Through Different Lenses

Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if I were someone else; my mailman, my teacher, my best friend. Mostly I think about it when I’m in bed or when class is boring. My friends call me their resident therapist. I always listen to their problems, so I have a pretty good idea of how other people think. Honestly, we all think alike. Did people think that was stupid? I wonder if she likes my dress. Does he like me? We care how people think of us, so much so that we never realize everyone just cares about themselves and their worries. 

---

I wake up to the obnoxious beeping of my phone. Sighing, I roll over and turn off my alarm. A wonderful start to this March day. After I change out of my PJs I grab my school uniform from my closet. A blue skirt, collared shirt, and tights. I step out of my room and go down the stairs to the kitchen. My older sister Elizabeth is sitting at the table. 

“Morning,” I yawn. “Want a bagel?”

She nods, and I place two everything bagels in the toaster. 

“It’s foggy today,” she remarks. “You better wear a jacket.”

“Yes, Mom.”

She rolls her eyes and goes back to her book. I sit down at the table across from her. 

“Do you have any classes today?” I ask. 

“No,” she replies. “It’s a special school holiday.” 

Elizabeth is in college. 

“Lucky,” I say. “I wish I was you.”

---

You're sitting at the table. A book is in front of you while our little sister is seated opposite you. You notice that her black hair is dyed purple at the tips. Her shirt isn’t tucked into her skirt, but she still looks nice. 

“College isn’t just fun and games you know,” you say. “Some of it’s hard. You have a lot of freedom but that also means it’s easier to mess up. No one is keeping track of your deadlines. You have to be responsible enough to make sure you do all the work.”

Your sister looks lost in thought and doesn’t respond. The toaster beeps. 

“You should probably get that.” 

She continues to stare out the window. You roll your eyes and grab the bagels from the toaster and place them on a plate.  As you pass your sister at the table, you poke her in the shoulder.

---

I blink and rub my eyes. Elizabeth is looking at me weird. 

“Oliviaaaaa. Earth to Olivia,” she says as she begins spreading cream cheese onto her bagel.

“What’s up?” I ask

“You zoned out again.” 

I have a habit of not paying attention to things. My best friend Katie says that my head gets stuck in the clouds. 

“Sorry.”

I glance at my phone. 7:57 am.

“Oh! I gotta go!” 

Elizabeth hands me my bagel as I run out the room. 

“Bye!” she calls. 

I grab my bag off the floor and tug on my jacket. After I place my lanyard on my neck and lock the door behind me, the bus pulls up to the curb. As I step inside, Katie waves me over.

“Over here!” she calls. “I saved you a seat.” She moves aside her backpack and puts it on the floor. I sit down next to her. 

“Thanks.” I say gratefully. 

Thank goodness I don’t have to wrangle a seat. I think.

“The bus is packed today isn’t it?”

Katie nods. “So… Whatcha doing for spring break?”

“I dunno. Maybe we’ll visit my grandparents.” 

Katie grins. “Guess where I’m going!”

“Where?”

“Hawaiiii!” Katie bounces up and down in her seat. 

“Oh my gosh really? So jealous. Wish I was you!”

---

You’re sitting next to your best friend. She just finished talking and is staring at her feet. Her black hair partially covers her face while her eyes look unfocused. Gosh, sometimes she sits like this for longer than ten minutes. You were pretty sure it was just her imagination running wild again. 

“Olivia?” you say. “Are you there?”

She says nothing. 

“Hellooooooo.” Suddenly, you giggle. 

“Olivia, say nothing if I’m the most amazing person in the world.”

Silence. “Awwww. Thanks!” 

She would probably say it anyway. You think. Olivia’s like that.

You squeeze her shoulder. “C’mon. I need someone to talk to!”

---

I jump a little in my seat. 

“Sorry about that.” I say to Katie. “Was I gone for long?’

“Nah,” She says. “It was just getting  boring.”

The bus stops outside our school. Students stream past and out the door. 

After we get off the bus, we make a beeline to homeroom. I sit down at my desk and start reading. All my homework is done, so I might as well do something. Katie’s talking to some girl next to her.  After homeroom, we have Math. Nothing interesting really happens, we’re just answering some worksheets. After that is English. We’re reading some Shakespeare stuff and recreating it. Lunch is next. The whole school eats outside on picnic tables, so I take my lunch from my bag and go outside. It’s a little chilly today, you notice. Not many people have gone outside yet, so you snag a table in the sunshine. As you start eating, Katie and your friend Nina from Science join you. 

“Hi!” you greet them. 

“Hey.” Katie says.

“Hello!” Nina opens her lunchbox and passes you both a mint. 

You set it aside and look around. The patio is slowly filling up. 

Katie glances over to the table to their left. About half of the girls in their grade are sitting there. 

“There’s Nova,” she says.

Olivia looked over, and saw a girl surrounded by people.  

Nova was the most popular girl in their class. Heck, probably in school. Even eighth graders wanted to hang out with her. Her life was the furthest from Olivia, with all her friends, blonde hair and green eyes. She was an amazing painter and their art teacher didn’t try to hide that she was their favorite student. So, Olivia sat with her only two friends and wondered what her life was like. It was probably amazing.

--- 

You sit at the table, surrounded by about a hundred people. They all talk to you, and laugh at whatever you say. It’s nice, but at the same time it’s tiring. It feels like everyone just wants to be your friend because you’re popular. You wish you had some real friends, instead of all these people who adore your every move. You glance around the area. You catch the eye of a girl, Olivia. She’s sitting at the table two tables over. She’s looking at you, not with envy, disgust, or even admiration, which surprises you. You get a lot of those three. The look in her eyes looks a little sad, and you wonder why. She doesn’t look away either, even when you turn back to your salad and juice. 

---

“-ivia!” 

I turn to Katie. 

“You were staring at Nova’s table for five minutes.” Katie says. “Are you okay?”

I nod. Katie and Nina are used to me spacing out. They began talking about the homework, and I sat quietly. Soon, the bell rings. Everyone goes back inside the school. Before I realize it, the day is over and I’m standing outside the door to the house. As I step inside, my mom gives me a hug. 

“How was your day sweetie?” she asks. 

“It was good.” I start up the stairs. “I’m gonna do my homework.”

After I do my homework, my sister drops by my room. 

“Dinner’s ready,” she says as she closes the door again.

Dinner is spaghetti and meatballs. I don’t say much while we eat, and after I’m done I go back to my room. After I take a shower, I switch off the lights and snuggle into the blankets. As I lay in bed, I think about my day. It was good, I decided. And as I’m about to fall asleep, I decide that I’m perfectly happy with my life. I wouldn’t change a thing.