The other day, Juicy and I were hanging out, and her friends came to join us. They were... odd. They had these shirts that said stuff like 'Nobody's perfect --So just call me nobody!' and 'I love me!'

I kinda thought that was self-centered, you know? Well, it got worse.

"Somebody needs her beauty death!" the other two girls laughed. But not Juicy. She just sat there, trying to be cool, without seeming odd that I was with them.

"Somebody OBVIOUSLY killed her for a reason!"

More giggles came along. But Juicy was still just sitting there; she said LOL, but then stopped.

"There is NO compassion for the ugliest human being on Earth, oops! She can't enter, she's from outer space!"

The girls started cracking up. I was used to this. People never really understood my style. Except for Juicy.

My friend finally proved she was a good one.

"STOP IT!"

The girls seemed surprised. "What's the matter, Juice? She's just a Goth. We make fun of them all the time!"

"Not anymore!"

"Wow, you're acting like she's your friend!"

"LOL. That would be funny!" one of the girls said. They all giggled.

"She is! She is my best friend on Whyville! She is a person who cares more about learning from Whyville than looking good! And if you guys can't accept that, then go bother somebody else!"

"Sor-eeeee!"
 

I am who I am, and that's all I can be.

 

Editor's Note: Here here to being yourself!  But I must ask... Is it true? Do you have to be "preppy" in order to be 'the most popular girl in Whyville'?  Does it really matter whether you're goth or preppy or any of a hundred different "fashions" -- especially in Whyville, where a COMPLETE change only takes 20 minutes?  Bigfoot doesn't have to be black, you know -- he could be a white girl before you have time to read this week's double issue.  Or he could be a couch, or an impressionist painting.  When you see someone in a different style than you, what do you think first?  Be honest....