Natasha A Salnikova - Mean Girl

MEAN GIRL

by

Natasha A. Salnikova

Copyright Natasha A. Salnikova 2015

Kindle Edition

Blurb

Corby Mackentile is a fifteen-year-old girl who attends a private school. She has been bullied because of her weight since she was twelve, especially by the most popular girls. Her parentsher mother is a TV anchor and her father is a Buddhist who owns a butcher shopare too busy with their own problems to pay attention to their only daughter. Corby has a crush on one of the most popular boys in school. He makes fun of her once, but then unexpectedly apologizes. From that moment, her situation with three of the popular girls becomes worse. Then, one day, one of the girls who had bullied Corby comes to the butcher shop where Corby works for her father after school. Again, the girl teases Corby about her weight, but this time everything is different.

TOC

Something hit the back of her head, and then a crumpled piece of paper rolled across the desk and fell to the floor. Someone chuckled behind Corbys back and, as always, Mrs. Gullen didnt notice or didnt want to see. She always ignored the fact that the other kids in school didnt like the best student in her class, Corby Mackentile. They didnt like her in spite of her achievements and the fact shed been labeled as gifted. At fifteen years old, Corby guessed it had happened in part because of her mother, an anchor at a local Boston TV news station. Mother answered all of Corbys complaints with one statementthey were all just jealous. The main reason was Corbys weight. She was a big girl when she was born, but when most kids began losing their baby fat with age, Corby gained more. She was overweight and tall. One of those kids you see on TV shows like Americas in Danger or Overweight America or in competitions like The Biggest Loser . Her classmates often advised her to try the last one. They also told her that fruit and vegetables didnt kill nobody and she should try to eat some, not just meat. They told her that exercise was a fat persons best friend.

Mother tried putting her on different diets suitable for children, but Corby never lost weight. Of course it was difficult to lose weight when Mothers trying to put her on a diet consisted only of words rather than actual control of what was put on their table and specifically on her daughters plate. The daughter ate everything she was served without arguing with her mother or trying to lose weight. She couldnt stop eating her favorite foods voluntarily. She couldnt give up pizza, pasta, and sweets. Without those, there would be no reason to live.

She didnt have problems in elementary school and was always surrounded by friends. Sometimes she was even the life of the party. She enjoyed amusing her friends, organizing games, and helping with homework. She was always invited to birthday parties and her mom wrote at least ten invitations to Corbys own birthday party. The problems began in middle school and intensified in high school with the arrival of a beautiful girl named Jane, who once called Corby a box of meat and refused to talk to her. When it happened the first time, Corby was taken aback and began to cry. One of her friends, who moved with her parents to another state a year later, asked Corby why she didnt say anything and Corby said she didnt want to be rude. That was true. Also true was the fact that she was afraid. Nobody had ever called her names before and she had never had to stand up for herself. Then it became the norm and it seemed that children started to forget Corby was their friend and that she was happy. Even Corby began to forget. It was as if friendships and happiness had never existed. Later, Jane became one of the most popular girls in their school and Corby had to sit at the back of the room and keep her mouth shut in order to avoid being insulted. Over time, students pushed her to the front row and for Corby it was torture, because she never knew what was going on behind her back.

A box of meat was a very insulting nickname and Jane didnt even know at that time that Corbys father owned the most popular local butchers shop. When she found out, her joke received the title of legendary . Corby couldnt imagine what Jane would say if she knew that Mr. Mackentile was a vegetarian despite owning a butcher shop and he had also adopted a new religionBuddhism.

Yes, Corby had forgotten how it felt when she had friends who cared and listened to her opinions. When no one laughed at her. It seemed so long ago in her short life. Now, she was always alone. Even at home. Watching TV and reading books kept her from crying every day. She watched all the shows on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, laughing at all the jokes, even when they werent funny. There she didnt see any fat, unfortunate girls who werent loved by anyone, including their parents. Corby felt sure things would be no different for her parents if she didnt exist. Actually, it would be even better for her mom, more convenient. She would spend all her time and money only on herself and wouldnt complain about the lack of either.

Mackentile!

Corby flinched and looked at the teacher.

Are you all right? the woman asked.

Corby didnt have time to respond. She was always slow to answer any question, afraid of what might happen, ashamed of her voice and her body. She just wanted to sit at her desk and be invisible.

Shes on the pad!

The girls gasped, there was a slap, but all the boys laughed. Jacob Glasgow could say anything and get away with it. His parents were rich as far as Corby knew and she didnt know much about him, but she had eyes and she saw that he was one of the most handsome boys in her school. Corby had never seen his father, but his mother was a tall, athletic blonde and Jacob didnt look much like her. She remembered her thoughts when she saw his mother for the first time. The eyes of her classmate were the same as his mothersbig and blue. He played on their schools football team. He was captain last year, but resigned this year. Corby liked him, and so did half of the girls in her school. However, he didnt date any of them because he was dating someone from a different school. So she had overheard.

Glasgow, I would love to hear you answering literature questions so wittily.

I could, Mrs. Gullen, but Im afraid you wouldnt like it.

How would you like to talk to the principal?

You know, Mrs. Gullen, no one ever benefited from that course of action.

I wouldnt say that. An hour without you in class and I would give my students more information than in a week with you here.

We can find all of the info you give on the Internet.

Then perhaps you should say that to your mother so she can take you out of school and let you continue getting your education through the Internet.

Maybe I will. I dont think the principal would like that.

Okay, too much time wasted on arguments. Mrs. Gullen turned to the board. Lets continue our discussion of Shakespeare.

Corby followed the conversation,and wondered again how teachers swallowed their pride and allowed students to win an argument. Only because of money. All the power was in money. If her parents had as much money as Glasgows, would others laugh at her? She doubted it . But she could never become rich, even though her father was selling the meat he hated. However, there was a huge benefit from this argument. Everyone had forgotten about Corby and she had become invisible again. Let them debate, even brag about money, only leave her alone. She didnt worry that this joke would continue. At fifteen, a joke about a period was stupid and Glasgow certainly understood that. Besides, Jane or any other girl wouldnt be interested in making fun of Corby with that subject. Corby could still expect surprises.