The bottom line was simple: It was ugly. Sure, you could argue that it was “trendy” or “popular” and that’s what made it desirable, but when Jesse saw that bag, she saw nothing more than an ugly purse, decked out with leather trimming and fabric that looked like it was dipped in a can of designer label paint, what with it’s hideous C pattern and obnoxiously gold tassel zipper pull to match. It’s not worth even fifty bucks. Why would anyone pay that much for a stupid bag like that?
Jesse’s eyes strained to see how anyone could look at that bag and think, “Oh, how cute! I think I’ll shell out four hundred big ones so I can put my now empty wallet inside!” She just didn’t get it. Maybe if it was at least an original piece of work, but to pay that much to be just like the girl next to you seemed like a waste of money to her.



The girl swished by in her flouncy, hot pink dress and Tammy couldn’t help but envy her. Every dip, curve and move that the girl possessed seemed to flow seamlessly into another, making her seem like she was gliding across the hall, hovering just above the tile floor. Her skin was perfectly toned, and the way the sunlight hit her made her look like she was shimmering, practically emitting glittery perfection. She was dressed like a model straight out of a fashion magazine, and the bag brushing up against her side made Tammy’s eyes smolder with hate. She could never afford a bag like that. Not that she could pull it off anyway, but that bag represented something that Tammy has always wanted: popularity.




The stiff strap of the bag rubbed up against her shoulder, and her shoes were beginning to burn with every step she took. She resisted pulling down her dress, knowing that it’s a definite social suicide to, no matter how uncomfortable it is, fix something like that in public. So, she let her hips sway from side to side, and waited until she had swung open the door to the bathroom and shut the stall door before adjusting. It was a pain really, but without that dress and bag, there would be nothing left for Lana to hide behind. And she wasn’t quite ready for that yet.