She Likes it When You Smile at Her

Family, friends, and acquaintances reflect on the recent death of a teenage girl.

She Likes it When You Smile at Her

 

 

ALEXIS

     I was six the first time I met Alexis and we became best friends because both of our names was Alexis. We stayed best friends all the way up until freshman year

 

ROSALINE

she’s a b***h and I’m sorry I don’t feel bad about what happened to her, but I just don’t because she was ALWAYS a b***h and she never gave anyone any reason to like her even a little bit. I don’t even think I ever talked to her before, but she would always give me these mean, bitchy looks like she was better than me or something. So, like�"so like I’m not mad that she did what she did. That kind of stuff happens to bad people like her. I guarantee that she wouldn’t have cared if she heard I killed myself. That was the type of person she was. She didn’t give a f**k about anybody except herself. So don’t judge me for not being sad, because I don’t have a reason to be sad. I get sad and cry over people I actually like. I’ll never

 

MS. SPRINGS

Alexis was actually a very sweet girl, but she was misunderstood. Seeking attention is what she was doing. I could see it in her face. I only wish I’d talked to her more. She came to my office only one time. One time, but that was all I needed to sum up what was wrong with her. I just wish I could’ve had more time with her so I could’ve fixed things. I just feel sorry for her

 

ELIZABETH

have asked me a hundred times so I’ll say it again and this’ll be the last time, because I’m sick and tired of talking about it… SHE WAS MAD BECAUSE I WOULDN’T GET HER THE NEW CELL PHONE SHE WANTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

ALEXIS

she slept around a lot during Freshmen year. She changed so much that I couldn’t be her friend anymore. She was defiantly on a downward spiral. It was kind of like she had become a completely different person.

 

ROSALINE

was a complete b***h

 

ALEXIS

and I always asked her why she acted so weird and she’d always just brush me off. She defiantly wasn’t the Alexis I grew up with. She started wearing s****y-type clothes and she�"everything she did was all seductive-like. And she was always desperate to be the center of attention. She became really stupid, too. We used to talk about things that were actually important, but she started talking about empty, stupid things. She’d be obsessed with things like shoes, and what the Senior girls were wearing, or what girls the football players were into. I know that sounds like a typical high school girl, but Alexis was never even close to being like that. She was actually kind of a nerd in middle school, but in high school, she became obsessed with all of that stupid nonsense. Not even normal girls are obsessed with things like she was. It was really hard for me to see her like that

 

JOHNNY

nervous about taking her out, but I kept reminding myself about all the guys she’d already been with and how easy it would be. It was crazy! I was finally gonna do it and it was gonna be with one of the hottest girls in schools. Anyway, I told her I was gonna take her to Red Lobster and

 

ELIZABETH

she used to be on the computer looking at the phone for hours and hours. I kept telling her that I couldn’t afford it, but that’s Alexis. She would still look at the damn thing for hours and hours and hours and hours

 

MS. SPRINGS

and I can only imagine how hard things were for her at home. Sometimes I think she might’ve been both physically and verbally abused. I’m sure there’s a full list of people that are to blame for what happened to that poor girl. Girls don’t become like that by themselves

 

ALEXIS

we had our first fight when she tried to get me to dye my hair red with her. I told her that was crazy and that my parents would kill me if I did it, but she kept begging and begging and I got really annoyed so I screamed at her and then she started crying. I tried to calm her down, but nothing was working

 

ROSALINE

don’t think I’ve ever met an attention w***e as big as Alexis. I mean, she was probably worse than that blonde girl off of Mean Girls.

 

MS. SPRINGS

She had a beautiful, demanding walk, that girl. It’s rare that you see girls as beautiful as that and when I think about how beautiful she was I remember what a shame it is about what happened to her and all. It’s a darn shame that life was so hard on a girl like that. Such a sweet girl, thwarted by this evil world. If only I’d got the chance to convince her not to do it. She’d be here today, I’m sure. Such a respectful young woman

 

JOHNNY

and Jake told me she can deep-throat really really good so I’m especially looking forward to that

 

MS. SPRINGS

she told me that she was a virgin and that girls picked on her. I always told her that she should be prideful that she’s remained so resilient against sex, but she would just sit there looking at me in a strange way. Almost like she wanted to laugh. Poor girl. She was delusional. The world put too much pressure on her. Too much for her pure

 

JOHNNY

I’ll ask Michael for a condom. I wanna save the money I got for the movies next week. I’m taking Rosaline out cause she’s been begging me forever

 

ELIZABETH

should’ve saved her own money up and she could’ve got the stupid phone herself. I guess some of this could be my fault. I spoiled her when she was little…a phone…all this for a goddamn phone. My daughter’s gone over a…cell…a cell phone…

 

ALEXIS

we stopped being friends when she told me she did it to two college guys at once. That was when I realized I couldn’t be around her anymore. She wasn’t the same Alexis anymore. When I told her I didn’t want to see her anymore, she cussed and cussed and ran off crying. I cried when I got home. I thought about calling her, but I knew I would just be falling into a trap because I would only get hurt all over again if we made up. The next day at school, we pretended like we didn’t see each other when we passed each other in the halls. It wasn’t long before the whole school started talking about our falling out. They still talk about it. Even more now, because she

 

ELIZABETH

…a phone…

 

ROSALINE

and one time I heard her talking about all of the sex positions she’s been in and she even said she did it to two college guys at once. She always talks about sex and she walks around school dressed like she’ll get naked at the drop of a hat. I’ll kill her if she ever tries to talk to Johnny. She’s always looking at him. Always licking her lips at him. Always flirting with everybody. Always loud and desperate to get attention. I’ll kill her if she tries to talk to Johnny

 

JOHNNY

I just honked the horn because she told me to just honk the horn

 

ROSALINE

kill her

 

JOHNNY

she was wearing this tight, red dress and I reminded her we were just going to a regular restaurant but she licked my ear and told me that I was special and that she wanted to be beautiful for me. I got horny right there. I couldn’t make myself go down. I kept looking at her MASSIVE b***s. I couldn’t wait to I couldn’t wait to I couldn’t wait to

 

ALEXIS

I saw her in Ms. Springs’s office one day. When I saw her in there, I got to thinking real hard. I realized that something might be really really wrong with her. Poor Alexis. After school, I went in her office and asked her about Alexis, but she said that it wasn’t any of my business and that I’d done enough harm to the “poor” girl

 

MS. SPRINGS

Alexis didn’t have any friends. All of the girls were jealous of her. Things like that happen when a special girl like Alexis

 

ELIZABETH

a Samsung Galaxy a Samsung Galaxy

 

ALEXIS

at first I thought about just letting Ms. Springs deal with Alexis, but I realized all she wanted to do was baby her. She’s loved Alexis since 7^th grade year when Rebecca committed suicide. I hear that she’s telling people she hasn’t known her that long, but she has. She wants her to be her daughter. That’s why I had to look up things on my own

 

ELIZABETH

she should’ve saved up

 

ALEXIS

I looked up personality disorders.

 

JOHNNY

We had a great conversation when we were at the restaurant. She was a really good talker. We talked about college, books, movies, football, sex

 

ALEXIS

and she had symptoms of Histrionic Personality Disorder. It matched her perfectly. I cried that whole night. Just stared at that computer and cried

 

JOHNNY

I fucked the s**t out of her at that motel. She told me I was good, too. Said I was the best she ever had

 

ALEXIS

I told Ms. Springs about what I’d looked up, but she told me that I was being cruel and that I should just stay out of Alexis’s life forever. I told her to just look up things about HPD and she started yelling at me, her eyes red and everything. She said that it was girls like me that made life hard for girls like Alexis. I asked her one more time, but she just ignored me. She closed her eyes. I left.

 

MS. SPRINGS

They don’t make girls like Alexis anymore. She was a lady, is what she was. But the world took her. The cruel world took her and it’s my fault I didn’t stop it. She should’ve had the chance to live life. To go out into the world and thrive. Entice people with her strong spirit. But the cruel world took her. Killed her. Put that knife to her wrists. Alexis made it possible to hope for these teenage girls. To hope that they might have some dignity about themselves and become proper ladies. But she’s gone now. Dead. My poor Alexis. My poor poor poor Rebecca

 

ALEXIS

I called her mom and told her that Alexis should see a psychologist or something, but she just kept talking about how Alexis was only mad about not getting the phone she wanted and that she was only acting like a baby and that she would be back to normal once she got over it. And she told me she was going to surprise her with the phone next month and that it was getting harder and harder to deal with her bad attitude and wait to get it for her and she was almost ready to give in

 

ELIZABETH

phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone  phone phone phone phone

 

JOHNNY

I couldn’t keep my eyes off her when I saw her on Monday. Boy did I want it again. I just knew that I’d call her. Sexy. Just pure sexy. Hair was sexy. Lips were sexy. Hips were sexy. Legs were sexy. A walking goddess. I did it to her, too. God it feels good to say that even if it was only once

 

ALEXIS

I called her, crying, and told her what I thought. She yelled at me, told me she hated me, and just hung up. I cried that whole night.

 

ALEXIS

and he was a nice boy and I wanted to do what Ms. Springs told me to do and try to go out with a nice boy and I did and he took me to that motel even though I didn’t want to but we went anyway and he did it to me even though I kept telling him not to and I cried and everything but he kept doing it and it hurt but he wouldn’t stop and I just gave in gave in gave in and Alexis called me that night and I shouldn’t have hung up because I really wanted to talk to her but I was so sad and I didn’t know what to do so I just hung up and now we’ll never be friends again and I miss her and there’s something wrong with me and he was supposed to be a nice boy because everybody told me he was a nice boy but he wouldn’t stop even though I was crying and I tried to do what Ms. Springs said but he was supposed to be a nice nice nice nice boy but he did it even though I was crying

 

ELIZABETH

she likes it when you smile at her

 

ROSALINE

She likes it when people smile at her

 

MS. SPRINGS

she really likes it when you smile at her

 

JOHNNY

she likes it when I smile at her

 

ALEXIS

Alexis hates it when you smile at her.