Payback!

"When I was in seventh grade I transferred to a Catholic school from public school and it was a difficult transition.All of the kids had known each other since kindergarten and were super close. They let me in for maybe three months and then someone made up a ridiculous rumor about me and I found out because when I walked up to a group of girls chatting, they literally shut me out. I tried to take a spot where there was an opening in the group and they promptly shifted to shut it."

I know right, how cheesy that I'm quoting my own blog!! But, I didn't feel like linking back to an entry so deal.

So, this past holiday season I went to a friend's Christmas party. It's always more or less the same group, but I had a lot more fun this year. I think it was partly because it was the first time I wandered the room unattached so more people came up to me and talked to me.

In particular, this one woman I'll call Bitchin' (which she totally was!). So, Bitchin' comes up to me and says, "I've seen you at these get togethers before, but we've never talked. My name is Bitchin'."

We started doing the polite chit-chat thing and I bring up that I'm from N.O and went to LSU. And, she starts talking about how her hubby went to LSU Law School and they get together for the U of A game every year! Then, she started dropping random last names, and one of them made me ask: Chlorine?!? One of the BITCHES that made my life hell in 7th and 8th grade!!!!! (I might not have said that last part.)

I nearly fell out of my chair (of course, the killer punch may have had something to do with THAT).

I was all, "Oh, I haven't seen her in ages. Really not since '89, how is she?"

Of course, she's still perfect!!!!

She's a lawyer living with her lawyer husband in a super trendy part of N.O. where people like Sissy Spacek own homes!

Anyway, I kind of laughed and said, "You know, I didn't really know her all that well. I only remember one story that typifies how she was back then."

Bitchin' says, "Oh GOD! You've got to tell me!"

Me, "Okay, we were in eighth grade Algebra and our teacher got on Chlorine. She was all, 'If you don't learn how to do this then how will you be able to figure out how much gas you need to mow the lawn?" to which Chlorine wrinked up her nose, tilted her head and said, "I'll just let the gardener figure it out!"

Bitchin' laughed so hard she snorted.

At which point, Bitchin' says, "Oh, that's so typical. My spouse went to fancy private schools all his life and so did Chlorine. I went to the county school and Chlorine's husband went to public schools, too. Anyway, on our way back from one of the LSU games to N.O. all of a sudden there was this loud noise from one of the tires. I was all, 'Pull over, we need to look at this now.' So, Chlorine's husband and I are like, 'Get the jack and tire iron . . . " and Chlorine and my husband are standing behind us, totally afraid to get dirty asking, "Can't we just call somebody?"

Which, you know, made me just smirk and nod my head.

There's one other "moment" with Chlorine that I remember that I just couldn't bring myself to share.

We had to do some sort of poster. I don't even remember what it was now, but my brother helped me with it. So, she comes up to me, all sweet and nice and says,

"Nice poster! Did you do all that yourself?"

I was ridiculously shy then and quietly said,

"No. My brother helped me with some of the drawing."

She totally dropped the sweet act, squinted her eyes at me and said, in the snottiest tone,

"Yeah, we figured," and returned to her pack.

Ugh! It was little moments like that, that made me terrified of her.

She'd be so sweet and then cut you with the snittiest little remark.

What was worse was that it was a small school and all the teachers knew how much money her daddy had AND she was a straight-A student: so, all the teachers thought she was just a ray of sunshine.

Bitchin' admitted, "She's irritatingly perfect and happy, but she's really pretty cool now. She's really laidback."


Which was kind of nice to hear.


I realize that 7th and 8th grade (ages 12 and 13) are trying times for all of us. She was probably just as insecure as I was and we spent so much time hating ourselves that we took it out on those around us.


I'm big enough to forgive and forget.


Also, I promised to send them her eighth grade picture as it's huge and she's got braces and
PERMED BANGS in it!


Turns out Bitchin's husband handles the alumni newsletter for his law school.


AWESOME!