My first day of junior year went as I expected it would. The night before I attempted to pick out the right outfit. This year I was trying to go for a certian look. Serious, yet sexy. Business mixed with pleasure. You know, kind of like those secretaries that you see on tv, or maybe a librarian. Get me? I just wanna look as smart as I was, while attracting atleast a few hopefuls in the process. Plus, Laura told me that my wardrobe was a mess of what she liked to call "vintage vomit." She insisted that her and I go to the mall the week before school to try and pull off a miracel. And this is the result.

I shrugged at the mirror image reflecting back at me. I had pulled on a tight fitting, plain white blouse paired with a dark charcoal mini-vest. The blouse was too low cut for my taste so I also put a black lace cami underneath it. It gave enough cleavage without trying to introduce the entire world to the girls. I wore black cropped dress pants. I had to admit, my butt looked great. I stared back in the mirror and then bak to my closet of "vintage vomit". My favorite peices lay in that closet. I had a pair of dark brown mocassin boots that pretty much screamed at me to be worn. My eyes darted across my wardrobe of dull oranges and laidback greens. Laura may knew fashion, but she did not know comfort. The black stilletto strap heals I wore let themselves be known with evey agonzing step. I already knew where the blisters would form. I focused back on the mirror before I stepped out of the house. My long brown hair, moussed and curled, looked exatly how I'd wanted it too. Toussled loosly to move with every step I took. I was making myself known this year; I was ready to unleash my new image. Or so I thought.


I was suddenly nervous as Richie pulled into my driveway. He had told me he would drive me to and from school because we lived so close. He had said he looked forward to it. I had 15 minutes alone with Richie twice a day from now on. And that was exciting....and also kind of made my stomach push itself into my eye balls. He gawked as I half-walked half-stumbled to the passenger side of his black Volvo. "Well hello there, my name's Richie...and you might be?" he extened his left hand out to greet me as I sat in his car. "Yeah, yeah very funny Rich." I was excited that he noticed the new me in an interested sounding way. "No, seriously. Where's Jasey? You know, short girl. About 5'5", bright blue eyes, gorgeous straight brown hair. She wears cool clothes, with patches and stuff. I'm supposed to pick her up for school. I can drop you at the office, Miss...Ms. Uhm, sorry, I didn't really catch your name."  I kind of stuttered as I answered because I was too focused on what he'd just said. Gorgeous hair?! Cool clothes?! I suddenly wished my hair were pin straight and pulled at my now silly curls. I kind of made up for my stutter. "She's unnavailable at the moment, actually she's on an extended leave of absence. I'm her sister, her much cooler, sexier sister." I laughed at the end because I really couldn't consider myself sexy in any way, shape, or form. "Well, apparently." He said quickly. I looked out the window as he pulled slowly out of the driveway, fixing his mirrors. I caught a glance of myself in the side view and my cheeks looked like the lipstick I had wiped off before I had left the house. I smeared on some hot red lipstick to try it, but I looked ridiculous and wiped it off as quickly as I'd put it on. Apparently, my cheeks wanted to remind me of the exact color I'd wiped off.

We stepped out of the car in unisen. "You look great, Jase. Don't be embarrassed." Richie's words slipped off of his beautiful lips perfectly.  He gave me one quick glance again before he started to head towards school. I shot back a smile as I turned to see the relfection in the shiny black car I'd just stepped out of. I did look great. I was hoping that not everyone in class would react as Richie did, partially because I was embarresed and partially because I was maybe hoping he'd be the only one.



As I walked down the hallway, I could sense unfamiliar eyes dancing around scanning the new me. I had never imagined my "transformation" would turn out to be such great gossip. A group of freshmen standing in front of my locker looked up as I politely excused myself threw them to reach my home for the new year. "Anything for you," the small, pale kid said. He had to have been about 5 inches shorter than I was. His curly blonde hair bounced as he picked up his backpack and slung it over his right shoulder. "Could I get your name, pretty lady?" He said trying to act like he was Frank Sinatra or something. I smiled at him, confused, and giggled as I said, "Yeah, it's Jasey." I turned to my locker to end the conversation as quickly as it'd begun. I was just about done placing everything neatly into my tiny storage area when a loud thud next to me made me jump. I whacked my head against the locker and fell to the ground.

"Jasey? Jaseeeeey??" I instantly knew who was calling my name. The syllables fell off his tongue slowly, but sweetly. When I opened my eyes, I saw Richie hovering above my body. I always saw a group of people surrounding us. What a way to start off the year, Jase. "You must have bumped your head pretty hard....idiot." Richie held his hand to pick me off the ground. "I just wanted to say hi, you didn't have to get so scared and fall to the ground, Jase." Richie laughed at me as I brushed off my body and stared at the people around me. I saw Pennie sitting cross-legged next to my locker, humming. "I knew you'd wake up soon. You're not one to make a complete scene." Pennie laughed as she stuck two pencils into her hair to keep her bun up in the back. "Let's go...I'm getting a bad vibe from your locker, Jasey." Pennie's eyes stared down the locker that had just kicked the crap out of me in front of half the school."My name's Blake, by the way." I suddenly turned to see the small, curly-haired kid still standing in the exact spot I'd left him about 5 minutes ago. "Oh, uhm, hi?" I turned back to see Richie staring in Blake's direction. "Yeah, that's great, kid. Move along." Richie sounded annoyed for some reason, even though he had never met this kid before. Richie stood there and watched Blake leave as Pennie and I retreated down the hallway.

Pennie and I walked toward the double doors going to first period as Richie ran to catch up with us. "What's with that kid?" Richie stared at me bewildered. "I don't know, why? He just asked me his name before the wrath that is my locker threw me to the floor." I replied awkwardly because I didn't really know how to answer. "Well, he freaks me out. Let me know if he bugs you again, I'll take care of it." Richie winked and sped off down the opposite hallway to his class. Pennie's look of surprise did not catch me off guard. I was confused, too. "I guess your new skank outfit really took it's toll on Richie." Pennie laughed as she insulted me and walked through the doors to first period, Literature. "Thanks, Pen, love you too."