Despite All Obstacles Part IV

All Week Long

BARBARA'S STORY

Today's Day B. In music, I sit with Shortcake and only speak to her.

"Hey, Gracie," Patt says to me.

"'Sup, sis. I mean Gracie. Can I call you sis?" Bro says to me.

"Hey," I just say to Patt, and nothing else. I'm too shocked by what I've overheard from yesterday.

"You can still call me Gracie," I say to bro and nothing else. I'm upset with him too. Because he knows something that I should've known, but Patt chose not to tell me the truth.

At lunch, I decide to sit with Chastity, instead of my "crew".

"Why aren't you sitting with the band geeks over there? Your boo, that weird guy and that mafia chick? What's going on, sweetie?" Chastity asks outta concern. She's only used of me sitting with her during Lunch A.

"I just don't feel like sitting with the guys today," I tell her. It's not Shortcake's fault.

"Oh. Okay," she just says and enjoys her meat-lover's pizza and I pretend to enjoy my Hawaiian pizza.

This afternoon.

I skip study hour and decide to take the school bus to study and do homework at home. I just want to be left alone. Thank God, nobody's home.

I stare at Patt's okay-sketch of me. What I overheard about Robyn to bro replays in my head. All I can feel is pain and being unwanted by guys.

Patt contacts me through texts, calls and DM. I ignore him, no matter how hard it is.

This evening.

I scroll through Facebook to lurk on Robyn's page and remind myself of how more attractive, thinner, beautiful, popular, prettier and better she is than me.

I go to sleep, comforting both Barbie and Christie at night.

Thursday, September 20th

This morning.

Today's Day A. No Patt, no bro, but there's Shortcake. And those cheerleaders....

In A.G., Kimberleigh gives me a back-handed compliment.

"Hi, Barbara. I love those shoes. Where did you get them?" She says with a smile. She never spoke to me before.

"From Foot Locker," I answer, noticing this is our first time talking to each other. I'm now confused.

"Cool. They're adorable," she says with a cheesy grin.

"Thanks?" I say back, not sure why she's talking to me. Then, she whispers to somebody behind her, they quietly laugh and continue working on their own. I stare at my Sketchers. I feel like she just Regina Georged me.

In S.A.T. Prep, Natalie and Natasha throw paper balls at me while we're going through the answers on the bulletin board. Ignoring them doesn't stop them.

After class, Natalie and Natasha come in front of my desk. I just stare at their smirks.

"What?" I rudely respond.

"Open the papers," Natalie whispers to me. I bend down to pick up every balled-up paper they threw at me to unwrap them. They watch me do it.

Each of them together says "You got played by band geek.", "Robyn Robinson > Barbara Steward", "Patt & Robyn 4eva!", "Team Pabyn, not Pattara", "#BarbaraTakesTheL, #RobynIsWinning", and "New girl sucks!" At least they know my name by heart, unlike Terrell.