Okay let me just say this was the hardest chapter I had to write because it's wrapping up things and the ending is near. A few more chapters left, and I might make a sequel afterwards. I'm not entirely sure, but enjoy! Happy Eid btw :D
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I closed the door after we all got in my room.
"Thanks for that Jess." I said moody. He shrugged.
"Anytime." He answered, and I rolled my eyes. Jesse pulled out his backpack that I didn't think much of. He opened it and threw something at me. I straightened it out and saw my jersey. "If you give it back again, it's gone for good, got it?" He threatened. I scratched the back of my head and nodded.
"I guess I could go without being so dramatic." I muttered, putting my jersey away. "Just don't go insulting my friends or girlfriend."
"Yeah man, don't let Alan punch you again." Kevin jokingly warned Jesse.
"Oh don't worry, next time I won't let him get away with it." Jesse said looking at me, laughter filling his eyes.
"Oh yeah?" I said approaching him. I threw my fist at his face only to have him grab my fist. He threw it aside and tackled me to the ground. Note to self: Don't underestimate a jock. "Okay yeah I asked for that." I weakly let out. I pushed him off me, and he got up laughing at me. Kevin was laughing too. "At least I got to punch you earlier." I said shaking my head.
"Lucky hit." Jesse scoffed.
"Hey, Blaine gave you the guide?" Kevin asked picking up the guide from my study desk.
"Yeah but I haven't read it yet." I said noticing Kevin look through it. He shared a look with Jess.
"He's about to read it." Kevin said amused. Jesse helped me up.
"You good man?" Jesse asked me when I got up.
"Yeah and I can't wait to read the guide." I said, grabbing my contact case. Jesse went beside Kevin and looked through the pages. They started laughing at some parts which increased my curiosity. I put my contact case in the bathroom and went to see Kevin putting the guide back on the desk and Jesse grabbing his backpack. "You guys leaving?"
"Yeah Kristy wants to meet up." Jesse said, a grin coming onto his face.
"She asked you out again?" Kevin said, his eyes widening a little.
"Hello, look at me." Jesse said, gesturing at himself. Kevin looked at me in confusion.
"I don't see it." Kevin said, dodging Jesse's punch and chuckling.
"Me neither, and I'm the smart one." I said.
"Ha ha." Jesse said.
We spoke for a while more before they left. Jesse told me he'll make it up to Blaine for what he said, so I wished him luck with Kristy. I closed the door, and a grin went on my face at the thought of finally reading the guide.
Intrigued, I said goodnight to my mom and got ready for bed. I put my contacts away and shut my door. I grabbed the guide and sat on my bed. I flipped the first page to see signatures. It was my signature all over the page, which was weird. There was a note on the bottom addressing the signatures.
"People feel more pushed to go through with something when they engrave their signature."
My jaw dropped. I wasn't signing anything?? No wonder the guys were laughing when they looked through the guide. I face-palmed, turning to the next page.
"The purpose of this project is to see how people can change their judgments based on the appearances. We want to experiment if getting accepted is worth changing yourself. The following pages will be describing the different steps and procedures we took to make Alan Gray change himself into what people want to see and hear."
I found myself eager to turn the page, so I did. The next page had the first step.
"Step #1: Changing His Hair
Alan's hair went from midnight black and messy to chestnut brown and combed straightly. We used temporary hair dye, so that it could go back to normal after this project. Many people have commented to his new hair style; they felt it made him look like a new person. A sudden indication that they see him differently and not as the person he truly is on the inside."
Two pictures were on the bottom. One with my hair normally and with it dyed. She wrote in her notebook but must've typed it later on her laptop. I remember when she took the pictures, and I couldn't help but look at my smiles. I must have always had one on when she was there. I went over the smile with my thumb before I turned to the next page.
"Step #2: Giving Up The Glasses
Alan has been wearing glasses almost his entire life. By replacing glasses with contacts, people were able to see his light brown eyes more clearly. They also went with his brown (hair-dyed) hair. His face was also more open to the judgments of our high school peers. This sudden change allowed him more accessibility with the popular classmates because they saw him as someone new. It gave them interest. Most of them didn't recognize him as well.
This also led to Alan being exposed to a new side of popularity."
Biting my lip, I blinked at the words in front of me. This is so weird reading about something that happened to me that someone else wrote. But then again, it's Blaine. At this, I looked at my phone and saw I needed to charge it, so I did so and returned to my bed. I shook my head and flipped to the next page.
"Step #3: Social Interactions
Social interactions could include parties, getting involved in sports, or hangouts. Although Alan didn't join a sport, he has been to a few parties. This was something new since he didn't usually go to them. He was seen as more relaxed and cool because of this. He started to hang out with jocks. He tutored some, and got others as best friends. He didn't change his personality; those friends he made were more impressed in how Alan wasn't in any rush to change who he really was.
This project began to teach us both that some people will only like/notice you because you're popular, but there are true friends who would care for you, popular or not."
A group picture was taken with Jesse, Kev, Blaine, and me. We were all smiling into the camera. I recognized it as when we went out to eat before they threatened to leave me and Blaine there. I laughed to myself; that was a great day.
"Step #4: Social Lingo
Social lingo is something important to pick up. Phrases such as 'what's up' need to be learned. This is because high school students usually converse with each other using them. The jocks that Alan became friends with helped him learn more social phrases. Small things like that actually helped Alan adapt to people's conversations.
Note: Alan's voice has deepened, so speaking these phrases with his new tone could have also made him seem different. A face free of glasses, new hair style, new speech, and new friends. Alan could have easily changed into someone different on the inside too."
Wow. She's right. I could have changed; I could have been the biggest jerk ever. I leaned my head back and looked up at the ceiling. I'm a junior in high school, who exactly did I feel the need to change for?
I looked back down and flipped the page.
"Step #5: Going to the Gym
Alan has started going to the gym. He used to hate it, just like everyone else starting a workout. He never understood why people would go through so much work just for others' appreciation, but he still went. He still goes four times a week. This could also be a sort of social interaction because he sees the football players from school there, and he is able to socialize with them. He has his friends Jesse and Kevin with him there as well.
Because Alan is going to the gym, he needs to eat more. So he even started to change his eating habits. His friend Jesse, especially, made sure that Alan eats more than enough, so he can work it off in the gym and get muscle."
I really did hate it in the beginning. Kevin certainly didn't go easy with my beginning exercises. He made me do the same ones that Jesse did. True friendship, right?
I glimpsed at my phone still charging before I turned to the next page.
"It's Worth:
I, Blaine Evans, have became curious what kept Alan rooted. There had to be a reason why Alan didn't change his self like many people do when they are exposed to sudden appreciation/popularity. In the mid-review for this project, Alan wrote a paragraph explaining just this.
'I honestly think it's the glasses that keep me sane throughout this project. Knowing that they are in my pocket always, it makes me remember that I was a nerd and to still feel conscious of people's feelings. I didn't want the popularity to start going to my head and start changing me. Then again, so much of me already did change. My contacts, my new deep voice, social skills, eating habits, gym days, my hair, and I made new friends. And what didn't change? Blaine is still in my life, homework still gets done, I don't skip classes, etc. Honestly speaking, I think this guide has made my life better.'
It seems as though this process has made Alan more outspoken but he never had let go of the person he was at the beginning. I think what this project has taught us is that everyone is different and special in their own way. We shouldn't have to change for others to see that; yes changing will get their attention and/or appreciation, but we shouldn't have to try to change ourselves. True friends will stick around regardless of anything. Alan began to wear his glasses again and keep his hair back to normal. People still go out of their way to talk to him but that is because they finally got to hear him when he fit their standards.
I am a cheerleader and Alan isn't a jock, but he's the best friend I have. He cares about people and puts others before himself. Above that, he's true to himself; and for that, he is truly cool."