I’ve never put that much thought into how I would turn out when I go to high school. I just thought that I would fit in just like everybody else did. But I was wrong.


School started today, the first day of my sophomore year. I just moved here from Phoenix. My name is Isabella. I’m 15 years old and I’m a nobody in this high school, just like I was a nobody in Phoenix. I’m different from everybody here, I’m not as open, I don’t talk to people and go on and on about my emotions. I usually keep to myself, I am the perfect size for my age, perfect figure and everything. But I just don’t like to show it off like other girls do. I dress like a town-boy, all in blue and black converse, I never wear pink and don’t plan on to. I wear my hair down and sometimes I wear my favorite baseball cap. But to the cliques at my school, that doesn’t seem to matter. It’s about who you know and where you’ve been and how much money your parents got.



Well, it’s time for my first class…Chemistry.




“Hi, my name is Julio.”
Julio is a sophomore, he is the team captain of the baseball team. Everybody knows him in the whole school. Boys dream about being him. Since girls try everything to get his attention. But what was so special about him?


“…” I just sat there quiet and afraid to say hi back because my mind might be playing with me. It was not normal for people to come up to me and introduce them selves…especially boys. I heard the deep voice again.


“I guess you don’t talk much.”
Another awkward silence between us, I still thought my mind was playing tricks.


“Well I’m going to be your Chemistry partner for the whole year, so no need to rush things” said the voice that wouldn’t leave me alone.



“Are you talking to me?” I asked in a soft and confused voice.

“Yes, I am, you’re Isabella right?” he asked with a soft chuckle.


I looked up at him for the first time and right away I noticed… how beautiful he was. His clear skin matched his perfect clear blue eyes. His long black hair and his perfect white teeth, with his peppermint breath. My mouth dropped. Now I see why he’s so special.


“Uh…um…yeah.”


Class ended and it was time for lunch. I was in a rush to see if Julio could sit next to me and we can talk. I flew to the lunch room, running into people but pushing them out of the way.


I was the first one in the cafeteria. It was white and blue, the school colors. The floor was so shiny and clean that you see your own reflection. In there, there were at least 20 lunch tables, all blue and white with smooth surfaces. I was waiting to be served in the lunch line. Finally, I sat down at the table in the center of the room. I was waiting to see Julio. 15 minutes later I finally saw him. He was sitting at a back table with a group of friends. One particular friend caught my eye. She was gorgeous. She could pass for a model. Her blond, soft silky hair just dropped on her shoulders. Her clear face and her perfect smile matched her perfect figured body. I came to realize that, everybody sitting on his table had everything everybody ever wanted. Perfect smiles, clear faces, and perfect features to match with their perfect bodies.


I realized just by looking at them that I wasn’t good enough to be Julio’s girlfriend nor as good enough to be part of his group. So I had to change. I had to everything about me. My image. My thinking. And my personality. I have to get new clothes, hair styles, make up, and fix my nails. My thinking has to change the view on what’s cool and what’s not. My personality must change, I have to care what I eat, what I look like, and care what other people think of me. I also have to get use to judging people. Which I hate, but it’s for Julio and me.



Julio’s Thoughts
Isabella…she is pretty and very smart in Chemistry. But she is very shy, I like people like that. Who are smart and don’t care if they don’t fit in. But what am I gonna do with Carina? If I leave her for Isabella, Isabella might not even be interested in me. What should I do? Well I’ll get to know Isabella more, then I’ll decide.


It’s time for school. I can’t wait ‘til Chemistry today, that’s my new subject this year ever since I met my new partner, Isabella. I should tell her, how I’m feeling about her since I met her 2 weeks ago. Maybe, just maybe she will feel the same way.


“Hey Isabella, What’s up? Did you do your homework?”

“Umm…yeah”
Why did I ask her about the homework, that’s such a lame topic. I’ll ask her if she wants to hang out, but what if I get rejected? I have to ask her…


“I have to ask her.”

“You have to ask who what?” she asked with a confused look on her face.

“Oh. Do you want to hang out sometime?” I asked getting ready for her to reject me.

“Ummm.” Isabella was thinking, I could tell because she only bites her lip when she is thinking. She is still thinking about it. She is going to say no, I could feel it. I bet she thinks I’m a freak because I was saying random things. Ugh! I’m so stupid.


“Yes, I would like that,” she said with a big pretty smile on her face.

“What?!” I said with a surprised face. “Really, wow, oh uh. I mean cool. How about Friday?”

Why did I do that? I look like such a dork.


“Umm…yeah, sure. What time?” she said very softly, it was like she was embarrassed.

“4:00p.m, after school. I’ll pick you up at your house?”

“Oh. Uh. Sure!”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I don’t want to make you come.”

“No! I want to go, it will be fun. I’ll finally get out of the house, see you Friday! Later,” she said with a small grin, I thought it was the cutest grin I had ever seen. I smiled and I think I started to blush.



“Okay. Bye!” I shouted to her because she was already out the door into the hallway.


Friday was so much fun, I had a great time with Isabella. She is just the girl of my dreams, she’s not conceited and just so shy. I find that very cute.


It’s Monday, time for Chemistry. I walk in the door waiting to see Isabella, but instead I saw this girl. A girl I’ve never seen before, she was dressed in pink from head to toe. Her hair pulled back into a ponytail, not one hair out of it. Did Isabella transfer? Did she change her first period? But why would she do that? Was it because of me? Did I do something wrong on Friday? The bell rang so I sat next to the new girl. She sat perfectly straight and smelled like lilac.


“Hey, are you new to this school?” I said with a soft voice.

“No silly, it’s me, Isabella,” she said with a smile on her face. But this smile was different and she was different.


“What?!” I asked in a loud confused voice.
She looked at me with a frown and disappointment in her face.

“I decided to change a little bit. Start fresh in a new school,” she said in a low tone voice.


I just sat there staring at her, still in shock. I couldn’t believe it. What happened to the Isabella I liked?




Isabella’s Thoughts

I wonder what Julio thought? He looked very shocked, like he seen his favorite baseball player sitting right next to him.


I’m going to try out for the cheerleading team today. I was a cheerleader in grade school. How different could it be? As soon as I make the team, I’ve got Julio wrapped around my finger.


I walked in the gym and all that was there was a long white table, with three of the head cheerleaders. The one in the middle was the blond I saw with Julio. Her name is Carina. The other two on each of her sides, I guess is her clique.


“Okay. Isabella?” Carina shouted loudly and it echoed in the background.

“Here!” I said soft but loud enough for them to hear me.

“Go ahead, I don’t have all day,” Carina said while rolling her eyes.


I started my cheer, all I could see is their figure because I was moving too much I couldn’t get the reaction. Then the song ended.


“Next!” Carina yelled while staring down at the list of girls that are trying out.

“Well okay then.” I said in a low disappointed voice. I was disappointed in myself and I didn’t know what I should do now.


“Wait!” a girl called, it was a familiar voice.

“Hold up! Hold up!” the same familiar voice called out. I turned around and saw Carina running towards me.


“Hey, just to tell you made the team. You were awesome in there! How did you get so good?” she said with her eyes wide open trying to catch her breath.


“Umm…thanks. Well I was into cheerleading in grade school. I was a freak about it. But why did you call next if I made the team?” I asked confused.

“Because it was just an image for the other girls. I have so show the girls that are trying out, how this school has to have a reputation that we are proud of.” she said rolling her eyes.

“Okay, thanks again.”

“See you at practice later,” Carina said whiling running back to the gym.


Yes! I made the team! Time to get Julio, he is going to think I’m so cool.
It’s been a week since I talked to Julio. He hasn’t called or e-mailed me. What’s wrong with him? Ever since I’ve changed he hasn’t said a word to me, is that it? Maybe he liked the old me? I don’t count on that, I’ll just ask him in Chemistry.


“Hey Julio, long time no talk,” I said while walking to my seat.

“Oh. Hey, yeah I guess, I’ve just been really busy lately,” Julio mumbled with his deep low voice.

“Oh. Okay then,” I tried not to say another word to him the rest of the class.


10 minutes past and not another word from either one of us. Finally he took a deep breath and fixes his voice like he was getting ready to talk.


“Isabella, I have to tell you the truth,” he said like he was burning with agony inside.
“About what?” I raised my head to look at him.
“About what you have become, what happened to the old Isabella?” he said in a loud voice, and everybody heard. All eyes on us.
“She changed!” I yelled back and my eyes got blurry because the tears started to rise up.
“Why?” he asked in a hard whisper.
“Because nobody cared for her! Why do you care?” I said in a low voice that broke out in the end.
“Nobody cares? Nobody cares Isabella?!” he yelled. Finally the teacher realized we were disturbing the class.
“Okay Julio sit down and get back to-“
“Hold on sir, please?” Julio cut off our chemistry teacher. Julio turned to look at me again. I couldn’t look at him directly in the eyes, he took two steps toward me.
“Nobody cares?” he asked again in a confused soft voice.
“Yes,” I said staring at my feet.
“Isabella, I care.” he said pulling my chin up with his two fingers.
“Why?” my voice cracked and tears running down my eyes.
“Because, I like you…a lot,” he said and his voice cracked at the end.

My mouth dropped but I closed it really fast. My eyes just stared at his features in his face. My eyes were moving frequently focusing on every feature on his face.

“Isabella?” he said confused, I continued to stare.
“I like you a lot Isabella,” he said in a steady voice.

The bell rang, everybody stared at us, and no one got up to go to lunch. Finally, I couldn’t stand it. I grabbed my books and ran out the door with tears racing down my face. Then I felt someone get a hold of my arm, their hand were warm and soft. I didn’t want to say anything else to him. I didn’t know what to say, so I pushed and ran out the door to the back of the school.

I was in a Secret Garden, only some people knew about it. I was thinking about what should I chose. Should I chose the popular new me or Julio? I liked Julio a lot, but he didn’t like the new me. Why did I change myself anyway? Well to come to think of it, I really didn’t like the new me. I enjoyed the part were everybody knew me, but it felt wrong. Deep inside my gut it didn’t feel good. I hated what I said to people and how I hurt hem. But I just stood there with a smile on my face and joy in my eyes, I kind of liked it. The new me got to me. Anyway I knew Julio liked me, but I guess I just couldn’t pass that thought through my head. It just didn’t make any sense to me. How could someone like Julio, who is the coolest guy in school, like someone like me, who was a nobody? That’s what I didn’t understand. But he told he likes me as the old me. So I believed him. I made my choice, and it was Julio.

School ended, I spent the rest of the day out in the Garden. I thought about what I should do with Julio. How should I tell him? Should I even tell him? I don’t think I have a chance anymore. I kind of turned him down in Chemistry. I started to walk to the bus stop so I can go home, and I saw Julio with Carina. Well if he likes me, why is he still with Carina? But then I was the weirdest look on his face. Like if he was disgusted with being with her. For some reason, that made me happy. And my heart started to beat fast, but I still couldn’t think straight. I decided to walk home, I just didn’t know what to say to Julio yet. I walked home and I just thought about what Julio said to me today in Chemistry. I repeated his words in my head over and over again. I had flash backs about his features on his perfect face. Then it came to me.

I went downstairs and ran out the door. I ran to Julio’s house and saw him sitting on the stairs. I stopped about 5 feet away from him, we just stared at each other until one of us spoke.

“What are you doing here?” Julio asked as his voice cracked.
“I thought about what you said, in Chemistry,” I said while looking at the sidewalk.


“And?”

“Did you really mean it?”

“Yes, I did,” he said in a soft voice.

“I made my choice,” I looked at him but I couldn’t see his reaction.
“And what did you chose?” he asked like he already know the answer. He just wanted me to say it.
“If it was the new me, would I be here right now?” I asked with a smile on my face. I was blushing too.
“You got me there,” he laughed.

I’m glad I made my choice and picked Julio.