“Okay, Class, that’s all for today,” Miss Faylen said as the bell rang. “And don’t forget about the school dance next week.”

Cree, Jenny and Millie all gathered their books and headed for the door. “So, Millie, has anybody asked you?” Cree asked her as they all walked down the hall.

“Sure, plenty of guys,” she said. Then Jordon Demsey passed them in the hallway. “But…”

“Not Jordon,” Jenny said with a laugh. “Why don’t you just ask him?”

“And what, look desperate?” Millie shouted. “No way.”

“Come on, Millie,” Cree said as they reached the cafeteria for a snack. “There’s nothing wrong in asking a boy.”

“Easy for you to say,” Millie said as they got in line. “You have a steady.”

“That’s true, Cree,” Jenny said. “You don’t have to worry about not having a date.”

“And what about you, Jen?” Millie asked. “Has anybody asked you?”

“No,” she said. “And they’re not going to.”

Jenny could see her reflection through the chrome on the counters and started to cry. With her light blue skin and red eyes, she looked like a hideous monster. What boy would be interested in her? She ran off crying as her two friends followed her. They caught up with her at the cafeteria entrance.

“Jen, wait,” Millie said. “I’m sorry if I upset you. Any guy would be lucky to go out with you.”

“No, they wouldn’t,” Jenny said, trying to dry her tears. “I’m ugly, and that’s all there is to it.”

She started to walk off. “Jenny, wait,” Cree called to her.

Jenny looked back still walking away from them. “Please, Cree, just leave me a alone for a while.”

Jenny walked off down the hall feeling pretty down. She reached her locker and opened it, wanting to gather her books. She had homework in three different classes and didn’t want to fall behind.

When she looked on the upper shelf of her locker she found a folded piece of paper. “What’s this?” she asked herself.

She opened it. It was a letter.

Dear Jenny, she started to read.