Mostly Unlady

Part 23

Dear Mum,

I see the way the parents whisper while staring at me when they see me at pick-up time, outside of school. I keep my head down but every now and again, I hear my name said like it's a rude word. Some parents crane their necks as I walk under their noses and I think they still suspect that I carry the school's only headlice supply. The other day, just as Elena invited me to hop into her mum's car, Gigli's mum came over for a quiet word with Elena's mum. 

Lola was standing a few paces back, fixing me like she knew I was in for something big.

Her dad approached the mums and had a word too. Next thing I know, Elena's mum pushes me inside the car and we ride home together in complete silence. At the front of the bloc, she turns to me and says: "Okay, dear. That's you." And she points to the car door for me to disembark. I glance over at Elena, in shock, but she's as dumbstruck as I am. I haven't been spending any time with Elena outside of school since forever, but the other girls have come up to me at recess to rub it in how Elena was coming to their fancy sleepover parties, to which I'm not invited.

This is all because I failed at making friends with Lola (and with Abe) whose mums are very close to Elena's. 

Oh, I regret moving to Buenos Aires and I regret not knowing how to connect with the kids over here! 

I know that by cutting out Lola, I hurt her feelings badly. I have to confess, here, that I did once see her cry. That was after I told her we were best not to hang out together at recess anymore. Gigli and Elena didn't say anything to contradict me at the time. So, to me, they looked happy with what I said. Elena even whispered to me how Lola was the worst at football due to her having flat feet, which is a problem given how we normally spend recess playing football. But clearly, Gigli and Elena are giving their parents the impression that I'm in charge of those decisions that hurt Lola.

I know I'm not an innocent lamb.

At the same time, I feel like the parents are working against us kids moving our own way. Like, they can't handle any changes because it's changing their perfect baby angel. They blame me to my face and behind my back for stirring things instead of talking to Gigli about her jealousy towards me, or to Lola about tolerating how I'm from a different country and background from hers. If the parents could try and give me a chance too, then I think we could make it work among us kids.

Dad and Nona are too happy and busy to help me. Dad thinks this problem only happens to girls, so he tells me he doesn't have any advice to give me.

Any tips from a woman like you would mean the world to me.

Love

Zelia