Even before Lindsey Lohan played the target of "Mean Girls" on the screen, my favorite ultimate mean girl target was Bernice in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs Her Hair." Bernice was a wealthy, if socially inept, girl who visited her vivacious cousin, Marjorie. Marjorie taught Bernice the tricks in her arsenal about how to be attractive to the opposite sex. Bernice succeeded and Marjorie felt there was only room for one center of all the boys' attention. A battle of wits and wills ensued and like most mean girls-somebody had to get the last jab or cut-in this case.
I had a brief, but enjoyable, nerdy "girl-gets-the-guy" moment in the 9th Grade. I was the girl who was friends with many different groups, but not necessarily one of any group. By my choice, I think this has evolved into my adult relationships.
There was a cute and popular boy named Hal who began flirting with me by my locker. At the time, I lived in Florida and I was not cool by any standards. I didn't really give it a lot of thought, but apparently there were some cool girls who did. Hal had asked this group of girls if they knew me. They said they did, but he shouldn't bother, because I wasn't cool and that I was a goody-goody. Those were the words they used to describe me-an uncool goody-goody. I remember these girls laughing at me for being uncool. I just chose not to drink or smoke. It was like I was living in my own Grease musical and they laughed because I didn't "drink, swear or rat my hair!" Also, I was rather uninhibited which I've realized as I've gotten older makes a lot of people uncomfortable because many people would like to have the guts to let go. But they are so afraid of what others might think. Lucky for me-my editing system doesn't always work so I just do it without thinking!
Hal must have decided he wanted to find out for himself because he asked me for my number. We soon began dating and he let me know in a gentle way what these girls said and he was glad he had gotten to know me. I loved walking the halls with him-sometimes hand in hand or conventionally he would carry my books. These girls got to witness the nerd getting the cute guy.
My daddy soon got took a job in Alabama. Hal did come to visit me, but like most long-distance relationships in youth we soon broke up. This brief relationship left a monumental and lasting impression on me that I have tried to pass on to my children. Treat people the way you want to be treated in every situation. And when you meet someone and you scratch the surface of their character and immediately hit bottom keep on walking.
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