The Plague of Popularity
I Taste The Words On The Tip Of My Tongue.
I did whatever it took to remain the best and I did what I had to make sure my peers knew I deserved the best. I only wore the hippest labels, I drove the nicest car in the school’s parking lot. I hung out with the wealthiest kids—under myself—and didn’t give a second glance at anyone else. I let her into my brain and let her corrupt myself into a little version of herself.
“Having fun are we?”
I glanced and she was standing in my doorway again; I guess I should’ve waited till after she left to start making noise. She just smirked at me, as if she knew why I was so pissed off.
“Sweetie, what was it you said, oh yes, I’m not naïve, I’m not stupid. I know you heard my little chat with Donald and frankly I don’t give a damn. Your father is so in love with me he’d force himself not to believe you. Donna’s so out of touch with Donald that he looks elsewhere for attention she doesn’t give him. Her boys are rather smart, especially that skinny one—pity he couldn’t be the one to fall for you. No it had to be the one to make you realize how pathetic you really are.”
I froze, finally turning and facing her, my emotions were running haywire as I glared at her.
“Oh, you thought I wouldn’t notice? Frankie, you haven’t set foot in that stupid comic shop since I told your father not to take you anymore. I told him you were getting too old for those sorts of things, you were getting too cool for those sorts of things. The only reason you have the friends you do is because of me. You honestly think that littleheart to heart downstairs was real?”
She laughed as I felt tears build up in my eyes; she noticed them too.
“Oh, is my baby going to cry? Good. I love knowing you’re not happy because it means that I’ve won yet again with you. I didn’t want you, I wish I could’ve give you up to some pathetic family who would’ve raised your correctly, who would’ve shown you what a real family’s like—but I hate to break it to you Frankie-baby, there’s no such thing as the perfect family. Tomorrow at school, you’ll apologize to Dan and Travis, you’ll ignore the Way boys and things will remain as they once were. Disobey me and you’ll lose every penny to your name.”
She turned to leave, pausing to glance back over her shoulder.
“Don’t wait up pumpkin. Mommy loves you.”
I just stood there, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t even think. I just fell to the floor as I heard our front door open and close, the car door open and close; the engine rev and fade as she drove off. I was only liked because of my money, the clothes I wore, the car I drove—I’m just some shell of a human being with no emotions.
I take that back—I had one emotion. I’m too afraid to admit to it, especially right now. I wouldn’t want Linda to find out about it either; she’d ruin that for me too. Damn it; she knew I’d go back to how things were—she won, she always won.
“Having fun are we?”
I glanced and she was standing in my doorway again; I guess I should’ve waited till after she left to start making noise. She just smirked at me, as if she knew why I was so pissed off.
“Sweetie, what was it you said, oh yes, I’m not naïve, I’m not stupid. I know you heard my little chat with Donald and frankly I don’t give a damn. Your father is so in love with me he’d force himself not to believe you. Donna’s so out of touch with Donald that he looks elsewhere for attention she doesn’t give him. Her boys are rather smart, especially that skinny one—pity he couldn’t be the one to fall for you. No it had to be the one to make you realize how pathetic you really are.”
I froze, finally turning and facing her, my emotions were running haywire as I glared at her.
“Oh, you thought I wouldn’t notice? Frankie, you haven’t set foot in that stupid comic shop since I told your father not to take you anymore. I told him you were getting too old for those sorts of things, you were getting too cool for those sorts of things. The only reason you have the friends you do is because of me. You honestly think that littleheart to heart downstairs was real?”
She laughed as I felt tears build up in my eyes; she noticed them too.
“Oh, is my baby going to cry? Good. I love knowing you’re not happy because it means that I’ve won yet again with you. I didn’t want you, I wish I could’ve give you up to some pathetic family who would’ve raised your correctly, who would’ve shown you what a real family’s like—but I hate to break it to you Frankie-baby, there’s no such thing as the perfect family. Tomorrow at school, you’ll apologize to Dan and Travis, you’ll ignore the Way boys and things will remain as they once were. Disobey me and you’ll lose every penny to your name.”
She turned to leave, pausing to glance back over her shoulder.
“Don’t wait up pumpkin. Mommy loves you.”
I just stood there, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t even think. I just fell to the floor as I heard our front door open and close, the car door open and close; the engine rev and fade as she drove off. I was only liked because of my money, the clothes I wore, the car I drove—I’m just some shell of a human being with no emotions.
I take that back—I had one emotion. I’m too afraid to admit to it, especially right now. I wouldn’t want Linda to find out about it either; she’d ruin that for me too. Damn it; she knew I’d go back to how things were—she won, she always won.