My Mature Teenage

“Lia, can you please change the top and wear something baggy?”

“What do you mean, mom? What’s wrong with this?”

“Are you actually asking that to me? It’s your first day in this new school, you should wear something nice, you know?”

“And baggy fits are your solution? This red top is just fine besides I don’t have any good baggy clothes.”

“No, it’s not fine, I can literally see both the top half of your nipples, popping out a little.”

Lia glares in shock at her mom, this is the first time her mom has explicitly pointed out on her. “Ugh here comes her objectification but what did she just say to me?” Lia thinks before saying, “Mom, I’m only 15, why does this matter so much?”

“You’re only 15 but look at them, you know how hard is it to buy a bra of your size? Plus, I’ve told you countless of times to wear a bra all the time, you didn’t listen to that and now look at what’s happened.”

“I’ve already told you whatever bra I wear it makes me feel suffocated, now will you excuse me, I don’t wanna be late in the very first day of my school, what kind of impression does that create for me?”

“What kind of impression will this massive cleavage will create for you, haven’t you thought of that, Lia?”

“What is wrong with you?”, Lia screamed.

Ms. Allen jump scared a bit before glaring at Lia silently for a while and then saying, “Look, at least wear this shirt on top.”

Ms. Allen unbuttoned her shirt off and pushed it towards Lia’s hands, “I’m gonna head to shower anyway after you go.”

“Come on, mom your shirt doesn’t go with my fit plus why are you being like this? My breasts have been growing rapidly for the past 1 year, you never talked to me about this before.”

“Because for the past one year we’ve been in inside these walls of our house, mostly I went out just of groceries, you’ve been at home here with me.”

Lia glared silently and asked at a low voice, “And why is that? You’ve always told me to not go out because this is a new city, why is that? You’ve never told me why is that, I never asked you about it, I’ve been stuck in this home for forever. Now that I’m finally going out you should be telling me what’s up.”

Ms. Allen nervously said, “Come you were just 14, a little girl and you know I’m always extra worried about you, you’re the only person I have in my life. At least, the only one since your father left us when I was carrying you. This city was entirely unknown to me, I would not risk you to be out alone, this world is not a good place, my sweetheart.”

Lia still keeping her brown eyes and light brown eyebrows in a slight frown of concern says in a low voice, “Then why did we leave Manora city? All my friends were there, I loved the place and our house, I miss it so much.”

“Sweetie, you know momma has to earn her bread for you to be happy, I found a job here and so I moved here.”

“Mom, your job here is way more stressful, I hardly see you at home and you look so exhausted all the time, do you really like your job here?”

“Sure, I do. Now come on, please put this shirt on. You’re becoming a lady way before you should, you need to understand that outside and in school, you might get a lot of uncomfortable stares and I don’t want you to go through that.”

Lia thought about it for a second, she kind of gets and understands her mom’s sentiment but still entirely usure about it.

“Fine, mom. I’ll put the shirt on.”

“Good girl now go finish your makeup.”

While putting her makeup on Lia asks, “Is Roger coming?”

“Huh, what? How’d you know?”

“Look at you, checking out yourself constantly on my mirror, rushing for shower, you’ve got red nail polish on your fingers.”

“Uh- I mean- How does that correlate?”

“C’mon mom, I’m not stupid I’ve seen you be all dolled up every time Roger comes and I already understand he’s just not a new friend from this city.”

“Honey, I’m just trying to look nice in front of him, he’s a good man, we haven’t talked about tha-.”

“It’s okay, mom. I understand you like him, he’s good, I’m okay with whoever you choose, you deserve to be happy and not lonely.”

“Oh, dear.”

“Oh, and also, you’ve shaved your armpit hair, so that’s an instant giveaway.” Lia cracks a laugh and rushes out of house. “LIAAAA!!” Ms. Allen screams embarrassingly as she looks at Lia finally leaving the house.

Lia heads for St Dixon High School, few blocks away from here, her new school, giving her hopes and excitement of finally going back to school as well as being nervous about restarting social life, all over again. With every step she starts to have this creepy feeling that etch to her skin. She sees other girls walking to school as well, she knows they’re around her age, and yet being a 5’6” girl now finally seems like a bit odd to her, she has this odd feeling of being an outcast, she doesn’t get the reason first. But gradually she sees what her mom was talking about, the uncomfortable gaze of not just men regardless of age, but also the young school girls, the middle-aged grocery shopping women’s glare.

Liya thinks, “Why is it that the glares of these old women and girls my age are a glare where I can see their eyes filled with a pinch of anger, while the men looking at me makes me feel like they’re onto me, right behind me, rushing at me.” She slowly realizes the looks her on her breast, she looks at her one unbuttoned t shirt and quickly buttons it up thinking it might change but it didn’t.

She looks down to her feet just so the only thing she sees is just her steps and soon enough she realizes a lot more footsteps walking around her as she looks up and realizes she’s at the school gate. “Okay, Lia keep a straight chill face, stop thinking about what happened along the way and let’s just get in, relax these muscles.”

The same odd feeling creeps in once again as she realizes the same stares all around her, this time she pulls out some of her books and hugs it onto her chest.

“Well, well, well there pretty lady, where do you think you’re going?” says a brunette girl to Lia while a group of 3 other girls stand behind her.

“Class? I’m heading to class?” says Lia.

“You really think you can go to the class with that look on you? You really think that without my permission you can do that?” says the girl.

“Why would I need your permission?”

The three other girls let a mild screech out of disbelief, the brunette girl with her wide eyes lift her hand up and signal them to be silent, all the students in campus slowly paying attention to her. She says, “Every girl that dares to outshine me has to be my friend or require my permission in order to even sit at a class in 12th grade.”

“But I’m a 10th grader.” Says Lia.

“You’re a 10th grader? Did you fail twice or something? Still in 10th grade at this age?” as the brunette girl and the 3 other girls around her burst in laughter.

“What do you mean? I’m 15.”

“You’re 15? If you are, better focus on study, stop seeking attention all around in school.”

“What attention, I just walked up to here.”

“You talk a lot for a 15 year old, I’ll show you how to stay good.” As the brunette tries to pull the straps off Lia’s bag.

“LEAVE! HER! ALONE.” A girl shouts as she intervenes between them. Lia looks at her, she has this semi formal grey skirt and bottle green shirt on her, beige skin, dark hair, brown eyes, so elegant and confident.

“Oh, it’s you, Melena. Future School president trying to do her silly good election campaign against me huh? My man, Jansen seems too tough of a competition for you, huh?” says the brunette.

“Becky, I don’t waste my time on useless campaigning, the only one wasting their time is you, trying to mess with someone who’s not even in your class. Get off it, you’re embarrassing yourself around everyone.” Says Melena.

Becky looks around the crowd and brushes her hands of Lia. She looks at both and says, “Whatever I don’t have time for dealing with you pretentious kids, let’s go girls” and walks away with her friends.

“You alright?” asks Melena.

“Yes, I am, who were they?” asks Lia.

“Oh, don’t bother about them, that was Becky, you know the usual bitch in school with her 3 bitches Selena, Irin and Mitsi. Her father was the director of this school’s board and now she’s dating the current school president for 3 consecutive terms so that’s like 6 years of being the president. No wonder her ego’s off the roof.”

“What? 6 years? He’s been the president since the 6th grade? How can a 6th grader be a school president?” asks Lia.

“When he was elected, his father was the principal, a larger than life person who’s spoiled his son, he was here for 3 years and in those 3 years the election system has gone so bad that it has been a chaos.”

“Then why are you running for presidency? Isn’t it a hopeless effort?”

“This school has gone to chaos, the students, the staffs are either corrupted to the core or just the general happiness is pretty low. I know peeps expect a savior who’ll break the cycle and I know I can break it.”

“How bad is the school?”

“You’ll see when you go around. I’m sorry that you had to face such objectification right at the very first day, you might face some situations but be strong and have a stand for yourself.”

“Great, out of all the schools, mom had to choose this one.” Lia thinks.

“Btw, are you from section A?” asks Melena.

“Yes.”

“Me too, let’s head to class together.”

As they head together in class, Lia notices the backbencher jocks looking at her, whispering things and laughing at her, by this point she has a good idea now what’s up but she avoids the glare, some girls from the front row corner their eyes at her as if she’s alien to this place but most were confusingly looking at Melena as Lia walked with her and sat beside her.

After a while, a plus sized grey hair, pale looking middle aged woman entered the class, she introduced herself as Mrs. Penkin, their class teacher and their language teacher and she starts calling the attendance.

Lia hears everyone’s name being called out, there’s apparently a Lia Allen in the class as well who’s not present. After a while, the attendance has been called, but Lia’s name wasn’t called. Melena says, “You sure you’re from this section?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then confront her about it.”

Lia gets up and says, “Ma’am, I think you missed my name, I didn’t get my attendance.”

Mrs. Penkin lifts her eyes up from the monitor display and says rudely, “What’s your name?”

“Lia Rivers.”

“We only have a Lia Allen here, you sure you’re from this section? To be fair you don’t look like you’re a school girl either.” As Mrs. Penkin ignores Lia and looks back at the screen.

“What does that mean?” Lia thinks as she looks at Melena. “Whatever.”

“Ma’am my name is Lia Rivers there must be a mistake.”

“Talk to the registry after class. Anyways where were we last class students?”

Everyone went from staring at Lia to focusing back to Mrs. Penkin.

After the end of class, Melena guides Lia to registry.

Once at registry, they ask around and search around her name but there’s nobody named Lia Rivers in the database.

Melena asks, “Maybe you should type Lia Allen and see what comes up?”

Lia anxiously types the name and then she’s stunned to see it’s her picture. She thinks to herself, how can mom write an entirely wrong name? But then she sees her mom’s name as Judy Allen.

She freezes in confusion and shock. “Judy Allen? Mom’s name is Janet Rivers. No way this can be just a mistake, did she change her name? Why would she do that?” Lia keeps thinking.

“What happened?” Melena asks.

Lia shares everything to her. Melena looks at her confused and concernedly.