Stacy plopped down into the empty seat to the right of me, the one with her name scratched on to it by a steel nail that she found lying on the tech floor, and then colored it in with a black Sharpie in order for it to 'pop out' more. As if it didn't stick out enough already. The seat practically screamed "Yo, don't sit here unless you want to be pummeled into a deformed squash" by her, and trust me, after looking at her reputation and report cards, Stacy's insanely scary... and failing at math. She's won more fights than the school's wrestling team, which is a lot, since our school's team leads in the state for the most wins so far. Unfortunately, there isn't a girl's wrestling team, and believe it or not, Stacy's really insecure. There's no way she'd want to be the only girl in a room filled with boys. Not like she was planning on joining the team anyway. She told me that she wanted to use her strength for "good, not evil" and to prove it, she refrained from fighting for a week, which was actually pretty easy for her. She focused all of her attention to food from now on, which wasn't really the healthiest choice, but it was really helpful for her and saved some 7th graders from getting their butts kicked.

"Hey what do you have for lunch?" Stacy asked, taking a big bite out of her cheese sandwich.

I looked inside my backpack, and pulled out a container with a soggy bagel inside it. I made a face at it and tossed the box over to Stacy, who grinned from ear to ear. She opened the container and took a bite out of the bagel, and finished it in less than a minute.

"So..." I began, trying hard not to watch her eat. It was disturbing, yet so fascinating at the same time. "Uh, what do you think of the new guy?" I asked. I started to zone out a bit, still thinking of how we met.


The new guy's name was Austin Moon. He was really attractive and he was also a sweetheart. He was legit like the perfect combination for a guy. I met him when I was heading to English class. Being the klutz that I am, I dropped my textbooks onto the ground and papers flew everywhere. Some people stopped only to slowly walk away, and others just laughed and kicked my papers around. If Stacy was there, the papers would have been handed to her, and the people kicking my papers around wouldn't make eye contact with her.

Anyway, Austin seemed sort of lost, I think he was looking at a map of the school when he accidentally stepped on my hand. He jumped and then looked down to see me shaking my hand like crazy and muttering some curse words under my breath.

"Oh my god I am so sorry!" he said, and then he knelt down and helped me pick up the rest of my papers. By that time the bell had rang and we were going to be late to whatever class that we had to go to.

"You really should go to class." I said, trying to dismiss him in the politest manner. "I don't want you to be late during your first day of school."

Austin shook his head. "It's fine. I don't mind helping you." he said. I felt myself blush, but I didn't know why.

After we had all the papers put away, Austin got up and held out a hand for me. I took it with the hand that wasn't aching, and with one tug I was firmly on the ground. He was really strong, considering his muscles that peeked out from underneath his shirt. Was he wearing a tank top? Someone hold me.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it." I said. I grabbed my phone, which fell out of my pocket, and started to walk away, when he put a hand on my shoulder and spun me back around to face him.

"I didn't really catch your name." he said. He had a really attractive voice, I wondered if he sang. If he did, it would have been perfect.

"Me? Oh. I'm Ally. Ally Dawson." I said, holding out my injured hand without noticing.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Austin Moon." he said, and shook my hand. I felt my face scrunch up in pain, and he immediately let go.

"Do you want me to take you to the nurse?" he asked. It was so sweet that he cared, I just felt as if I was about to die and go to heaven.

"Uh, if you want. I could go myself." I said.

"Nah, I don't mind. Plus, I have no idea where my English class is." he said.

"Can I see your schedule?" I asked. He nodded, and I took the paper from his hand. We had the same English class together? Score!

"Do you know where the class is?" he asked.

"Mhmm. I'm in that class too. Maybe we'll be able to sit next to each other." I suggested.

Austin nodded. "I'm cool with that. Now... do you know where the nurse's office is?" he asked.

I laughed, and the two of us walked off to the nurse, whose name was Ms. Darin. She wasn't really that good of a nurse, but she always had entertaining stories to tell you or how to groom a cat without ending up with scratches all over your face. While she checked out my hand, she kept complimenting Austin, saying that he was really handsome and that he'd make a great father one day. I have no clue where THAT came from, but after she said it, it was hard not to fantasize about that.

After Ms. Darin checked out my hand and gave me a band-aid that I ended up throwing out into the trash, Austin and I headed to English, with Mr. Bardino, or Mr. Baldino as everybody liked to call him. He was really strict, but his face softened a bit when he saw Austin, as if he was actually happy to have another student in his class.

"Yo, next time don't spend so much time inside the janitor's closet." Mr. Baldino said, trying to sound hip. People started to laugh, and Mr. Baldino gave himself a pat on the back for actually being funny. My face turned beet read, and I felt as if I was going to get an anxiety attack. I was extremely shy, and I hated to be acknowledged by others. ESPECIALLY in a dirty way.

"Sorry. The clock in the closet was set back a bit, I think like five minutes." Austin said, flashing a grin. A few more kids snickered. Surprisingly, during the whole incident, his face didn't turn red at all. I looked at him with admiration.

Mr. Baldino shook his head, still laughing. "Go sit down." he said.

I think that was the first time I've ever seen a teacher like Mr. Baldino smile.


"Uh hello? Earth to Ally!" Stacy said, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"Huh?" I asked, looking up at her. She shook her head.

"What new guy? There's a bunch of hotties this year." She said, and she took a huge bite.

"Oh, his name is Austin Moon." I said. "What do you think about him?"

Stacy stopped eating her cheese sandwich, and I saw her mood change and her spine stiffen. After a while, she let out a deep breath and said, "He's really cute, but he's not really my type."

I was relieved at this. Stacy always got the first call when it came to guys. If we both crushed on the same guy, she'd go out with him first, leaving me just tagging along like a third wheel. A lot of the guys that I used to be in a relationship turned out to be only using me to get Stacy back. Which I don't really blame them, since Stacy was hands down gorgeous. She had the perfect body frame, with pin-straight shiny black her and sea green eyes. It was hard not to stare at her when she walked by. She was really tall too, almost six feet. Most guys would turn their heads away after she left, but the few who still remained stuck in a trance were able to take a glance at a tiny girl, five feet tall, with short brown hair and a not-so-great body frame, tagging along in a floral dress, with her head down on the ground so she won't trip on her heels. That girl is me... Ally not-so-hot Dawson.

"Um... do you... do you think I might have a chance with him?" I asked, crossing my fingers. Stacy always decided who I should go out with. If she didn't think I was cute enough for him, there went my chance. I would have to forget him.

Stacy put down her sandwich and looked me up and down. She took me by the arm and the two of us headed to the locker room, which we weren't allowed to do. However, Stacy practically got away with anything. The teacher's didn't even care anymore.

"Take off your clothes." Stacy said.

I felt my face turn red. "What? Why?" I asked.

"Just do it." Stacy hissed.

"But what if someone sees?" I asked.

"We're in the GIRL'S locker room. Every girl here has the same things on her body that you do." she said.

I gulped. "I don't think I-"

"You want to know if you have a chance with him right?" Stacy interrupted.

Slowly, I nodded.

"Then do what I say." she said.

Grudgingly, I pulled off my jacket and unzipped the back of my dress, until I was in nothing but a t-shirt and some shorts. I felt really uncomfortable.

"Good. Now tell me what you see." Stacy said.

I looked in the mirror. I saw the same reflection in the mirror that I saw every day. Same brown hair, same brown eyes. Nothing different. Nothing special.

"I see myself." I said.

Stacy nodded. "Good. Now come with me." she said, and headed over to her locker, opening it and pulling out a blue tank top with a neck that was too low and some really short shorts.

She motioned for me to hold out my hands, and gave me the clothes.

"Go put these on." she said.

My eyes almost burst out of their sockets. "Wait, what?"

Stacy rolled her eyes. "Go. Put. These. On." she said slower.

"Are you kidding? There's no-"

"I told you to do what I say." Stacy said, her voice dangerously low.

I looked at the clothes and then looked back at Stacy. The fire in her eyes told me that I was stuck now. I had to do it.

I slowly took off my t-shirt and put on the tank top, along with the short shorts.

"Okay. Now look in the mirror again and tell me what you see now." Stacy said.

I looked in the mirror once more. My brown hair seemed to be more darker, and my eyes had a wildness to them that I'd never seen before. My lips were darker and my teeth turned brighter. My chest looked bigger and I actually felt like I had the perfect body frame. I couldn't stop staring. I looked totally different. I... I liked it.

"Wow..." I said, still staring at myself in the mirror. "I feel... beautiful."

"Good. Now let's go outside." Stacy said.

I snapped out of my trance to look back at Stacy with shock. "What?!"

"Do I seriously need to repeat every single word I say?" Stacy asked, her tone becoming impatient.

"Stacy, I can't go out in this! People will start to say things! They'll call me a whore!" I said, tears coming out of my eyes.

Stacy shrugged. "I deal with it, so why can't you?" she asked.

"Be-Because this isn't who I am!" I whined. "I... I'm not like this!"

"You're not a whore?" Stacy asked, feigning hurt.

"No! And you know I'm not one!" I shouted.

"So then what are you?" she asked, leaning against the lockers.

"I... I'm Ally Dawson." I replied.

Stacy scoffed. "Ally Dawson? Who's she?"

"The... quiet girl who sits in the back of the class all the time." I answered, my voice getting softer with each word until I was barely audible.

Stacy seemed proud of what I said. She straightened her spine and walked closer to me, seeming as if she was getting taller with each step. I backed away a bit.

"You want to know something?" she asked.

"W-what?" I asked, feeling shivers run down my spine.

"Guys like Austin... they'll only like you if you're like this." Stacy whispered. "If you're... not Ally Dawson." she said.

"If I'm... not me?" I asked, knowing the answer to my own question.

"Yes stupid." Stacy said. "Think about it. How many times has a cute guy like Dallas or Elliot noticed you?"

"Like never." I muttered.

"I'm sorry, what?" Stacy asked.

"Never." I said, louder.

"Exactly." Stacy said. "They never even acknowledged you once in your life."

"Actually, Elliot dropped his pencil this one time and-"

"I don't care Allison." Stacy said. "The point is, unless you're willing to go through a bunch of name-calling like 'slut' or 'whore', then you have no chance with Austin. He's not into girls like you, and he probably never will be. He's into girls who aren't shy. The ones on the wild side."

"How do you know all this?" I snapped. "You haven't even met him!"

Stacy remained quiet for a second, and finally spoke up. "I know him better than you do." she said, and left the locker rooms.

I looked back in the mirror, and I saw that I was back to the same Ally Dawson that I always knew myself as. The tank top sagged lower and my body felt like the usual sack of potatoes that it always was.

I felt tears come into my eyes. Stacy was right, we both knew it.

I grabbed my clothes and changed back into my dress, feeling even more insecure than I already had felt. I found a rock laying on the floor. It was fairly big.

I don't know what happened to me at that moment, because the next thing I knew, I was walking out of the locker rooms with a bloody hand, and a rock laying on the ground, shattered pieces of broken glass everywhere.

That broken glass was my heart, because deep down, we both knew...

Austin Moon would never fall for a girl like Ally Dawson.