In all my juvenile thoughts and future aspirations, never did I dream I would write the next 2 posts.
‘Veronica’ parachuted into 7th grade like a floral garden ablaze.
Long brown hair (that didn’t move), perfect legs, a smile that would make a dentist swoon. Huge brown eyes and a flawless complexion.
What really set her apart was her makeup, more than any other girl, yet never too much. Those eyes just sprung out at you.
And her wardrobe–it screamed MONEY. Skirts and dresses short, but never showed the whole thigh. Fabrics like satin, chartreuse, and silk Serious high heels every day–higher than any teacher in the building. She walked with the assurance of a Parisian model. Gold on her fingers, around her neck, on her wrist. Confidence whispered from every pore, bordering on diffidence.
She moved like this:
We just stared. Just talking to her required vitamin A injections.
But from the get-go, she made enemies just by breathing. To most guys (even rich ones), she was an unapproachable entity–the top wrung. You just KNEW she had no interest in you. Girls detested her. To wear clothes that obviously cost silly money (and not even repeat an outfit in 2 weeks) seemed to flaunt her status in your face.
Guys whispered to each other about her outfits, even changing paths to class to scope out her looks. I remember a guy watching her slide down the hall in something short and just saying “Holy shit!” loudly. She turned and smiled; that’s how self-assured she was.
Her old man had a high county-wide profile–his radio ads were as much a part of growing up as the Beatles and Steve McQueen.
Of course, she did eventually get friends, but never a group that always hung out together. She had no interest in cheer leading, but joined our band front as a pom-pom girl (they had dance routines to our music– this wasn’t easy–they wore matching boots with heels). I remember a fellow trumpeter remarking how lucky we were–the wonderful legs of Veronica and Betty marched ahead of us. (Betty was part of the color guard and wore a dress shorter than her school clothes–hubba, hubba!)
However, around 10th grade, things changed drastically. Hemlines and heel heights dropped. She started on tailored outfits with plaids and subdued patterns. The jewelry stayed, even getting more flashy, but she dropped the hairspray and shortened her hair.