The three girls gathered around the bank of lockers in the school hallway. Actually they were all gathered in front of Beverly’s locker while Bev put her books from the last class in the locker and got out her coat and her backpack, which she put her homework into. Bev had to catch a bus, while Katie and Joanne were able to walk home. Just then a new student who had started in their home room class that morning waked by on his way to the locker he had been assigned
“Isn’t he dreamy.” Katie sighed.
“Yes he is. I wish he would notice me. I tried to get his eye in class this morning, but he just wouldn’t look my way.” Bev replied.
“I tried to talk to him between Geography and English, but he was more interested in talking to Sonja Dubachek.” Joanne added to the conversation.
“Sonja? But she wears glasses. How could he be interested in her?” Bev asked.
“I don’t know. Those glasses she wears are real coke bottles. I don’t know why she doesn’t insist that her parents should buy her contact lenses.” Joanne replied.
“I talked to Sonja about contact lenses one time. Apparently her eyes are too dry to wear them.” Katie replied.
“Oh, that’s right, you wear contact lenses all the time don’t you Katie. It’s a good thing you do if you want Mr. Dreamy to notice you.” Bev said.
“I got contacts when I was 13 years old. It was the best present my parents could have given me.” Katie replied.
“Oh yes, I remember you still wearing glasses in grade 7. Yours were pretty thick way back then.” Joanne said.
“If you think Sonja’s are thick now you should see my new ones. They can’t make them thick enough so there is a little circle in the middle that has my prescription in it.” Katie told them.
“Oh wow, good thing you don’t ever wear them. Look, I have to run before the bus takes off without me. See you both tomorrow.” Bev said.
“Do you ever wear your glasses Katie? I don’t think I have seen you in glasses in like forever.” Joanne asked.
“I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them. I still wear them at home after supper, but I never go past the front door without putting in my lenses. And if someone comes by the house to see me I always run to the bathroom to put my lenses in first. That’s why my dad made me get those funny lenses with the circles in them. The high index lenses were just too expensive for him to buy them for me.” Katie said.
The two girl left school together and walked to the sidewalk. After saying goodbye Katie went one way and Joanne went the other. Katie spent most of her time during her short walk home thinking about the new guy at school. Joanne liked his looks, but she was already going with Bobby, and Katie knew that Joey wouldn’t give up Bobby unless she was absolutely sure she was making a move for the better. And while Bev had also expressed interest in him Katie knew that Bev was far too focused on getting good enough grades to be awarded a scholarship. A scholarship was the only way that Bev would ever get a chance to go on to university and Bev wanted to get out of this hick town more than anything else in the world. Katie wasn’t too worried about them being any competition if she set her mind on making the new guy think he was interested in her.
The following morning the three girls met at their lockers shortly before they had to get to their home room.
“I sat with Sonja last night on the bus ride home. The new guys name is Corey and Sonja told me he really thought she was attractive. He even asked her out, but Sonja had to tell him she was engaged to Ray Lockwood and was getting married in July. And get this. He told Sonja that he really liked her appearance wearing glasses.” Bev said.
“Wearing glasses? Are you serious?” Joanne questioned.
‘That’s what Sonja told me. Corey told her he has a thing for girls who wear glasses.” Bev replied.
“Well that lets me out. How about you wearing your glasses Bev? Would you do that if it meant he would be interested in you?” Joanne queried.
“He sure is a good looking guy, but I have to spend all my spare time on my SAT’s. I just have to get that scholarship. What about you Katie? Would you wear your glasses if he was interested in you?” Bev questioned.
“No, I don’t think so. I don’t see all that well when I have my glasses on. I need my contacts.” Katie responded.
With that the three girls headed for their home room. After the pledge of allegiance they all sat down and began the first lesson of the day, but Katie kept sneaking glances at Corey. She couldn’t believe that he would only go out with a girl who wore glasses, but she caught him staring at Sonja, even though Sonja had apparently told him that she was engaged. Katie thought that was so weird. She had never heard of anything like that before.
During the next couple of weeks Katie tried everything she could think of to make Corey take notice of her. But she might just as well have been invisible because he didn’t even seem to see her. She was getting terribly frustrated at his apparent lack of interest. Today she had seen him talking to one of the grade 11 girls – a girl who wore glasses most of the time, although they were not terribly strong ones. But this indicated to Katie that what Sonja had told Bev was probably true. Corey liked girls who wore glasses. Katie knew she was far better looking than that grade 11 girl was so it really had to be the glasses.
That night at home Katie wore her glasses around the house as she normally did. But tonight things were different as she kept looking at herself wearing glasses in every mirror that was around. Katie really didn’t mind her appearance in glasses, but during her grade school years she had been called 4 eyes so often that she had hated her glasses and just couldn’t wait to get contacts.
The following morning Katie made her decision. Today she was going to find out if the glasses that she hated so much would work to her advantage. Today she would go to school wearing glasses.
Katie went out the front door with her glasses on. She almost turned back before she made it to the sidewalk, but she pushed herself to keep going. She just knew that there would be all sorts of comments, but most of the other kids in her class knew that she wore glasses when she was in grade school, but had changed to contacts in Junior High. There might be a few unkind remarks but if Corey really liked girls who wore glasses she had no doubt that he would notice her and ask her out.
“Oh wow, you weren’t just kidding about your glasses looking pretty strange now were you?” Joey said.
“I guess that means that you are going to go after Corey then.” Bev told her.
“I wouldn’t be wearing these damned things unless I absolutely had to. I just have to get him to notice me. Let’s go to class and see what happens.” Katie said.
That evening as Katie walked home from school she had a funny warm feeling inside. Corey had noticed her all right. From the minute she walked into the classroom she could feel him staring at her. And then at lunchtime he walked right over to her table where she was sitting with Bev and Joey and asked if he could sit with them. She looked into his brown eyes and she thought that they reminded her of a puppy dog in heat. There was no doubt in Katie’s mind that her glasses were going to be a more frequent addition to her wardrobe.
Specs4ever Feb 2016