I was 13 was when I first started attending public school. I had been home schooled up to that point. Now, the school I ending up going to was mostly populated by kids from upper-class families. I'm talking girls in middle school with Prada bags, expensive haircuts, manicured nails, and a shitty attitude. My family was lower income so I didn't have these things, and up until that point I never even thought about those things. A group of the most popular girls would always pick on me and I couldn't figure out why. I was quiet, and shy and didn't pose any sort of threat to them. One girl was the worst, the leader of the pack and she made middle school a living hell for me, her name was Lauren. One weekend my dad had made some extra money and told me I could go get my hair and nails done! I was so excited. The woman at the salon gave me an awesome haircut and showed me how to style it and even showed me how to do some make-up. I was feeling confident and I couldn't wait for monday morning. I took a lot of time that morning getting myself all pretty and felt so good when I walked out the door. Then I get off the bus and start walking into the school and who would I encounter there but Lauren and her posse. She saw me and started laughing like the hyena she was and yelled "oh my god! did your hair dryer blow up on you this morning?!"

She picked on my all the school year, but that moment was the one etched into my memory.

Years go by and i'm in college working as a bartender. I didn't recognize when she first walked into the bar, but sure enough it was Lauren. Incredibly overweight and disheveled, bad skin, and it looked liked her hair dryer blew up on HER that morning. I really wanted to say that to her, but it wasn't worth it. She probably wouldn't have even remembered me. For a lot of kids middle school is a rough time, but you survive it and it looks like I came out of it in a lot better shape than her.

I'll admit, it felt really good to see her like that for a moment but another part of me felt really sad.