Tears fill my eyes as I read the words on my screen. The world seems to stop spinning for the slightest second as I re-read the anonymous message over and over again, gripping on to the hope that the words will magically disappear. But they didn’t. Anon had done it; they’d figured out that the only way to make me take off my hijab was to call my hair ugly. My one weakness.
A tear streams down my left cheek.
Eight years of academy hijab training…wasted. I had to prove this extremely relevant and good-looking anonymous person wrong, I cared too much about what they thought. How could I live my life knowing that there is one person out there who thinks probably my hair is ugly maybe? How could I look myself in the mirror? How could I face my family? My shoulders shook as I cried silently, and my chair squeaked ever so slightly at the vibrations; as if it, too, was crying in sorrow.
It wasn’t until that moment that the second part of the message dawned on me… how would I prove them wrong without breaking the rules? Was it really against the rules? I reach into my hijab and pull out a scroll. At the very top, in cursive jet-black inked letters, the word ‘Rules’ stares back at me. My heart is racing as my eyes frantically read the scroll.
‘Rule #1: no killing people,’ it reads. I let out a whimper. There go my evening plans.
Suddenly, my eye catches the next words. The scroll is rustling in my trembling hands as I turn my face away, tears spraying out of my eyes like the spit of a white person as they try to justify racism. The cursive words felt more like a curse of words, vivid and refusing to disappear as if I were still staring at them even through my closed eyes.
Rule #2: don’t show ur hair girl it’s ugly lmaooooo
for my entire life i wondered why a dragonfly has an ass thats like 8 times as long as their body and tonight i finally felt compelled to investigate and as it turns out dragonflies breath thru their ass and can shoot water out of their butt hole to make them fly faster…….so…… i really did not expect that to be the answer but there it is
Seems like only yesterday we were both little girls wishing our fairy tale dreams…and tonight they’re finally coming true!
I love Charlotte and Tiana so much (and Charlotte’s dad, honestly) because very rarely could a mixed-race friendship like this work back then, even with small children, much less carry over into adulthood. The fact that Charlotte’s dad not only let Charlotte be friends with the daughter of someone who worked for him, a girl from a relatively poor family, but a black girl, and never taught Charlotte to hide her love for Tiana is amazing to me. And Charlotte, as spoiled as she is, never hesitates to put Tiana first.
And sharing clothes with Tiana??? Doing so publicly, at a party, knowing everyone would know the blue dress Tiana was wearing belonged to Charlotte? Huge deal. HUGE. People would be making snide comments about Charlotte and no doubt her dad for months after that in real life. But Charlotte didn’t care. She didn’t care that she went to a predominantly black neighborhood and was visibly affectionate with her working-class black friend in front of everybody, she didn’t care about sharing clothes with her, or hugging her at the end, even though it could’ve ruined her social standing.
Charlotte loves Tiana. And I’ve always liked that because too often the privileged, popular friend makes the choice to snub their less-popular, less-privileged friend at some point. Charlotte never does. And she probably put up with a lot of s***, too.
Yeah, I was waiting for the heel turn till the end of the third act to be honest, but it never came.
i drew this little friend and i dont know what he is but i love him
what a good post everybody! i love this drawing! good thing that’s all there is 2 this post and nobody had to add anything punching him in the face and then having him retaliate and turning it into a post 5 miles long! that’s all folks!
