My Best Friend's Brother

Chapter 11

Eleven Years Earlier: 1994

"Are you going to come to the homecoming dance, or what?" Eddie barged into my bedroom as I sat on my bed with my textbooks and homework sprawled around me. "Does it look like I'm going?" I had a green face mask on my face in an attempt to aid some of my acne, my frizzy hair thrown in a bun on the top of my head.

"Oh, come on. It's all anyone's been talking about for weeks. Connie's going to be there." He stepped further into my room as he wore a disheveled tuxedo. "I don't want to go." I ate an Oreo from the half empty container, focusing my attention on my work.

"That's not what you've said the other day. What's going on?" Eddie asked clearly, noticing something was wrong. "Nothing. I just don't want to go to that stupid thing. Everyone is going to be there in their pretty, frilly dresses and perfect hair and their perfect skin. With their perfect boyfriends on their arms." I expressed bitterly unable to look my brother in the eye as I continued to shame eat.

Yesterday morning I overheard Aaron and a group of his friends talking about me at school. Alex and Gillian saying how I didn't belong in a party like that and would make a complete fool of myself and Connie. Just being around my best friend tanked her popularity but she's always insisted she didn't care about how she was perceived like Aaron always has.

They couldn't imagine the outspoken outsider attending a school dance with her whole school who she clearly loathed being around. And they had every right to doubt and question my motives for wanting to go. I knew I wasn't welcome among them but for one night I hoped I could just be like them.

To look and act like them for a few hours to see what it was to be a carefree teenager. And to get dressed up and to be looked at as more than a geek who didn't have a personality and couldn't dress herself.

But more than anything I didn't want to see Aaron kissing and dancing with another girl all night who wasn't me.

"Beth, all that superficial stuff doesn't matter. Do you think any of those popular people are going to be happy in five or ten years?" He scoffed as I stayed silent. "Do you really want to spend all of high school sulking around and potentially regretting your choices because you cared about what they thought?" Eddie expressed sitting on my bed beside me.

"They'll just make fun of me the entire time." I muttered with tears in my eyes. I didn't know how much more taunting I could handle.

I could only hide my true feelings for Aaron from everyone and hide behind my cold, sarcastic demeanor for so long. Every day each cruel word slowly chipped away at me. But I would never give them the satisfaction of letting them see it.

"So what? Who told you that they were better than you?" Eddie asked sternly, making me scoff. "Them. Every day."

"And you believe them? Since when have they been right about anything? Do you remember when Renee thought North America was another country?" Eddie said, making me let out a laugh wiping away a tear that escaped.

"You're wonderful, Beth. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Especially people like Gillian, Alex and Aaron." My brother finished. The mention of his name was enough for me to curl up in a bawl and continue to sulk in self pity.

"Now get ready and wipe that gunk off your face. They'll be here any minute." He stood, leaving me alone to silently debate on what to do.

Realizing Eddie was right and I shouldn't let anyone make me feel bad for experiencing a normal teenage life like everyone else. I should be secure in myself enough to do what I enjoy, not caring what others think and shouldn't let them make me feel any less than.

Besides, I had already bought the dress.

Washing my face and doing my makeup with heavier eyeliner and lipstick than usual. Letting my dark brown frizzy curly hair cascade down my shoulders as I decided to pin it up in a high. Messy curls say on the top of my head and my bangs framed my face.