After she got her tears under control, Melissa looked at herself in the restroom mirror. It was the first time she got a good look at herself. Her dress looked ragged and old, probably a hand-me-down. She wore no make-up and her hair was bristly, although it was at least formed into a hairstyle. But she wasn't too wild about having her hair in a bun.
She looked like a girl who had just stepped off the boat from across the Atlantic. No wonder people made fun of her.
"Come on, Melissa," Gladys said. "Yukio's probably gone by now. You can get your books."
"Okay. Vee can go," she said, realizing that her accent had gotten so thick now that she was pronouncing her W's as V's, just like someone from Romania (or in the vicinity). It took too much concentration to form unaccented words, so she just gave up.
They left the restroom and went back to Melissa's locker.
