Juan Carlos G.

Uriarte 134286

En12 – R41 February 26, 2014

Vignette

I was a very insecure boy during my high school years, especially during my junior year.
I was that fat dude with the acne problem, who likes to hang out with other class misfits. They
weren’t misfits to me, but to the other, they actually were. We used to stay over at the back of the
classroom during our breaks, and talk about the videogames that each of us were playing at the
moment, and who among us was the better gamer. We went at it for the entirety of our breaks
inside the air conditioned room which was very cold. This was my high school life from
freshman year to junior year, but all of these changed during my senior year.

During the summer before the start of senior year, my family and I decided to undergo a
weight losing program with the help of my aunt who happened to be a dietician. She gave us all
the exercise and diet plans, all that we had to do was to closely follow these plans. We started
the program during the month of April, just after the last part of my junior year. I was against
the whole idea, because eating was my favorite activity during the day. It was a very comforting
activity for me and the thought of this activity being limited was very unsettling to me. It was
very hard, because of the weird mixtures that you have to take, and all the small food portions
which ended up aggravating me more rather than satisfying me. The only thought which kept me
from deviating from the program, was the thought of my high school crush finally accepting me
after five years. I held this thought close to my heart for two months. The thought of her smiling
back at me with her smile which has the ability to out shine the very sun. It was like the light at
the end of the tunnel, a warm radiance that made you feel happy no matter how depressed you
were during the day.

After two months, the moment of truth has arrived, the first day of senior year. I was
overwhelmed by a mixture of excitement and nervousness. I was excited to show the world my
new and improved self, yet I was also nervous of how they would receive my new image. As my
service had stopped in front of my school’s entrance, I stepped out with an extreme feeling of
anxiousness. As I entered through the main gate, I saw my crush standing in front of the
information board, looking where her classroom was. As I tried to walk passed her in the most
inconspicuous way possible, she turned and saw me. She was surprised at how I looked. I
honestly thought that she would laugh at me, but instead, she held me at my wrists and told me
that I look really good. It was like the world had slowed down after hearing her statement. I was
filled with an intense sense of joy. I was so happy that I started walking like a carefree man,
rather than trudging along the hallways like a newly released prisoner. From then on, the people
in my class accepted me. For once, I felt accepted.

I was able to rise through the ranks in our class, after my weight loss. I was able to
improve my social skills as well, since I was more confident with my physical appearance and
that my classmates were able to accept me better compared to when I was fat. It was with this
new found confidence that I was able to profess my true feelings to my crush after all those
years. Everything was going great. I was able to maintain my class standing within the top ten, I
had more friends, and I got to be with the girl of my dreams. I couldn’t be happier then, but all of
these were just temporary. Everything was bound to go south by the time fourth year came to an
end.

It was the second half of our school year. My popularity has given me new friends, and it
has also given me enemies. The supposed girl of my dreams turned out to be a large pain in the
back. She made me lose track of my priorities, and she wasn’t even faithful to me in the long run.
The extreme happiness that I felt during the start of the year faded. It was like the light at the end
of the tunnel was suddenly taken away. It was like the sun has been snuffed out. These events
made me realize that sadness would always be present no matter how hard you try.