libby gave another light chuckle. while she was sure everyone else probably knew how to say margaret properly, and everyone would probably learn soon enough that dear margaret didnât even go by that name, it was funny to focus on the one studentâs mess up. â is it a tally for each person that says it wrong or just for each time its said wrong overall? â she grinned, playing along with the tease. it was much easier to make fun of the school than accept that they would have to get used to it. she considered molly maeâs words for a moment, maybe she had the right idea. but then again, would that earn her more mockery among her montauk peers? probably. definitely, the more she thought on it. but she nodded anyway, to show she understood. â mj was kind of cool, â she said after a moment, picking the more favourable of the two suggestions sheâd come up with herself. â youâd just have to figure out what the j is for. â and that would be relatively simple she thought. â maybe youâre secretly margaret mae jane burke? â she suggested, raising her brows. but quickly grin broke to another laugh, she knew it sounded stupid but it was all she could think of.
she laughed again when her sister blamed interstate travel for jetlag and that for her choice of names. when compared to a member of queer eye she reached out to nudge her again, though really, that had been exactly the kind of affirming advice sheâd been going for so she was rather pleased with herself. â exactly, whatâs that thing mom says all the time? â she questioned, despite the fact that she hadnât heard her say it very much recently. â nothing good comes from a bad attitude or whatever? â she was fairly sure that was it, and now that sheâd thought of it she would absolutely be using it as her mantra here at the school.Â
she thought for a moment, she thought really hard. thinking of each face she had seen while theyâd been walking around. trying to remember if any had stood out as people she might like to talk to. she eventually came to the conclusion that â no, no i donât think so. â she admitted, pressing her lips together for a moment before she continued. determined on her positive attitude. â but you know, theyâre probably just like hiding in plain sight. itâs the uniform, it makes everyone look ⌠â she trailed off, about to insult the uniform but remembering they had to wear it every day now. â not themselves. â she decided and thought that was accurate enough. she didnât look herself, molly didnât look herself either. then she sighed as she was reminded of a very sad fact. â i know, â she said, squeezing eyes shut for a second. a lack of football team and cheerleaders made it very hard to judge the social hierarchy. â but theyâll have something like football. something they get all puffy chest and proud about. â but even as she said that sheâd never imagine it was fucking track and swimming that everyone seemed to get around at broadripple.
As she spoke to her sister she was looking at the top of a nearby building, thinking that it looked more like something out of Game of Thrones than something that should be a part of her own life, âI could have two talliesâ she offered, her voice trailing slightly as she lost interest in the matter, her thoughts suddenly drifting to the reality of the situation; that this was where she lived now. In made a knot form in the pit of her stomach for a moment or so, it just didnât seem real, not yet. Libby was there, that felt real, the uniform made her skin itchy, that felt real but the rest felt as if it was a part of a stage production. She felt like a character in costume, playing a role for the day and once it was all over, sheâd go back to her normal life and leave all of this behind.Â
She looked back at her sister again, drawn from her thoughts when she started suggesting names. She couldnât help but laugh, âIs it weird that Iâm kind of surprised that isnât already shoehorned into my name somewhere? Like if Mom and Dad were going for a basic white girl theme, they really missed out on that one- oh my God, maybe it was so nobody could call me MJ, I bet theyâd hate the sound of that,â she mused as if sheâd given it any intellectual thought when really, she was just mouthing off, still thinking more about the fact that once they moved on from this very spot, theyâd return to their dorms, probably separately and Molly would have to come up with some way to spend the rest of her day without Libbyâs lead.
Instead of agreeing with her sister, or rather their mother, she let out a heavy sigh, as if she was physically releasing the bad attitude that was holding her back. She put on an obnoxiously bright smile and poked her cheek with her index finger, showing her grin off for a moment before it felt too sickly sweet to keep up. âGlass half full,â she noted, reminding herself as much as she was reminding Libby to keep it in mind. This was a new start, an opportunity and they had to embrace it. They had no choice, in fact.
âYeah,â she agreed, looking down at her own uniform and deciding with absolute confidence that Libby was correct. It was unflattering, the colors were dull and she felt like a Harry Potter character. She then looked at her sister and didnât feel quite the same sense of distaste, Libby would have far less trouble pulling it off, she was pretty sure. âLacrosse?â she suggested, âLike, remember Teen Wolf?â she added, âThatâs kind of sexy,â she suggested nonchalantly, she wasnât as convinced as she attempted to sound but she liked the thought of hot lacrosse guys anyway.Â