The girl next door

Posted by Saniyyah Ray in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on Friday, November 9, 2018 at 9:26 am

Some people turn they face when they get a first glance at me. Some people just don’t look at me at all. Sometimes kids ask their parents what is wrong with my face. I pretend not to hear them. I am different. I can’t just go to a restaurant and sit down without getting a million and one stares. I am something that is out of the ordinary. Once I walk in the room some people will say “oh my gosh” and turn away. My parents say I am a miracle child, but I think I’m just a kid with a weird face. I wear this helmet over my head most of the time to avoid problems even though my parents think I should show my beautiful face and some people think I am too old to be wearing this helmet. There’s nothing beautiful about this face of mine. I avoid looking in the mirror to escape reality.

I don’t really have friends. I spend most of my time playing video games and listening to music. The rest of my time is devoted to watching people in love. This might sound crazy but I love love. I see people my age in love and I say to myself “ Wow, I want to be in love”. I doubt anybody would ever love me though. There’s this girl who moved in next door who is so pretty to me. She smiles and waves at me every time she sees me but she never ever saw me without my helmet. I know she probably thinks I'm a weirdo for always wearing this helmet but she never makes me feel weird. I want to actually have a real conversation with her, but I’m scared she won’t like me anymore once she sees my real face.

My name is Rashad and I have Treacher Collins syndrome. I have lived with this my whole life. I have gotten a number of surgerys and been to the hospital more than you can imagine. Now enough about me, lets talk about Ciara, the girl next door. Ciara( smiles and looks up) Every time I say her name the biggest smile forms on my face. Situations like this never work out for me though. I usually just not get to excited because I know it won’t happen, but I was wrong. Thus was the first time I was going into a girl’s house that I liked. Oh I didn’t mention it? Ciara invited me over. My mom talked to my mom and next thing I know I’m getting a text from Ciara saying she wants me to come over. I am nervous as hell! I know I’m going to say stupid stuff , but I really just hope everything come naturally. I’m in Ciara’s house and it’s beautiful. It’s so colorful and bright and they have so many family pictures up. My heart is beating so fast that Ciara might hear it. My palms are so sweating which is crazy because my mouth is so dry. Here I am sitting down on her couch waiting for the impossible to be possible.

( Ciara starts speaking).

“What wait? “

“What do you mean you have can...”

“Well are you ok”?

“ Ciara I will love you no matter what”.

“ And I this time thought my face disfigurement was bad, that is nothing compared to what your going through.”

I would have never knew she had cancer because she is such a happy and cheerful person, and I love her, and she loves me , I am so lucky to love her. I found something I was always looking for and so did Ciara.

Love and someone who can understand one’s struggles.

Comments (8)

Ethan Chen

What move me emotionally is that he had some kind of facial condition that he is suffering from and what really got me was at the end he found out the person he likes has cancer. I like the little dialogue at the end which helps revealed it in a dramatic way.

Maysa Wright

this moved me because rashad started off upset at how he looked and what people saw and thought of him and how he could never find love. But in the end he found somebody to love and he started to realize that there are things that are worse than having a disfigured face.

Gabriella Torres

What moved me with you piece was the story behind how Rashad all he wanted was love and Ciara was someone who he loves but he wants someone to love him. Which was captured by Ciara telling him she had cancer which allowed him to to love himself while also loving someone else

Karim Mullen

What moved me emotionally was that there she was a girl that was scared to show her face because she thought she wasn't good enough.She found someone that has a problem but loves her for her not how she looks. The writing set this tone because she started off by telling us how every time she goes somewhere all people do is stare so she thought that she was ugly and because she had treacher collins syndrome so she kinda look down on herself.

Karim Mullen

Anthony Castro-Gomez

This monologue moved me emotionally because it talks about someone who is self-conscience about their face since they have a disorder. Rashad has to wear a helmet and she does not like to wear it and as soon as she meets a cute girl named Ciara, she falls in love. Ciara see's Rashad without the helmet and to read how Ciara did not say anything mean or ask any rude questions, makes me feel happy and at ease that Rashad found a nice new friend, who also had a disease which was cancer. The writing was very descriptive and included many emotions, such juicy and vibrant images painted throughout the monologue made me feel like I was in the main character's position. I loved the ending as well, it was very heartwarming. Great monologue!!!!

Aidan McLaughlin

It moved me that your character didn't like himself and didn't feel he could be loved because of his syndrome, but found love in someone who could understand. The writing exemplified this through a series of ups and down in the story beginning with him hating himself, then wanting love, then thinking he could not have it, then finding love in Sierra.