Lost Cause Diaries #9: The New and Improved Violet Gray
CHAPTER 1: A MAKEOVER FOR THE AGES
As she entered her Senior year of high school, Violet was entering her last year of high school on a new note. She had maintained her friendship with Julia Robinson, who she met her freshman year. She had also made a ton of new friends who were shades nicer than the kids back at Junior High, Angela Monroe in particular. So for her new beginning, Violet started dieting, but not overdoing it like so many other girls her age. She ate sensibly, but allowed herself to splurge on fast food and desserts occasionally. She bought new clothes that would make her stand out. Gone was the ponytail she wore as a kid; in its place was long, flowing black hair down to her shoulders. She still like the colors lime green and violet (because of her namesake), and she now sported an hourglass figure, but still slender and tall. While she regained popularity, a big, more important change had happened to Violet.
She was no longer the spoiled, snobby kid he was in Sparkyville. The girl who once would not hesitate to tease her fellow classmate or a certain round-headed kid was long dead, and in her place was a sweet, outgoing, nice teenaged girl that the guys had a crush on. And she wouldn't try to steal her friends boyfriends from them, no matter how much said boys would look her way. She had a steady boyfriend in Michael Hawkins, the school quarterback for the varsity football team. Everyone thought that they were the perfect couple. And rather than flaunt their relationship to the whole school, the two kids are nice to everyone, even the misfits and outcasts. Years ago Violet wouldn't have been caught dead with kids like that, let alone talking to them, but in the years since, she had gone out of her way to make them feel welcomed and part of the team.
One thing had sadly not changed since being in high school, and that was her estrangement from her mother Kathleen. Ever since she failed to act on when Violet was humiliated and teased after the "Ugly Girl" party four years earlier, Violet had nothing to do with her mother. Kathleen had tried to reach out to Violet on a number of occasions, but she never responded to them, opting to sever all ties to her mother. Whenever she talked about her, Violet would refer to Kathleen as "the woman who gave birth to her". Michael knew about her problems with her mother and understood how she felt. Her father, Grant, by comparison, was caring and she loved him with all of her heart. Even before she was estranged from Kathleen, Violet always gravitated toward her father. She always held him in high regard. And Grant took a liking to Michael. Things in Violet's world was great.
One day during lunch, Julia ran up to Violet and Michael who were enjoying their lunch together. She said, "Vi, I don't want to alarm you, but a blast from your past is now going here."
"Who is it, Jules?" said Violet.
"Angela Monroe," shuddered Julia. And sure enough, Angela, herself, sashayed into the cafeteria with all of the swagger she had since the first time Violet met her in 6th grade. It looked like she hadn't changed one bit. She was still the stuck-up, snobby girl that used to torment Violet endlessly.
"Shit!" Violet muttered to herself. "Why did she have to transfer here?!"
"Just don't worry about her, babe," said Michael. "You're better than her." And as it seemed, Angela was getting dirty looks from the kids. Some of them had heard about the cruel prank she and her friends pulled on Violet years ago. Some of them didn't look her way, and some shot her dirty looks. It looked like her swagger she was showing earlier had went away.
"Look at that!" said Julia. "She's now walking like she has some sense! You see, Vi? Everyone here is on your side." Violet smiled. The one-time popular girl Angela was now the most hated girl at the school. She was being treated like she treated Violet and anyone else that had come in contact with her.
"How the tables have turned," Violet said with a smirk.
NEXT CHAPTER: CONFRONTING THE PAST