closer look and noticed that her big blue eyes were sad. Very sad. No matter what her initial thoughts were, Savannah remembered seeing the same look in her own eyes just a few short months ago.
Pulling Maggie’s stroller around, she parked it near where the young girl was sitting along the old wood planks. Her feet were dangling off the edge of the bridge. Savannah squatted down and sat next to her.
“It’s a pretty spot you have here.” She looked off to the slow flowing water below them. A handful of turtles jumped into the water quickly.
When the girl remained silent, she looked over at her. “I’m Savannah Douglas.”
She watched the girl nod. “Everyone knows who you are.” Her voice was just a whisper.
Savannah laughed. “Don’t believe half of the stuff you hear about me.” She leaned closer to the young girl and realized she was a little older than she’d first gauged. “For example, these…”—she pointed to her chest and smiled—“are real.”
The girls jaw dropped and when Savannah smiled at her again, the girl laughed a little.
“Seriously?”
“Yup.” Savannah couldn’t stop herself from laughing, but then she frowned a little. “But I did recently get a nose job.” She reached up and played with the tip of her nose, remembering the incident. “But that was only because someone punched me in the face.” She laughed when she realized that she’d deserved it.
“What about you?” She looked at the girl who sniffled and looked off towards the water.
“Kids at school make fun of me. Of the way I dress, of how I look. They call me…” She paused and closed her eyes. “Greasy Tracy.”
“Is that your name?” She quickly added, “Tracy?”
The girl nodded without opening her eyes. “You know, kids can be pretty stupid.” She sighed. “I should know. I used to be one of them. And until recently, I never really thought about how I’d hurt someone else.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t listen too closely to what anyone has to say about you.”
“Yeah, well…” Tracy stood up and dusted off her jeans. “What would you know; you’ve never been on my end of things.” The girl started walking away and Savannah’s heart sunk a little.
“Tracy.” The girl stopped. “I’m currently on your side of things. I have no friends.” She shrugged her shoulders. “The whole town is gossiping about me, saying mean and hurtful things to the point where I spend most of my days alone in a small house with the only person who loves me.” She nodded to her sleeping daughter in her stroller. “And that’s probably only because she doesn’t know any better yet.” She gave a half smile to the young girl. “But look at me.” She motioned to herself. “I still get up every day, take a walk, and enjoy life. I listen to what people say about me and if what they say is true and I don’t like those things about myself, I change them. If what they are saying isn’t true”—she smiled and looked down at her large breasts—“then I just ignore them and hold my head up high and let them think what they want.”
Tracy looked at her for the longest time. “I better get back home.” She looked down at her feet and kicked a pebble into the water below.
Savannah felt her heart sink and realized she hadn’t gotten through to the girl.
“Will you be here tomorrow?” The girl glanced up through a thick strand of dark hair.
Savannah’s smile was quick as she nodded. “I usually take my walks about this time. I can be here, if you want.”
Tracy took a few steps in the opposite direction. “Yeah, I guess that would be cool.”
She turned and started walking away without another word.
Over the next few weeks, Savannah and Tracy hung out on the bridge a handful of times. Each time Savannah tried to crack her shell and get through to her. She didn’t know if what she was saying was helping or hurting, but she knew she was slowly making a friend and hoped that somehow
Pulling Maggie’s stroller around, she parked it near where the young girl was sitting along the old wood planks. Her feet were dangling off the edge of the bridge. Savannah squatted down and sat next to her.
“It’s a pretty spot you have here.” She looked off to the slow flowing water below them. A handful of turtles jumped into the water quickly.
When the girl remained silent, she looked over at her. “I’m Savannah Douglas.”
She watched the girl nod. “Everyone knows who you are.” Her voice was just a whisper.
Savannah laughed. “Don’t believe half of the stuff you hear about me.” She leaned closer to the young girl and realized she was a little older than she’d first gauged. “For example, these…”—she pointed to her chest and smiled—“are real.”
The girls jaw dropped and when Savannah smiled at her again, the girl laughed a little.
“Seriously?”
“Yup.” Savannah couldn’t stop herself from laughing, but then she frowned a little. “But I did recently get a nose job.” She reached up and played with the tip of her nose, remembering the incident. “But that was only because someone punched me in the face.” She laughed when she realized that she’d deserved it.
“What about you?” She looked at the girl who sniffled and looked off towards the water.
“Kids at school make fun of me. Of the way I dress, of how I look. They call me…” She paused and closed her eyes. “Greasy Tracy.”
“Is that your name?” She quickly added, “Tracy?”
The girl nodded without opening her eyes. “You know, kids can be pretty stupid.” She sighed. “I should know. I used to be one of them. And until recently, I never really thought about how I’d hurt someone else.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t listen too closely to what anyone has to say about you.”
“Yeah, well…” Tracy stood up and dusted off her jeans. “What would you know; you’ve never been on my end of things.” The girl started walking away and Savannah’s heart sunk a little.
“Tracy.” The girl stopped. “I’m currently on your side of things. I have no friends.” She shrugged her shoulders. “The whole town is gossiping about me, saying mean and hurtful things to the point where I spend most of my days alone in a small house with the only person who loves me.” She nodded to her sleeping daughter in her stroller. “And that’s probably only because she doesn’t know any better yet.” She gave a half smile to the young girl. “But look at me.” She motioned to herself. “I still get up every day, take a walk, and enjoy life. I listen to what people say about me and if what they say is true and I don’t like those things about myself, I change them. If what they are saying isn’t true”—she smiled and looked down at her large breasts—“then I just ignore them and hold my head up high and let them think what they want.”
Tracy looked at her for the longest time. “I better get back home.” She looked down at her feet and kicked a pebble into the water below.
Savannah felt her heart sink and realized she hadn’t gotten through to the girl.
“Will you be here tomorrow?” The girl glanced up through a thick strand of dark hair.
Savannah’s smile was quick as she nodded. “I usually take my walks about this time. I can be here, if you want.”
Tracy took a few steps in the opposite direction. “Yeah, I guess that would be cool.”
She turned and started walking away without another word.
Over the next few weeks, Savannah and Tracy hung out on the bridge a handful of times. Each time Savannah tried to crack her shell and get through to her. She didn’t know if what she was saying was helping or hurting, but she knew she was slowly making a friend and hoped that somehow
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