Her expression twisted with humiliation and anger, her eyes glistening as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
From that day on, she became the school's infamous "fake princess," the pretentious girl everyone loved to hate.
To save face, she threw herself into learning piano and dance, hoping to rebuild her "elegant" image.
Meanwhile, I joined a comedy troupe to learn stand-up and crosstalk, while my best friend signed up for martial arts and tai chi.
If Trisha wanted grace, we would bring the thunder.
During school performances, her delicate recitals never stood a chance against my stand-up comedy or Carmela's "breaking bricks with her chest" act.
Soon enough, I became the campus favorite with my sharp tongue and humor, while Carmela earned respect by protecting weaker students.
With us around, bullying disappeared, fights stopped—the whole school became brighter.
The two "problem girls" had transformed into confident, admired young women by sixteen.
Even the Lambert couple grew fond of us and began planning a public announcement to introduce us to the world.
"It's time to give Carmela her rightful shares at the coming-of-age ceremony," Aunt Laura said.