A story of teenage duplicity

I spent my freshman year of high school in Athens, Greece while my Dad was stationed at a local air base.

I spent my freshman year of high school in Athens, Greece while my Dad was stationed at a local air base.

I was a year younger than most of my classmates at 13. I was still carrying some pre-pubescent fat, I was a chubby kid. I was also kind of zitty and I had hair that was neither curly nor wavy, but somewhere in between, kind of a mess. I was shy and had no self-esteem or confidence. Luckily, I was befriended by a girl named Diane at the beginning of the year. We shared Greek class and a birthday. Diane had lots of friends and she introduced me to her group. I was always a hanger-on though, never really part of the group.

As with all high schools, American Community Schools (ACS) had its popular students. One of them was Greg Kinnear, maybe you’ve heard of him? His dad was a diplomat and those kids went to ACS as well. Another very popular person was Mary Beth. She was a “base” kid, like me, meaning her dad was stationed at Hellenikon Air Base, like mine. Mary Beth was not really in our group, but she was a sweet girl and was friendly to everyone.

I was very shy and awkward and I knew the older kids made fun of me. If I wasn’t with Diane, then I didn’t hang out with them. I mainly kept to myself. So it was really a surprise when Mary Beth, out of the blue, asked me to spend the night at her house. Mary Beth, this popular girl, asked me, a total goofball, to stay the night at her house.

I asked my parents and they said it was okay. My dad dropped me off that evening and I remember eating dinner with Mary Beth and her family. I was just so grateful to be there. Nervous, but grateful. What would Mary Beth and I talk about? What would we do? I imagined it would be like that sleepover scene in the movie Grease where we’d pine over boys and complain about school. After dinner we went to Mary Beth’s room to hang out. She had so much stuff and everything was decorated so nicely. My room at home had only a bed and a dresser and her room seemed so girly by comparison.

We chatted for a while, about what I can’t remember. But later than evening, maybe around 8pm, Mary Beth started getting dressed. She told me that her boyfriend was coming over and she was going to sneak out with him and would be back later. Mary Beth explained that because Darryl was Black her father wouldn’t let her to see him. She waited for Darryl to knock on her window and then she climbed out and off they went.

I was shocked and disappointed. I think I might have even cried a little at my stupidity. Thinking that Mary Beth actually wanted to spend time with me, of all people. I don’t remember what time she came home that night/morning, I was fast asleep. In the morning we had breakfast and then her father took me home.

I never told my parents what happened, I knew they would tell her parents and she would get into trouble. Somehow that was worse than being used by her.

Even in my fifties, I still think back about that night. How horrible I felt at being duped by her. What an awful lesson to learn at that age.

As for me, I finally grew out of my pre-teen years and became an attractive young woman. I’ll never be as pretty or as popular as Mary Beth, but I’ve lived a great life. And that’s the best revenge.

I was a year younger than most of my classmates at 13. I was still carrying some pre-pubescent fat, I was a chubby kid. I was also kind of zitty and I had hair that was neither curly nor wavy, but somewhere in between, kind of a mess. I was shy and had no self-esteem or confidence. Luckily, I was befriended by a girl named Diane at the beginning of the year. We shared Greek class and a birthday. Diane had lots of friends and she introduced me to her group. I was always a hanger-on though, never really part of the group.

As with all high schools, American Community Schools (ACS) had its popular students. One of them was Greg Kinnear, maybe you’ve heard of him? His dad was a diplomat and those kids went to ACS as well. Another very popular person was Mary Beth. She was a “base” kid, like me, meaning her dad was stationed at Hellenikon Air Base, like mine. Mary Beth was not really in our group, but she was a sweet girl and was friendly to everyone.

I was very shy and awkward and I knew the older kids made fun of me. If I wasn’t with Diane, then I didn’t hang out with them. I mainly kept to myself. So it was really a surprise when Mary Beth, out of the blue, asked me to spend the night at her house. Mary Beth, this popular girl, asked me, a total goofball, to stay the night at her house.

I asked my parents and they said it was okay. My dad dropped me off that evening and I remember eating dinner with Mary Beth and her family. I was just so grateful to be there. Nervous, but grateful. What would Mary Beth and I talk about? What would we do? I imagined it would be like that sleepover scene in the movie Grease where we’d pine over boys and complain about school. After dinner we went to Mary Beth’s room to hang out. She had so much stuff and everything was decorated so nicely. My room at home had only a bed and a dresser and her room seemed so girly by comparison.

We chatted for a while, about what I can’t remember. But later than evening, maybe around 8pm, Mary Beth started getting dressed. She told me that her boyfriend was coming over and she was going to sneak out with him and would be back later. Mary Beth explained that because Darryl was Black her father wouldn’t let her to see him. She waited for Darryl to knock on her window and then she climbed out and off they went.

I was shocked and disappointed. I think I might have even cried a little at my stupidity. Thinking that Mary Beth actually wanted to spend time with me, of all people. I don’t remember what time she came home that night/morning, I was fast asleep. In the morning we had breakfast and then her father took me home.

I never told my parents what happened, I knew they would tell her parents and she would get into trouble. Somehow that was worse than being used by her.

Even in my fifties, I still think back about that night. How horrible I felt at being duped by her. What an awful lesson to learn at that age.

As for me, I finally grew out of my pre-teen years and became an attractive young woman. I’ll never be as pretty or as popular as Mary Beth, but I’ve lived a great life. And that’s the best revenge.

I spent my freshman year of high school in Athens, Greece while my Dad was stationed at a local air base.

I was a year younger than most of my classmates at 13. I was still carrying some pre-pubescent fat, I was a chubby kid. I was also kind of zitty and I had hair that was neither curly nor wavy, but somewhere in between, kind of a mess. I was shy and had no self-esteem or confidence. Luckily, I was befriended by a girl named Diane at the beginning of the year. We shared Greek class and a birthday. Diane had lots of friends and she introduced me to her group. I was always a hanger-on though, never really part of the group.

As with all high schools, American Community Schools (ACS) had its popular students. One of them was Greg Kinnear, maybe you’ve heard of him? His dad was a diplomat and those kids went to ACS as well. Another very popular person was Mary Beth. She was a “base” kid, like me, meaning her dad was stationed at Hellenikon Air Base, like mine. Mary Beth was not really in our group, but she was a sweet girl and was friendly to everyone.

I was very shy and awkward and I knew the older kids made fun of me. If I wasn’t with Diane, then I didn’t hang out with them. I mainly kept to myself. So it was really a surprise when Mary Beth, out of the blue, asked me to spend the night at her house. Mary Beth, this popular girl, asked me, a total goofball, to stay the night at her house.

I asked my parents and they said it was okay. My dad dropped me off that evening and I remember eating dinner with Mary Beth and her family. I was just so grateful to be there. Nervous, but grateful. What would Mary Beth and I talk about? What would we do? I imagined it would be like that sleepover scene in the movie Grease where we’d pine over boys and complain about school. After dinner we went to Mary Beth’s room to hang out. She had so much stuff and everything was decorated so nicely. My room at home had only a bed and a dresser and her room seemed so girly by comparison.

We chatted for a while, about what I can’t remember. But later than evening, maybe around 8pm, Mary Beth started getting dressed. She told me that her boyfriend was coming over and she was going to sneak out with him and would be back later. Mary Beth explained that because Darryl was Black her father wouldn’t let her to see him. She waited for Darryl to knock on her window and then she climbed out and off they went.

I was shocked and disappointed. I think I might have even cried a little at my stupidity. Thinking that Mary Beth actually wanted to spend time with me, of all people. I don’t remember what time she came home that night/morning, I was fast asleep. In the morning we had breakfast and then her father took me home.

I never told my parents what happened, I knew they would tell her parents and she would get into trouble. Somehow that was worse than being used by her.

Even in my fifties, I still think back about that night. How horrible I felt at being duped by her. What an awful lesson to learn at that age.

As for me, I finally grew out of my pre-teen years and became an attractive young woman. I’ll never be as pretty or as popular as Mary Beth, but I’ve lived a great life. And that’s the best revenge.