new mascara. Clearly here Penelope is a very prude person. If she's not pretending then what is the make-up for? Last time I checked wearing make-up meant hiding your “true self”, and hiding is no better than pretending. We all continued talking about boys, make-up, school and so on. By lunchtime everyone seemed to agree with what Penelope had said, “I want this new make-up, but I want to be loved for who I am.” Oh yes, these girls know exactly what they’re talking about.

Not only are these girls not being themselves by wearing make-up, but also, when around guys or people they want to look good for, they don’t act like themselves at all. In class the other day, my best friend Latonya was talking to Ralph. I know everything about Latonya, her personality, her character, and all her favorite things. She was asking Ralph about himself, and every time he said he like something you could hear a giant, “OMG! I LOVE BANANAS TOO,” when in reality Latonya really hates bananas and would most likely throw up at the sight of one. So as you can see my best friend is a very honest and trustworthy person, that finds it “cool” to lie to guys so that they like her. But don’t forget, she wants guys to like her for who she is, not for someone she pretends to be.

My friends are amazing, and I love them very much. But they honestly have no idea what being “your true self” is. Wearing make-up and pretending to like things that you hate is not it. I was on the way home and got a text message from Latonya saying that Ralph just asked her out. I feel sad now for Ralph because he’s actually dating a complete stranger, a girl who is pretending to be someone she isn’t so that guys will like her. Girls are weird.



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This article has 2 comments.


Fazhah said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 1:58 pm
Way to go Sugar!

Proud Papa

emilyesusa said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 10:35 am
this story is so true i love this paper