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“Be your own beautiful, even when others tried to define you by their standards.” [Jacqueline]
.......
[Jacqueline’s POV]
I looked back at the crowd who were looking at us and whispering with each other. I heard a girl whose face was covered with
thick makeup, say excitedly to her friend, “Does Nina know this fatty?”
“It seems like that.” The other teenager who was standing with her on the oval-shaped girl said to her. I focussed on Rohan
again. His cheeks were slightly hot, he looked down and pointed at me and said something to Nina. As soon as she heard him.
she scoffed at him and glanced back at me. She walked towards me with a kind smile although he tried to grab her hand she
shook him away. She seems to be walking towards me. This seemed odd. I glanced back at Rohan and noticed his cheeks
seemed a little red and it wasn’t because of the red paint. He seems blushing.
What do they want to do? Nina is Rohan’s best friend. She even had kicked me in the canteen earlier for him, and now that I
have colored her best friend, she might even swallow me. Although she did apologize for her actions, is she the type of person
who behaves violently first and then apologizes? Is she going to kick me again?
This time everyone looked at us in silence. She stopped in front of me, looked me up and down, and smiled.
“Do you want to get changed?” I looked up at her admiring her too clean school dress as she towered over me. Her oval face
was clean without any makeup, and her pink lips stretched upwards. The two of us looked at each other, she remained smiling.
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“What do you mean?” I asked in a dumb voice.
Her brown-black eyes shook slightly and she put forward her palm towards me. I looked down at her palms, noticing she was
carrying a plastic bag with her.
“Come with me to the bathroom.” My face changed from calm to disbelief. I cast my eyes to her behind and looked at Rohan
who seemed uninterested in our interaction. As if a girl who claimed him as his best friend a few days ago and had beaten me for
him was now helping the same person she had hurt. It was hard to believe. When I didn’t respond to her she took my palms in
hers and dragged me back to the washroom. Rohan’s dark eyes rigged holes in my back until we disappeared into the
washroom.

‘She wanted to help me? But why would she?’ She left my hand and gestured to me to take the bag from her hand.
“Look Jacqueline, I am sorry about that day. I certainly am. And trust me when I say this that I am not the kind of person who
likes to lose her face in front of so many people like I did when I apologized for my blunder that day. I was even ready to be
laughed at by so many people just because I was having a guilty conscience.”
Her brown-black eyes turned a little bright and stopped for a moment. She suddenly laughed and said, “if you think I am playing
games with you, please think again. What can I get from playing with you? Even if I want to, the easiest way would be that I
directly bully you. Since you don’t have any backup friends and all.
My face turned a little pale at her words. It wasn’t because she was lying, it was because what she said was true.
She placed the bag in my palms,
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“This is not my school dress, it’s casual jeans and a t-shirt I had taken because I had to show the teacher for a dance
performance. This was one size larger than what I wear anyways, please take it and change. I don’t want a girl to be insulted by
boys just because of my friend’s fault. Please wear it, if you do I will think you have forgiven me.” Her expression was
demonstrative.
“I have forgiven you. But I can not wear....” I tried to reason with her because I wanted to get rid of this dangerous girl completely
without any trouble. The last time’s lesson was still fresh in my mind and I had decided to never be on her bad side. I won’t be
able to fight her anyway.
“You have to if you want to make me feel happy.” I looked at her with a slightly open mouth. Though what she said was harmless,
I caught the threat in her voice, or perhaps I was overthinking it. Her expression, however, started to turn fierce and I immediately
nodded at her.
“Than. Thank you for this. Then I will change.”
“Good girl.” She patted my hair laughing weirdly.
I had already an idea that she was a mad girl, but her impulsive behavior today proved what I was thinking about her was TRUE.

I walked towards the bathroom to get changed. As I opened the bag, I noticed it was too different from what I wear. I rarely wore
Jeans. My outfits were Limited to basic Indian outfits. Or some Middies, long tops, trousers like jeans. Her top seemed to fill with
fashion, the top had a lovely print all over. A chic tie-up neck and cuffed long sleeves. It seemed cla**y and stylish. The material
on the top was polyester. The jeans were slim denim. I exhaled wishing to get some magical confidence in myself that could help
me in possibly going out and tell her that I didn’t give a f*** about her apology or dress. But I wasn’t that courageous, at least
now.
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I clipped the top and jeans on the alloy hook of the bathroom door. The bathroom was small but fine too. Not wasting a minute I
changed into her clothes. The top fit on me as if it was purchased to keep in mind my size but the jeans were a little tight and I
had to practically take breaths to keep my two-tired stomach fit in.
“Yeah, I have done what you said. Now it’s your chance. Don’t disappoint me.” I heard her voice as I came out of the bathroom.
Nina seemed to be talking to someone on the phone. Hearing footsteps she paused and looked back at me. Her eyes swayed
for a minute and then turned wide. She gasped. And then, smiled.
“Woah. You look cute.” She exclaimed, but I felt she was trying to know if I heard anything or not.
“Thank you.” I smiled at her, a shy one. At least what I thought if I looked shy. She exhaled as if relieved by my answer. So she
didn’t want me to hear what she was talking about.
“Well, let’s go to the cla**room.”
“I am not sure how teachers will react to seeing me this way,” I said uncomfortably shifting from one foot to another. She rolled
her eyes at me and turned me around to face the mirror. Our eyes locked in the mirror.
“Look at yourself, Jacqueline.” I noticed myself in the mirror. Somehow I liked what I saw in the mirror and I might have gasped if
Nina wasn’t behind me. I looked nothing like me. My black hair was still wet but we’re hanging down on my shoulders. The pink
top lightened my features. My cheeks were red because of all the rubbing before and the light color enhanced it more. Lips were
blood red, while eyes filled with moisture. The tie-up neck looked like formal wear. Since the sleeves were long and kind of
ruffled it didn’t outline my heavy arms. Instead, it gave the illusion of thin arms. The top wasn’t body-hugging, instead, it fell all
over the body. Overall I did look cute as described by Nina. My only concern was the length of the top, its length was just till the
belt of the jeans, and I was uncomfortable wearing it. She, however, did not give me a chance to object and dragged me out
again holding my bag from the little stool. The hallway was filled with some students, not overly crowded, just a few kids here

and there as if they were wasting their cla**es purposely. As the soles of our feet clanked against the ground and sunlight fell
upon our forms. Everyone took a double look over us. Some of the school mates eyes even turned wide as saucers while some
of the girl’s mouths hung open. I never appreciated the attention and their stares made me uncomfortable. I tried to remove her
grip from my arm but she only tightened it. I felt like screaming at her face. She dragged me till the moment we reached the cla**.
As we entered the gate, her grip immediately loosened, I looked at the soles of my shoes quietly as she led me with her gently. I
heard the voice of students gasping.