The Perplexing Guide: Unintentionally Becoming Popular in Highschool

Step 2: The First Inklings of Suspicion

I guess it all started with the girls. The female student population seemed to team up in pairs and groups to chit-chat. The need for a "girl group" had zero presence in me.

Lunch was my hour to pursue my personal work of drawing, writing, reading, researching whatever my obsession was at that time. A sandwich in one hand and a pencil in the other, I would chew and scratch out my thoughts.

After the first week, I felt watchful eyes on me. Suspicions arose in me. I feigned contemplating glances at the sky so I could see who was in my peripheral vision. The single eyebrow raise and the sideways glance was being used on me by most of the passing girl clans. Soon I was approached and their curious enquiries made.

I began to realise I was a recruitment target as my drawings were praised as well as my dedication to work. Passing questions became short sit down meetings with me. They would watch me draw or ask questions about my current book read.

Admittedly I knew I could draw well but I still got interrupted to be told that. And yes, I only read classic literature from physical books with yellowing dog-eared pages. Surely the cover of my books were advertising my reading taste.

It was a shame, I suppose, they were just being superficially nice and friendly. My short answers and lack of eye contact seemed to dull all hope of recruiting me to one of their groups or pairs. Nothing could draw me out of the joy of my personal creative work projects.

Having shown no interest in the girly groups, I thought I was once again free of their imposing company. Then came Candy- popular, known talker and nail filer in class. She had a perky little figure and liked to laugh loudly around boys. Her lips could peel back from her teeth exposing her gums in a wide bold smile.

Unbeknown to her I had a weakness and she was holding the hairband of my undoing. I have an odd, irresistible fetish that thrills me to my toes. Head hair and the entire industry that goes with it.

Candy had a strong, thick, super shiny sheet of hair that could enrobe her to her waist. The braiding possibilities were endless. She sat down across from me, bold smile in place and asked what I was working on. I would be drawing a girl with long long hair soon but first I was bursting with questions.

"How long does it take to blow dry your hair?"

Those were the words that tumbled from me and out across the table top, unlocking the doors to my social life in high school.

Candy's grin grew to show even more gums than ever. I had shown genuine interest in another student and been caught.

Candy was ever willing to be in raptures about her record holding hair. The Longest Hair in the school. I soon knew her shampoo and washing routine and suggested the best elastics to prevent damage and breakage. She just towel dried her hair and let it dry overnight thus no heat damage, adding to its strength and shine. Our whole interaction was a shampoo commercial, complete with impractical hair swishing movements.My intense enthusiasm even got me a chance to touch her hair as we inspected a lock for split ends.

Candi must have been the signal. I was on the school radar. Popular Candi had stamped my passport as "totes worthy" company. Girls kept dropping into my personal bubble ever since. Then came the guys.