A Wish For Her | Teen Ink

A Wish For Her MAG

By Anonymous

“Is that her?”
“What? Who?”
“Shh … here she comes.”

“Oh … her.”

We avert our eyes as she walks by. We clutch our books tightly to our chests, stare down at our sneakers, and hold our breath as she passes. Whispers follow her like shadows as she scurries up the stone stairs, through the metal doors. Lisa and I exchange looks. The bell rings in our ears, and we head inside.

“Who’s she with today?” Lisa asks at lunch.

“Toby,” I scoff, biting into my ­sandwich.

“Figures. Apparently they had a great time at Jack’s apartment last weekend.” I make a face.

“Disgusting.” Lisa laughs.

“I bet she has all sorts of diseases.”

“I bet she’s wearing his sweatshirt. The one that smells as bad as he does.”

“I bet she’s gonna be one of those girls who never goes to college and ends up on the street.”

“I bet she’s gonna be a …” I look around to make sure no teachers are listening, “whore.”

That’s her new name. It spreads like a foul disease around the school, through the hallways, passed from one lip-gloss-smeared mouth to the next. Some kids just call her “The W,” or “The H” for the stupid ones who can’t spell. It’s what she is. It’s who she is. And none of us like her. None except Toby and Mitchell and all those guys who are too dumb to see her for who she really is. We see her kissing guys in the alley after school each day, like she doesn’t even care, like she doesn’t even know.

Don’t worry, we’re gonna make her realize who she really is. We’re gonna make her feel so bad she’ll shrink like a little mouse and learn her lesson and stay away from all of them, especially Devin, who liked me all of sixth grade ’til she stole him last summer.

We isolate her. We don’t speak to her, not even when she asks what the homework for last night was. Find it out yourself, stupid. We leave notes in her locker, and we snicker as she walks by.

Have you learned your lesson yet, princess? Are you ever gonna stop wearing so much lipstick and eyeliner and skirts that are way too short? Are you ever gonna put out that cigarette or throw out those bottles? You’re 13 – what’s wrong with you? Didn’t your parents ever teach you what’s right and wrong? Half the grade hates you. Sticks and stones, you say, but soon it’ll be real. I will smash up your pretty face if I have to. I’ll break your bones. I could snap your neck over my knee.

***

I walk home from Lisa’s house, and I take the long way because I want to look at the moon and the stars. I want to cross the cornfield, because once I saw a shooting star. I have to walk through the sketchy neighborhood to get there, though, but I should be okay if I hurry.

Suddenly, I hear a man’s voice ­coming from one of the houses, the one with the shingles falling off and the rusty car in the driveway. He is yelling. I rush behind a tree, heart ­racing so loud I’m sure he can hear. Suddenly I see a familiar figure. It’s her. She and the man are yelling at each other. He lashes out at her, and I wince. I can hear the slap.

And then the door closes. She is alone, and she sits on her porch steps. And she cries. I’ve never seen her cry before. Alone, with no boys, out in the cold night, crying, crying, crying so hard she can’t breathe. Her tears make ugly black lines down her face. And suddenly, she looks up, and our eyes lock. I run.

I run past the houses and the deli and the gas station with the creepy owner, and the ice cream store where we get really great slushies. I cross the street, my heart racing, out of breath and into the lush grass of the cornfield. I collapse on the ground, my arms and legs spread apart, trying to catch my breath and hold back the tears, though I can’t understand why they’re coming.

She was so alone. So sad. She is loved by no one but those boys. And I’m not sure they even really love her.

Suddenly I look up and see something sparkle across the indigo sky, a little explosion of white like a firecracker on the Fourth. I close my eyes.

And I wish for her.



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This article has 546 comments.


on Mar. 21 2009 at 12:34 am
buccsnum1fan2003@aol.com BRONZE, Ft Myers, Florida
2 articles 0 photos 1 comment
that was really inspiring

on Mar. 19 2009 at 8:41 pm
SmileyRiley PLATINUM, Tremont, Illinois
30 articles 0 photos 37 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You can be a victor without having victims and you can stand tall without standing on someone"

that was great! never stop writing. check out some of my work!



first name Riley

last initial S

title Sunshine and Rain





thanks! hope its as good as this!

on Mar. 18 2009 at 7:13 pm
This piece is exquisite! You gave me goose-bumps and shivers down my spine! Keep writing <3

megannnx39 said...
on Mar. 18 2009 at 3:46 pm
this was beautiful, and i really think you are a great writer. kep going!

jbradford96 said...
on Mar. 18 2009 at 7:02 am
jbradford96, Kamuela, Hawaii
0 articles 2 photos 7 comments
This is really beautiful.

So inspiring.

I can really relate to the story, not because I've experienced it, but because it is so realistic.

Keep writing, you have amazing talent.

Tennisboy said...
on Mar. 17 2009 at 4:13 pm
Nice story. It was very interesting.

on Mar. 17 2009 at 12:18 am
PearlX PLATINUM, Ypsilanti, Michigan
25 articles 20 photos 18 comments
This is a very deep and heartfelt story. Lovely wording and the story plot overall is beautifully written. I love that it is very realistic. Keep it up!

Kaitie5792 said...
on Mar. 16 2009 at 10:19 pm
I loved it! I've written short peices like this but I've sometimes struggled putting so much emotion into a small space. Very well done, excellent.

wow123 said...
on Mar. 16 2009 at 5:17 pm
i like the story but thats america welcome to it its all around us

on Mar. 16 2009 at 3:23 am
Wow.

At the beginning I got a huge feeling that the girl telling the story was really rotten for thinking what she thought, but in the end she realized that there's reasons why people act the way they do.

I really liked the story and hope there's more writings from you. I also like the way you describe things. Great job.

on Mar. 15 2009 at 6:44 pm
JustAbbi SILVER, Maplewood, Minnesota
7 articles 0 photos 7 comments
holy goodness child. I loved this. thanks so much it nearly made me cry.

Sam/abe SILVER said...
on Mar. 15 2009 at 3:18 pm
Sam/abe SILVER, Barton-le-clay, Other
7 articles 0 photos 20 comments
wow, thats really good. I love it.

:)

on Mar. 15 2009 at 1:52 am
writer011 SILVER, B-more, Maryland
6 articles 0 photos 8 comments
I love this very much. Keep up the great work!

on Mar. 14 2009 at 4:59 pm
wind'schime SILVER, Malacca, Other
7 articles 1 photo 17 comments
its a nice story.i do wish it were longer though...i'd like to read more of it..

alexk said...
on Mar. 14 2009 at 3:32 am
that was a good story...i liked it a lot.

if anyone wants to read another story you can check mine out if you go to advanced search and type in



the reason i am telling people on here is because it doesnt seem to be popular and so no1 reads it but i like to get complements/contructive criticism cuz it makes me feal better about myself =P



first name:alex

last initial:k

story title: One Long Note

on Mar. 13 2009 at 5:57 pm
Kathleen Boylan BRONZE, Plainwell, Michigan
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments
At first, I thought the girl who was narrating was a b****. And maybe she still is. But I was glad that she realized that people are the way they are for all kinds of reasons. Some people never learn that lesson. This is very well written, great job.

on Mar. 13 2009 at 5:53 pm
Terd_Ferguson BRONZE, Pwell, Michigan
3 articles 0 photos 7 comments
That was very entertaining. It was good enough my teacher had our whole class read it.

sminor09 said...
on Mar. 12 2009 at 9:58 pm
Truly amazing. It really hits home...because it happens ALL the time. But you describe it in away that really drives it into perspective. Awesome work.

on Mar. 9 2009 at 3:14 am
FizzingWhizbees27 BRONZE, Davis, California
4 articles 0 photos 18 comments
This is really good!!! I enjoyed it a lot!! Keep it up!!!

on Mar. 9 2009 at 1:15 am
LaLaLindsy BRONZE, Brewerton, New York
2 articles 2 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Few, if any, survive their teens. most surrender to the vague but murderous pressure of afult conformity. It becomes easier to di e and avoid conflicts than to maintain a constant battle with the superior forces of maturity.&quot;<br /> -Maya Angelou

this was absolutely wonderful. i loved it. it could have actually happened the way you wrote it so well!