Page 47 of The Pucking Kiss

“Very good!” Aunt Glenda clapped her hands together in excitement. “Now go on. You’re on the right track.”

“I see my dad’s smile.”

“Yes. You’re right,” her eyes sparkled with hope. “And do you think they were losers too?”

I shook my head vehemently. Having lost my parents so young meant that I had placed them on a high pedestal. In my eyes, they were perfect.

“So then, why do you think of yourself as one?” she asked. “You carry a piece of them inside of you. I’m sure they’d be sad if they found out how poorly you think of yourself.”

I gulped, my eyes fixated on my reflection.

“She’s in there somewhere,” my aunt continued. “A confident, self-assured version of Romai. You just need to bring her out.”

“I don’t know how to do that,” I admitted.

“It starts with just saying kind things about yourself. If you’re constantly mean to yourself, how do you expect others to treat you differently?”

Her words felt like a warm blanket on a cold night, and I realized that this was exactly what I needed to hear.

All these years, I had beaten myself up for never being good enough. As a result, I was never able to open up to people or let them know the real me. The only friend I did have only wanted me around as long as I was comfortable being in her shadow.

But now I saw that it was only because I lacked self-esteem. It didn’t matter if others bullied me because I was my own biggest bully.

“How do I stop being so hard on myself?” I asked her, hoping that she’d have a solution.

She always did.

“Now that you’ve acknowledged that the problem lies with how you view yourself, we are halfway there,” she smiled. “No one can make you feel bad unless you give them the power to do so.”

“But I just feel like a loser,” I muttered, finally tearing my gaze away from the mirror. “It doesn’t matter how many positive things I say to myself when I just don’t feel like I’m good enough.”

“Well then, we just have to trick your mind into thinking you’re not a loser,” my aunt chuckled. “It sounds crazy. But trust me, it works.”

“I’m not as pretty as the other girls in the school. No one thinks I’m interesting enough to look at. What hope do I have?”

“Oh, Romai. Don’t say that. You’re the most beautiful girl I know. But if it’s really something that bothers you, we can always give you a makeover.”

“A makeover?” I repeated, feeling myself grow excited.

“Yes. A change in appearance is a great way to boost your confidence, and luckily for you, I have a great sense of style,” she grinned.

I looked down at my bitten nails and baggy clothes. Maybe I really did need a makeover.

“You don’t have to worry about anything, Romai,” my aunt assured me. “When I get done with you, the kids at your school aren’t even going to recognize you anymore. And that boy? He’ll be begging to get a chance with you.”

“Really?” I asked Aunt Glenda uncertainly.

I didn’t want to feel like a loser anymore and was desperate to take any chances.

Chapter 18

Bryan

“Here’s your test results back,” Mrs. Johnson smiled as she handed over the envelope to me. “Take a look. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

I opened the envelope slowly, my stomach doing cartwheels with anxiety.

This was my one shot to not be put on probation. If I failed this test, I was going to say goodbye to my sports scholarship dreams.

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