change your clothes
"you look trashy," she said with disgust when she saw margaret's new outfit.
"i happen to like this," margaret said, keeping her face calm. if she frowned, the other girl would know she had hurt her feelings. if she scowled or sneered, she'd be accused of "copping an attitude."
the other girl smiled politely - almost sneering, but not quite. "well i don't," she said. "please change your clothes before we go out. i don't want to be seen with you, if you're going to dress like that."
margaret sat down. "i'm not changing. and look at your clothes, why don't you? you look like a bag lady." she surveyed the girl's faded blue dress and worn sweater with disdain.
"this is me," the girl replied. "i'm not going to change the way i dress and go against my whole ..." she faltered for the right word, "oh, you know ..." she gave up, gesturing for margaret to help her out.
"aura?" margaret sneered. "or is there some special look you're trying to achieve? aside from appearing homeless, of course."
"i am what you would call a tortured artist." the girl stood up and put her hands on her hips. her skinny arms were quivering. so was her voice as she said, "i stay true to myself. i'm so insane and unhinged -"
"that you can't help that you lose all common sense when selecting your wardrobe," margaret finished for her.
for a moment the girl just stared at her with disbelief, her face rapidly turning a dark red. margaret looked away, feeling guilty.
then the girl said, "fine." she started for the door.
"no, really, i want to hear about it!" margaret said animatedly. she rose from the chair and followed the girl to the door. "really, it sounds so interesting. tell me what you really do, because you're so 'insane and unhinged.'"
"it's not worth the effort," the girl said, and turned around to look margaret full in the face. "some people are just incapable of understanding it."
"if this is about my outfit, i'll change, for god's sake," margaret said defeatedly.
the girl had turned to the door and had her hand on the doorknob now, but she dropped it and smiled to herself. "okay," she said without turning around.
margaret went to change. the girl went to the mirror to put on some fresh lipstick.
"i happen to like this," margaret said, keeping her face calm. if she frowned, the other girl would know she had hurt her feelings. if she scowled or sneered, she'd be accused of "copping an attitude."
the other girl smiled politely - almost sneering, but not quite. "well i don't," she said. "please change your clothes before we go out. i don't want to be seen with you, if you're going to dress like that."
margaret sat down. "i'm not changing. and look at your clothes, why don't you? you look like a bag lady." she surveyed the girl's faded blue dress and worn sweater with disdain.
"this is me," the girl replied. "i'm not going to change the way i dress and go against my whole ..." she faltered for the right word, "oh, you know ..." she gave up, gesturing for margaret to help her out.
"aura?" margaret sneered. "or is there some special look you're trying to achieve? aside from appearing homeless, of course."
"i am what you would call a tortured artist." the girl stood up and put her hands on her hips. her skinny arms were quivering. so was her voice as she said, "i stay true to myself. i'm so insane and unhinged -"
"that you can't help that you lose all common sense when selecting your wardrobe," margaret finished for her.
for a moment the girl just stared at her with disbelief, her face rapidly turning a dark red. margaret looked away, feeling guilty.
then the girl said, "fine." she started for the door.
"no, really, i want to hear about it!" margaret said animatedly. she rose from the chair and followed the girl to the door. "really, it sounds so interesting. tell me what you really do, because you're so 'insane and unhinged.'"
"it's not worth the effort," the girl said, and turned around to look margaret full in the face. "some people are just incapable of understanding it."
"if this is about my outfit, i'll change, for god's sake," margaret said defeatedly.
the girl had turned to the door and had her hand on the doorknob now, but she dropped it and smiled to herself. "okay," she said without turning around.
margaret went to change. the girl went to the mirror to put on some fresh lipstick.