This is a short essay written about social class by a middle school student. Insightful and interesting take on fashion and friends and the way it impacts social standing. Does much change after middle school?

When I was in fifth grade I had two worst enemies. Their names were Gloria and Jasmine. They disliked me because of my social class and what it represented. They and some other people are the reason why I am writing about my social class.

People judge me before they even know me.

Gloria always disliked me. She always hung around people with the newest fashion. I always wore sweats, so I think that it was natural (if you could call it that) to not like what I wore and therefore, me.

Jasmine disliked everyone except for five people and those people were just like her. She would always walk around criticizing people on what they wore. I can still hear her saying, “Man, you need to do get some new clothes and do something with your hair.” She did the same thing with the teachers only with one difference; she would not say it to their face.

She definitely did not like lower and middle classes.

I always had somewhat nice clothes. I just did not wear them because they were uncomfortable. That is why I dislike jeans; they are too tight and they feel weird, even the “loose fit”. I wore sweats because it was always too cold to wear shorts and too uncomfortable to wear jeans. Now I have new pants that are sort of a cross between the two.

Think it will make a difference? Probably not. Such is life in middle school. I wonder if it gets better later.