The Imperfect Barbie --- by Jessie Yen
Written by Jessie Yen
E4A
Composition 1
Instructor: Mr. Kenneth M. Smith
Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
June 2012
Number of words: 4210
Words checked: 4079
Words in Oxford 3000: 89%
About The Author
Jessie Yen, a born-and-live Taiwanese girl, is now a fourth year student at Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages. Five years ago, she was away to China and Indonesia a yearlong in order to stay with her parents who worked abroad.
The Imperfect Barbie is her first English novel, inspired by her early insight and realization of life after she had the experience of living abroad in China and Indonesia.
Writing is not Jessie’s best skill in English, yet she still took her first step and finished her semi-biographical novel.
Contents
Prologue……………………………..... p.
Chapter 1: Barbie Girl, Barbie World … p.
Chapter 2: Dream Comes True? …….... p.
Chapter 3: Mirror……………………… p.
Epilogue………………………………. p.
References…………………………….. p.
Acknowledgement page………………. p.
Prologue
“The Best Cheerleader of East. A high school goes to…… Christina Whiteman!”
---The Best Cheerleader, 2001
“Christina Whiteman, the youngest president of East A. Student Union.”
---E.A Student Newspaper, 2001
“The winner of this year Homecoming Queen is...... Christina Whiteman!”
---Homecoming dance, 2002
“Christina Whiteman…… has won another academic award of……that has already held admission invitations of five of The Ivy League universities, including Harvard and Yale at her 10th grades……”
---quoting from ‘Teens’ magazine, 2002
Don’t get it wrong!
If that Christian Whiteman had not shown up in my life, I would be the one who received all those title and accomplishments, instead of the following…
“Sorry, Liz, I really voted to you this time,” said Jamie Osteen, the anchor of the annual Homecoming dance.
“I’m sorry, Liz, they only need Christina to go to the interview,” said Mr. Orland, our principle.
And……
“Sorry, Liz…” from everyone…
This is Liz Brown speaking.
And I’m here to accuse a Barbie-girl, Christina Whiteman, who have stolen my perfect high-school life and my dream of being a perfect girl.
Chapter 1
Barbie girl! Barbie world!
On each of our birthday, we were urged to make three wishes before blowing out the candles. And when these wishes were made in our childhood, like in five or six years old, young girls would mostly dream of owning a pony, a unicorn or a Barbie house with a Barbie doll, but not for me.
Daddy did give me a Barbie house and a Barbie doll when I was four.
Christy was my best friend. It was because of her pair of earrings, which looked like crystal made, that me called her Christy. I seldom left her alone by herself, even when I wee-weed. She owned a pair of ocean-blue eyes, corn blonde hair and a figure that never needed a diet.
I was actually quite envy her for owing such a “God-made outfit.” Beside her outward, her splendid smile and her ability of being people in various jobs (nurse, teacher, singer, etc.) made me believe that she was a brilliant girl who had both inner and outer beauty.
Therefore, I started to copy what she was wearing in my human size. I would also sneak off to Mom’s bedroom, and put up some make up like Christy.
In fact, it was not too hard to modify her. We all got faces with a pair of eyes, a nose and a mouth. We have sound body and limbs. Most important of all, I was fortunate enough to have the same skin color as hers. That would definitely make everything a lot easier.
However, my hungry giant friend, which so called desire, never stopped asking for more. I did not only want us to be alike, but to be more intimate. I wanted a living Christy!
I know this wish was a bit hard to be true, even my parents could not fulfill it with all their property. So, I decided to seek for the help from the supernatural power.
I did not believe in Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy or Fairy God Mother. I knew there was something more powerful! I once read a verse from the Bible, “All things are possible for those who believe.” I was quite touched by this line, so I determined to pray to God, The One and Only.
Day after day, night after night, I prayed whenever I could in order to fulfill my dream. I also behaved myself and tried to be a good kid. I even stopped asking Maria, the nanny, to do my schoolwork.
However, Christy’s height was still in her usual bottle-height. Never lengthened nor shortened. And not any of my family members or my classmates was a bit like Christy.
Furious and disappointed was I and decided to complete my dream by myself.
Well, if they are not going to help, I should do it on my own! I would create one in my own world and my own people.
But who would be the ideal person of being Christy?
Who had both inner and outer beauty to be the perfect Barbie?
I had listed all my close friends and relatives in my scrap book. At the end, none of them survived. When I looked into the mirror, standing on the edge of giving up my plan, an idea flashed into my mind.
What about YOU, Ms. Liz Brown?
I looked into the mirror and began to examine myself. “You said you could read when you were three? You look fine as everybody,” said my inner judge, proclaiming his sentence.
“Unfortunately, you are not blond,” a Simon Cowell sound interrupted.
“I could dye my hair when I grow older.” I responded, “If mom is going to approve that, then, I think you are the one!”
From that moment on, I began my Barbie dream.
I never ate excessively in any of my meal. I worked out at least one hour a day. I had never gotten any grade under A since my first grade. I was booked every weekend for different parties and dances.
I had a boyfriend, who also called Ken.
My dream seemed almost completed, until the storm that hit and crushed my castle.
Chapter 2
Dream comes true?
“Lizzy Brown!” said Becky, turning my head back to her round face.
“I told you not to call me Lizzy!” I said, with a little annoyance, and headed down to my lunch.
“Liz, you have got to stop starring at that new student! You are like a pervert.” Ruth said mockingly.
Ruth and Becky.
They had been my best friends long ago. And the only two people who knew my Barbie dream.
“I know I seldom praise people, but that girl was just like my Barbie, Christy.” I could not help but peeked at her long golden hair.
“Chill out, hedgehog. Even Madonna is never going to replace you. ” Ruth replied with her usual teasing tone.
“Ruth is right, Liz. You are Liz Brown, the only student who got inner and outer talent, won a full scholarship before entering high school and had your own fan club as a Hollywood star. You are already a legend in East A. High,” Becky looked at me with her two big innocent eyes.
“But when she steps in the cafeteria, I have this goose bump. Something is going to happen,” said I.
Yet my instinct had proved me right. That was the first I met the biggest threaten in my life, Christina Whiteman.
“She is a transferred student from Los Angles with two of her friends Olivia Hudson and Evelyn Horner,” said Jordan, my biggest stocker and the creator of my fan club, who came up from nowhere, “She also got a full scholarship before she entered East A. High, and she was a cheerleader at her previous school. I heard that our cheerleading team had already invited her to join the squad.” Jordan pushed his huge pair of glasses that did not fit on his tiny body and face like a little old man.
“Wow, Liz. She might be your lost twin sister,” Becky said with excitement, “though Liz, you do not know how to do the pon-pon thing,”
“It is not even an exercise,” Ruth noticed the worry from my eyes and padded me on my right shoulder.
Everybody has a weakness, even a perfect Barbie.
I might be good at mental exercising, however, not as much as in physical exercising, especially in cheerleading. I had once tried to learn their routine, but I fell from a male cheerleader’s shoulders and broke my left ankle.
“Right! It is just a bunch of Can-can dancers, wearing uncompleted clothes,” Becky soon added after looking at my uneasy face.
“Well… I think it would be good on you… you know wearing their uniform…Oh…Goddess…” murmured Jordan.
“We better get you out of here before he forced you to wear it in front of your fans.” Ruth said, with her trailer ready in her hand. And we all ran off from the cafeteria.
Later on that day, Christina Whiteman got into the cheerleader squad, and according to the head cheerleader, she said she had never seen such a wonderful performance in her whole cheerleading life.
Moreover, she did not only express people by showing her physical talent, but also her remarkable intelligence on her academic work.
First, she stole my place in English Writing class after Mr. Helmond recited in front of the whole class ‘the most outstanding and brilliant work that he had read through his teaching career.’ He turned all the focus from once who was also his favorite student, (“My Dear Lizzy.”) to his latest aim, (“My Dear Christina.”)
Not only this. It was just the beginning of her dethroning plan.
She made an outstanding presentation on science class, she got full grade on her math exam, and she was the only student who could communicate with our French teacher.
Within three months, she had taken all my accomplishments and spotlight away, which I had established for the whole year.
Moreover, Jordon even helped her build up her own fan club called ‘Christinality’!
That still was not it.
She started to volunteer in our community; giving food and clothes to the homeless, donate some money to the poor so on and so forth. And because of her kindness and generosity, the whole school began to do charity, too! There were donations for dogs and cats, donations for AIDS, donations for women right, donations of all kinds. People went crazy about this charitable thing.
Even if she was all sweaty and dirty after doing her volunteer work, she could still lead the style and fashion of our school.
For example, Monday, she wore a v-neck sweater on top with thin jeans and high boots like what Jennifer Anniston would wear when she went to get some grocery in the supermarket. But the next day in the morning, everyone, I mean everyone, would have the same outfit like that.
God must have played a joke on me. I did ask Him to give me a Barbie friend in reality. But not like this! This girl had ruined my entire life!
And it was me who came up with the whole Barbie world thing! Not Him! He could not just send an angel to compete with me!
“No! I could not give up just like that!” I told myself.
I started to do some charity work. I donated anonymously to an infamous charitable association online.
However, after sending my donation, I never heard anything from them anymore. And when I called to ask for my receipt, the phone was unavailable!
Charity work seemed not that easy as I thought. Therefore, I jumped to the next plan.
I went to driving some driving classes. The reason that I wanted to learn how to drive was that Christina had a Murciélago which helped her get more attention from those male students. (Ken, my boyfriend, was like a lizard that was stocked on her car, asking her all the mechanic questions.)
I owned a Porsche Boxter, but I did not know how to control this red bull. So, I asked Ruth to teach me.
“Um… Liz,” Ruth hold tightly with the car handle.
SQUEAL!
I was so nervous that I stepped too hard on the gas pedal and the brake pedal and the tire screamed sharply.
“Liz…”
“I am so sorry… I can handle this,” said I, figuring out how to control the dancing car.
SQUEAL!
“Liz, Liz, I want you to put me down for this instant” Ruth said, trying to remain calm.
“But I am almost there. We are almost out of our garage.”
“No, stop the car! Stop it right now!” she finally yelled out.
“Oh… Alright.” The car stopped with its the long complaining.
SCREECH!
Ruth did not comment on my driving skill, but rushed out of the car, and……
“Errgh…………” vomited on our garden.
“Liz, come down from tree. You are going to hurt yourself!” Becky yelled when I finally climbed up that big oak tree in the back yard of our house.
“I need to do this! Becky! I want to be a cheerleader, too! If I could conquer… my fear of height, my dream would be fulfilled!” I replied with my whole body trembled.
“For god sake, Lizzy, your dream would kill you first before you fulfilled it!” Ruth called out from her throat.
“I am Okay, right here. I’m O.K. I’m… AH!”
With all the sudden, I slipped from one wet branch and fell from the tree.
Ruth and Becky quickly rushed toward me.
“Are you alright, Liz? Are you hurt?” Becky asked anxiously.
“Why can’t I be like her? She stole everything from me! I want them back!” my tear can no longer be held and burst out.
Both my friends lied down beside me.
“Maybe it’s time for you to find another goal, and started to be who you really are.” Ruth said softly, petting my head.
We closed our eyes and held our hands together.
“Please take my wish back. Please take it back,” I prayed secretly.
Chapter 3
Mirror
Time flew cruelly as it always did.
We celebrated our new year, 2002, the last year of our high school. I did not quite remember what had happened in the latter 2001.
Becky said I missed the Home Coming party, though I thought I was there.
“Well, you were in your pajama. We had to send you home . But you were one of the candidates of the Home Coming Queen, you know,” she said, trying to sound cheerful.
According to Ruth, I was a like a zombie the whole year who only knew nothing else but breathing.
After falling down from the tree, the world was still the same. Christina was still the super star, who recently won the Home Coming Queen and was interviewed by the “Teens” magazine.
And me, I was only a history. No one cared if a history got D on her History class. No one cared if a history wore a pajama to the Home Coming Dance. And No one would ever care what a history was like.
“OK. Now we would like to do a little activity. A sharing time, I would call it.”
Mr. Helmond’s voice interrupted my self-pity time and dragged me back again to his literature class.
“After reading Shakespeare’s plays through all these years, I would like you to think about one person that could represent your characteristic. In other word, who do you think that is similar to your … uh… no matter to your romance, your family, your dream or your ambition? Alright, let’s pick up someone here… Mr. Plummer, what do you think?”
Oh, right. We were studying Shakespeare’s plays for the whole year, and we had just finished King Leer.
“Well,” Alex Plummer responded, “I would say Romeo.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I have found my love that I would sacrifice myself in order to be with her,” he turned to his girl friend, Amanda Parson, and blew a kiss to her. And she responded to him with a passionate look.
“Paper bags, sir… for all of us… Ergh…” someone soon released us from the horrible scene.
“Alright, calm down, people. Let’s hear another one… let’s see… uh… Ms. Brown… Ms. Brown, are you there?”
“Pssss…Liz…” Becky poked me from the back with her pen.
“Hum? Oh, over here, sir.” I replied.
“There you are Ms. Brown. We thought we lost you again. So, who could represent our dear Ms. Brown?” he walked near to my seat.
“Well…I …I …” I was so nervous because I was not paying any attention to him. And this was the first time that I spoke up in public after my dejection.
“Any special character you could come up with? Smart Portia? The Beautiful Hermia? Or the kind Ophelia in Hamlet?”
Wait. I knew that name.
“I… I think I am akin to Hamlet.” I replied timidly
“And why is that?” He stood in front of me, watching me like an inspector questioning his criminal.
“Hamlet… was… not understood by others… since he could not tell anyone about his revenge. And it is painful when you are not approved by others when you are up to something big, like pursuing your dream.” I peaked a bit at Christina, but she did not raise her head. She seemed to do some writing on a small piece of paper.
“So you two are like bosom to each other, huh? Both been denied by people?” He asked.
“Yes, I supposed…” I replied, almost whispering at the end.
“Good, thank you Ms. Brown. Alright, now regarding your assignment today, I would like you to write down more about your spokesmen or spokeswomen in William Shakespeare’s works, and at least two whole pages, due next Friday,” He added, “You may take your leave now.”
“Poove… what a release,” Becky said behind me when we were tidying our stuff, “I was so worried about you. But it turned out that your brilliant brain was safely remained.”
“Thanks, Beck” I hugged her and squeezed her with all my strength.
“Christ, hurry, the squads show in the cafeteria!” yelled Olivia, one of Christina’s friends, waiting for her at our class’s door.
“Coming,” Christina responded inside the classroom, and quickly crabbed her things and rushed out of the classroom.
A piece of paper dropped from her hand, but she did not notice.
I went close it and picked it up.
It was a spontaneously note pad, with her funny doodle of Mr. Helmond and some words:
Macbeth (x)
Hamlet misunderstood新增時間 : 2012-11-16 09:36:58
