The 'it' girl of the in crowd

I was just friended on Facebook by the 'it' girl of my high school 'in' crowd.

Now, that may not seem like a big deal to you, but to an image and reputation guy like me, it's huge.

That's because, in high school, I had very little image and even less reputation.

My high school, like yours, had a rigorous social structure, akin to the Caste System in India. At the top were the Brahmins who reigned supreme. And at the bottom were the Untouchables who, were well, untouchable. And unlikeable. And pretty much unnoticeable.

I existed somewhere in the middle. As a very shy and introverted adolescent, I was quite content to just get by. I'm not sure why, but I made it my mission to fly under the radar at all costs. I simply didn't want to stand out.

The ‘it’ girl, on the other hand, moved in rarified circles. Like a Disco-era Marie Antoinette, she decided who she would like and whom she would allow to like her. She naturally dated the 'it' guy and together they ruled the roost as the it couple.

And, that was cool. And, that was then. And, this is now.

Since last crossing paths with the ‘it’ girl, I've lost my adolescent inhibitions, become fairly outgoing and done a few pretty cool things. Cool enough, I guess, to be accepted into the ‘it’ girl's virtual inner circle.

I feel a little like the late JFK who, after listening to Marilyn Monroe's sultry and sensuous singing of 'Happy Birthday' to mark his 45th birthday, said: “I can now retire from politics having heard the words of 'Happy Birthday' sung to me in such a sweet and wholesome way.” Ditto. I can now retire from the image and reputation wars having finally been accepted by the Brahmin of Brahmins.

Comments

[Lunch Boy]

solid topic. it's funny the way FB allows you to catch up with your past and judge how folks like her turned out.

i was the same as you, too. i switched from an all boy private learning institution to the big public school and had a hard time at it for that first year. soon, though, those that i thought were above the rest, turned out to be just as awkward, but projected themselves in manner that was accepted to most others, thus propelling them to the top of the class’ status.

today, i’ve learned that some of the “elite” have turned out to be a tattoo artist, a manager of an applebees, a hooters waitress, a mechanic, and a manager of a giant food store. one of the in crowd even ended up as a bit actor in a soap opera (cop #3 his status reads)! now, some did have a positive, well-earned outcome of course, but i guess i haven’t gotten that friend request yet.

AND, when it came to lunch, man, that’s where i really leveled the playing field. i owned that cafeteria!

[RepMan]

Thanks for the story, Lunch. Knowing you (and your street creds), I cannot picture you ever being shy around the ladies. That said, you’ve done well and should be proud of your success. Also, fyi, I’m hoping to connect with the “it” girl so that I can finally track down the hottest/wildest girl in the class. At our 25th reunion, a bunch of guys were standing around and reminiscing. One guy spoke up and said, “I’ll never forget Sally. She was my very first French kiss in freshman year. Then, one after another, we all chimed in, “Hey, mine too.” The first guy was devastated to find out how many of us had shared the same experience. Priceless.

[JanS]

So weren't you tempted at all to hit ignore? Or did the thrill of final acceptance outweigh cattiness - or is it a female thing, this retaliation?

[RepMan]

Neither emotion entered into my decision to accept the friending. I was simply happy to have been friended by her. No hidden agenda.