Untitled

by Peg

Eliza Weathersby moved to Rogansfield from a small town called Farfa a week before starting the 8th grade. She was used to walking through a wooded field to get to the school house, not riding a bus through a bustling suburb to a brick monstrosity called the middle school. She had always done her shopping in the only store in town, Farfa Dime and Dollar. She carried her goods in a handbasket that had been woven long before she was born by her grandmother. She had never seen the likes of the Rogansfield Shopping Plaza or the glossy paper bags that men and women seemed to enjoy cramming with items purchased with credit cards. Eliza was the epitome of a country girl, right down to her sweet southern drawl.
Eliza never imagined herself living in a large city. She never bothered to let her imagination wander to shopping malls, fashion, or boys. Those were things that simply left her dumbfounded. She wasn't the least bit prepared for the changes she would soon find upon moving to the new town. Her grandmother had assured her that she would make new friends and soon forget all about her simple life in Farfa.
The first day of school at Rogansfield was always electrifying. The excitement of reliving summer memories with old friends, starting new classes, and each student securing their place on the social ladder buzzed through the halls as the doors swung open.
Eliza stepped off the yellow school bus and felt the electric currents racing around the school yard. She made her way up the stairs and into the main building as the first bell rang. She hurried to the first classroom listed on her crammed schedule. When she reached room 701 she was sure there had been a mistake. This class was filled with girls and boys that appeared ready for a magazine photo shoot, not school work. She looked at the main door anxiously awaiting a casting director to storm in and remove her from the set.
Not wanting to be embarrassed by a forceful removal, Eliza decided to wait in the girl's restroom for the tardy bell to ring. She figured that after the bell rang, a teacher would appear in the room or a director would start yelling action. That would answer her question.
While standing in the restroom Eliza watched the other girls applying make up and talking about their outfits. She looked at her own clothes and for the first time in her life felt ashamed of her self. She turned her attention to the walls and began reading a toilet humor limerick penned by a student with apparently no sense of etiquette.
A blond girl and her cronies walked in the room and a hush fell over the once talkative crowd.
"Are you new?" The girl shot out at Eliza.
"Umm, yes, I am Eliza new. I mean I am new here, and my name is Eliza." She managed to stammer out.
"Well, it that sweet, now could you move your shit out of my mirror space." The girl replied scathingly while hoisting her enormous make up bag onto the sink.
The other girls began giggling and pointing at Eliza as if she was a caged animal in a zoo. She had never in her life been taunted and she instantly felt like a freak.
"Oh, umm, yes, sure, umm no problem."
Eliza quickly walked into the first bathroom stall and locked the door. She sat on the lid of the toilet and felt her entire body redden with embarrassment. Today was the first day of school and she had apparently made a major status faux-pas.
The tardy bell rang and the gaggle of girls rushed to their classes. Once Eliza thought she was sure the room was empty she slowly unlocked the stall door and walked to the sink. She looked into the mirror and saw the blonde girl staring at her.
"You don't have to be embarrassed, but if I were you I'd not let it happen again." The girl said through her perfectly glossed lips.
Eliza took a deep breath and smiled at the girl, "It's alright sweetie, if my face looked like the ass end of a donkey, I'd want to cover it up quickly too."