Now You See It, Now You Don’t 1 could hardly wait to get to school and see my fiend ‘What would their reactions be when they savr me? I didn’t know, but I was sure it wouldn't be ike it was the day when I had started school there three years before (On that terrible day my stepfather, Buddy, had to take school early s0 that he wouldn't be late for work. hen he stopped in front of the schoo, I didn't want t get out of the ear. [Tooked out at the small group of stu ents standing outside the building and suddenly felt sick, but it was too late to back out now. Swallowing hard and trying not to ery, I slowly opened the car door and pushed m out. T felt awkward and ugly. The body brace I wore held me so stiffly that 1 couldn't move very easly, but at last | was out ofthe car Buddy said good-bye, then drove off leaving me standingo on reese felt abandoned. I didn't know anyone there. wished 1 were still in my old school with all my friends, My old friends knew all about my brace. They had also known me before I got the brace, so they knew I wasn’t really this, this... monster that I felt like now, Some of the kids had gathered near the front doors, Which were still locked. I didn’t have to look at them to Know they were staring at me. I could feel it. And who could blame them? I was sure I had to be the ugliest, strangest thing they had ever seen, So lt them sare { thought defiantly. 7 jus ignore them. {turned my back to them and sat down stiffly on the steps that led from the sidewalk up to the school, Hot, angry tears fell on my new dress, but I quickly wiped them away. ‘looked down at my dress. It would be a pretty dress — ‘on someone else, The brace ruined everything, [et like a freak. I wanted to cry, to run and hide so no one could ‘ever stare at me again. But Iwas trapped, Trapped inside this hideous contraption made of eather and steel. The Teather wrapped around my middle and rested on my hips. Two narrow metal bars ran up my back. wider har came up the font to suppott the neckpiece, which held my head in place. The only way I could tumn my head was by tuming my whole body. hat moming though, I didn’t try to turn my head. 1 didn’t want to see the curious stares of strangers. should hhave been used tot, People were always staring at me, oF worse, asking me what was wrong with me. hated being lfferent. An the brace made it even worse. There was no ‘ay to hide the ugly thing It just stack out ther, inviting everyone to gawk, ‘As Isat there on the steps, didn’ think I could be mare ‘miserable. I was wrong, Even though it was September, the weather was sill warm and as the sun rose higher, the shade disappeared. I could feel the sweat begin to uickle ON FRESH 6 down my back and under my aes. Gt! Now T xl Sel sey on fp of ling seid 1 wanted the ath 0 Snalow se upright then and here alo couse, the ath did oblige by svatowing me up. managed fo gc throgh hat day, and the mot and af the dys for te following thre yearn spite of the ord brace | managed to make fends, once everyone fot used to seeing still awkward and ugly most of thetime though and ould hardy wat ogee race removed for good That day nally ave one aay Thursday in spring remeber being soiled when the decor ad Ted eave te brace ofthat threw my ams around him and fave in bg di ary ve om that dyn 1 was fee at at Refs os ing to al ny best frend and tel her what happened ut then decid jst fo nupise her st ‘hoo! the next day could hardly walt forthe cobs and ths tha expected to hea fom everyone when they 7 ime without that dead brace danced up the sat the school bling that morning usta ul hye thought ost no nated. my Ss as, oe sd a word Wat waste mate th then? Couldnt they see how truch1 had changed? Maybe they were just too surprised tb aay anything Probably inthe nent cas, they would note, Again, vated Stil nothing Twas being 0 felawfal Maybe! was just ab uly without the brace! Or maybe my tienda jot’ eae be mich about me 8 thought Fhenon othe next ly where [waited gan By the en ofthe day, was felng hat and confused ven Danley very best end hadn sid anything Zu she new how much Thad hated weating the brace 1 Gidnt Kove what to think Ta lest had fo know what Daniele thought was spending the night at her houseso decided to bring it up if she did't say anything about itby then. Alter a few hours at her house, she still had’ said a word, At that point, Ichickened out and asked Danielle's younger sister, Ann. “Ann, don’t you notice anything ferent about me?" Lasked her cautiously. “Did you do something to your hair?” she asked No. Not my hair,” I said impatiently. “I’s the b The brace is gone!” I turned in a circle and nodded my head up and down to show her. “See? I's gone Ann just looked at me and shrugged her shoulders, all, kinds thought something was different but] jast lida’ know what it was!” It wasnt until later that [realized my friends had long since aecepted me for who I sas, and they simply didn’t notice the brace anymore, With or without the brac ‘what they saw when they looked at me was ther friend,