This is about middle school.

A lot of crap happened in 2006.
My dad got remarried. My new, blended family moved into a new house. My dad then retired from the military, making Bellevue, Nebraska the longest place this Military brat has been stationed, and thus my hometown. Forever.
It was also the same year I entered 7th grade!
I know a lot of people complain about Middle School, but it was pretty good time for this girl. While it was never Lizzie McGuire or Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, middle school allowed me to do big kid things with little kid consequences.

I had the strongest, most obnoxious self confidence in the world.

Say, if I was warned about a potential confrontation with another girl, I'd say something like:

"She said what about me? If she says anything to me 

I will straight up *punches fist into palm to enunciate 'straight up'* 

knock that girl out. But I don't even care sooooo *hair flip*"

Now if I was confronted in such a way I'd respond with something like:

"She said what about me? Well what the - actually yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. Man, I'm tired."

Or if some guy expressed his feelings for me, I'd just respond:

"Mmm, figures. Well I don't care *hair flip*"

If the same thing happened today:

To Creeper: "Okay *walks away quickly into large crowd*"

To Over Confident Guy: "No thank you *walks away quickly into large crowd*"

To Lesbian: "Haha...oh! Thanks? *walks away quickly into large crowd*"
To Handsome Guy: haha haaa! just kidding. That does not happen.

See the difference?

But that wasn't the only change, this braud had a serious Skater phase.

GameCube Son

Phase 1: Knowledge
Tony Hawk video games fan? Psshht! Already was, but knowing the skater lingo wasn't enough. What did skaters do in their down time? Well according to Viva La Bam and Jackass a bunch of stupid ish only white people could think of and get away with! I loved every second of it. (R.I.P Ryan Dunn & Ryan Dunn's beard).

Phase 2: Music

MySpace Playlist

Fall Out Boy and Paramore were cool, but nothing beat My Chemical Romance. At the time The Black Parade had just debuted, and I started to check out their other music. I loved the hooks, the anthem choruses, the morbid "emo" lyrics that I later figured out were white people problems, and how hilarious I found the frontman's extraneous yeah's, whoa's, and kick it man's! (the last became my text message ringtone on my flip phone, pimpin.) They were my favorite band, and thus their posters dawned my walls and confused my black parents, who feared that I would bring a similar guy home one day. (Now I wonder if they worry I will bring home anyone at all...*audience awww's*) I still love them to this day (though I think all MCR fans can agree that Danger Days, while awesome and so exciting to see the guys in a happier state, did not possess the same cinematic hugeness that they had before, "Mama" alone made me feel like I was on a pirate ship and everyone misses Bob), but I no longer appreciate blurry faces staring at me in the dark while I sleep - so posters gone.

Phase  3: Clothes

Vans, skinny jeans, hoodies, bangs, chunky black heart earrings, sunglasses...even in the winter. All the necessary things. And never any makeup. Not so much because I thought that made me look tougher, but my pops wouldn't allow it. (Only for dance recitals, pimpin.)
And now for your viewing pleasure, MySpace photos:

Shades & Hoodies

Posters on baby pink walls

Always a winner I am

Oh the days! By the way, do you know how long it took me to log back into my MySpace account? I invite you to do the same. I promise you will feel fondness of your innocence, then get really really mad at your stupid, obnoxious, overly confident, awkwardly skinny fat selves. Have fun!

This is,

MAB