Confessions of an Ugly Girl Read Online Free Page B

deluded enough to believe I look good. Usually when I’m in a public place, I take a quick glance in the mirror to make sure there isn’t toilet paper stuck to my face or something, then head out. The good thing about ugly girls is that we are super fast in the bathroom.
    I do wash my hands though. I swear. I read in a magazine that 20% of women don’t wash their hands when they use the bathroom. Ever since then, I haven’t been too keen on shaking hands with people.
    When I came back to my desk from the bathroom, I nearly had a heart attack: my computer was in bits all over my desk. I almost cried.
    “Don’t freak out, Millie,” Sam said. “I just replaced a part and I’m putting it back together. I promise.”
    He made good on his promise. He was pretty fast too. As he did it, he explained to me what he was doing and it seemed like he really knew his stuff. Not that I had any idea what he was talking about—for all I knew, he was making it all up. But I actually think he did know what he was talking about, because when he finished, he pressed the power button, and not only did the machine turn on, the hieroglyphics were gone. “You’re my hero,” I said. Then I blushed.
    “I’m sorry it took so long,” Sam said. It was almost eleven by now. I was so behind on my work, it wasn’t even funny. “Let me make it up to you. I’ll take you out to lunch.”
    I almost had a second heart attack. Was Sam actually asking me out ? I thought that was completely off the table.
    He must have seen the look on my face because he added, “A platonic lunch.”
    “I really shouldn’t,” I said. “I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on.”
    (That was true. But it wasn’t entirely why I said no.)
    “Maybe tomorrow then?”
    I felt my face getting really red. I didn’t get this at all. I had never been pressured like this to have lunch with a guy. I didn’t even understand how he had the courage to be so persistent considering... well, you know. But then again, he said it was platonic. He was new to the company and probably just looking for friends.
    “I’m really way behind,” I said.
    “Well, maybe someday you’ll get caught up,” Sam said. “My offer stays open. You know where to find me.”
    I was really relieved when he finally left, but I also felt a teeny bit empty. I really just don’t get asked out… like, almost ever. It’s really rare. I was flattered. He made me feel like I was actually attractive, at least until he insisted his invitation was platonic.
    “I can’t believe you turned him down,” Donna said. She raced over to my cubicle the second Sam was gone. Apparently, she’d heard every word. “He really liked you.”
    “What?” The way she was looking at him, I figured she didn’t see him as potential boyfriend material either. “He didn’t ask me out anyway. He said it was platonic.”
    “Yeah, except when you were gone, he asked me if you had a boyfriend.”
    “What did you say?”
    Donna raised her eyebrows at me. “Do you have a boyfriend I don’t know about? I told him no.”
    So it wasn’t about him wanting to make friends. He actually wanted to go out with me. I felt my face getting hot all over again.
    “You like him too!” Donna exclaimed triumphantly. “You’re blushing!”
    Considering practically everything makes me blush, I didn’t think this was a fair assessment. “I don’t like him,” I hissed at her. “My God, what’s wrong with him anyway? Why is he in a wheelchair?”
    “I think he’s a quadriplegic,” Donna said. “You know, like Christopher Reeve. Before he died.”
    “Great.”
    So that was that. Sam saved me by fixing my computer, was really nice to me, but I blew him off just because he’s disabled.
    I told you I wasn’t beautiful on the inside.
     
     
    July 18:
     
    When I got home from work today, my mail was missing from the mailbox. I assumed that my landlady had taken it. This happens at least once a week.
    I live in a one-bedroom