Resolutions

Fourteen-year-old Dotty scowled as she looked over her paper. She would go back to school tomorrow and had put off doing this assignment because she was afraid that Mrs. Phillips would ask for these to be read aloud.

She decided to reorder her list of resolutions, putting the most important one last. Doing it this way maybe the other girls would not tease her so much. They certainly didn’t need more ammunition for their bullying. She has hated the Kool-Aid Funny Face commercials ever since they began calling her pimple-faced Dorothy in sing-song voices.

Dotty finished eating a large package of chips. Still hungry, she searched through her hidden stash of goodies, then munched on peanut butter and cheese crackers. Her junk craving satisfied; she started over on a new page.

My Resolutions

1. Be more help to Aunt Thelma.
2. Be kind to everyone.
3. Get better grades, especially History.
4. Lose weight.
5. Do more exercising.
6. Ace my sewing class.
7. Get a job.

Dotty had searched through the remnants at the fabric store in September. Even though she’d chosen the two cheapest ones, Aunt Thelma had quibbled at the cost. She had said, “This means no packages of Twinkies for you this month.” Dotty nodded that she understood.

Maybe she could wash dishes after school at the greasy spoon where Aunt Thelma worked. The only problem was that she hated scrubbing pots. Getting a job would mean having enough money to purchase the kind of cloth that was shown in Vogue. Making new clothes might help her fit in with her classmates. Snotty Susan Ames seemed to have a new article of clothing every other week.

Dotty glanced at the clock, then put away her homework. In the kitchen, she washed up her breakfast and lunch dishes because her aunt would soon be home. Finished, she picked up a Harlequin romance novel to read.

Aunt Thelma arrived carrying take-out packages. These contained BLT sandwiches and onion rings tonight. Her aunt, as always, puffed on a cigarette as she ate, then put it out in her food. Knowing Thelma would grab a beer and drink several, Dotty gulped down her meal then excused herself. She grabbed the novel she’d left open on a chair arm, then fled to her bedroom.

She cried as she closed the book. Heroines always got their man. She wondered if she would ever have a boyfriend. Fantasizing how hers would look, she drifted off to sleep.

After eating bacon and eggs along with toast slathered with butter and grape jam, Dotty stared into the mirror as she popped the pimples and poked up the black heads then brushed her teeth. Glancing at the bedroom clock, she rushed to dress. After putting on her galoshes, she picked up the mountain of textbooks and her three-ring binder. She locked the run-down trailer’s door and put her key in a pocket.

Yesterday’s sleet had turned into snow overnight. She very carefully walked the two miles to the high school. Startled, she almost fell when a jalopy filled with guys tooted their horn beside her. Dotty was still putting her things into her locker when the first bell rang. She almost bumped into Susan as she turned with her English book in hand.

“Look at pimple-faced Dorothy in her same old clothes.”

Her clique giggled as they walked past. One said, “Watch out! Got to be careful. Don’t wanna catch her Cooties!”

Dotty glanced at them. Each wore go-go boots, and their skirts were more than an inch above their knees. She didn’t say anything, just put her head down and walked to homeroom. She couldn’t help gloating when Susan was sent to the principal’s office because her skirt wasn’t just rolled at the waist. It was actually that short. Dotty said, “present” when her name was called.

When she got to last period Social Studies, Mrs. Phillips surprised her. She said, “I asked you to write down your resolutions. Now I want you to think hard about those. Will you achieve each goal? If so, how will you accomplish it? Is any unrealistic? If so, why did you include it?” She paused. “You have till the end of class. Put both papers on my desk before you leave.”

Dotty glanced over her paper then detached it. She began writing on a fresh page.

1. Do dishes before being told. Don’t complain about going to the laundromat.
2. Better to be quiet than to answer back when they tease me. Lord says to turn the other cheek.
3. This could be difficult. I can’t seem to retain dates and events together. I’m going to try using  flashcards.
4. Going to limit myself to only one package of potato chips a day and go without any sweets. This will be extremely difficult for me.
5. Get up earlier and follow the exercises on the Jack LaLanne show.
6. I’m sure this is perfectly possible.
7. I may be too young, but I won’t know unless I try.

Dotty checked the blackboard, then wrote down the homework assignment. She placed both papers in the inbox on her teacher’s desk.

When she reached home, she tuned the kitchen radio to WCFL. As she washed dishes, she sang along to the Beatles song:

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Taking the song to be an omen, Dotty smiled. “I know I will succeed.”