I was sitting at the bottom of the steps in the freshmen hallway with one of my best friends, Hana. Class didn't start for another fifteen minutes

"Honestly, I don't think anyone likes me," I said opening my heart up to Hana.

"What do you mean? Everyone loves you. You're so funny and nice." she replied like she was almost offended at my thought.

"Thanks, but I'm not talking about school and friends. I mean in the community, like, among the older ladies."

"Who cares what they think?" Her question was rhetorical, but I answered anyway.

"Me! Come on, all they do is feel sorry for me because neither one of my parents is around!"

"That's not true-"

"Yes. It. Is." I said every word separately. "When they look at me I see the pity in their eyes. Face it, I'm an outcast.

"Danya," she started to say, but my cousin Sherry emerged from the congested throng of students.

"Hi Danya," she said grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey," I said. "why are you so happy?"

"Guess what? Sarah had her baby!" Sarah was a friend of the family and the mother of the most annoying boy in my grade.

"She had a baby? I didn't even know she was pregnant!" I cried. Hagar and Sherry both laughed.

"And I bet you didn't know the baby was named Danya."

"No I didn't."

"They named her after you."

"Shut up, no way!"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

She sat down and by the way she made herself comfortable, I knew it would be a long story. She told me the story with so much energy that I wish I had that energy so early in the morning.

"Remember how you were valedictorian last year?"

I nodded, "Well, she and her husband were there when you gave your speech."

"Okay, what does this have to do with their baby and me?"

"Shut up, and let me finish!"

"Okay," I laughed at her expression.

"Anyway, when you were giving your speech he was asking Sarah who you were. Then Sarah was like, 'Oh that's Danya, so-so's daughter'. Then he was like, 'Wow, look at her how modestly dressed she is and how she is the top of her class.'"

"Really he said that?" I started to blush. " I dont even know him, and he said all those flattering things about me." Hana nudged me gently and smiled.

"Let me finish."

"Sorry."

"Anyway Sarah was pregnant at the time and he said, 'I hope we have a girl so we can name her after Danya because I want my daughter to be just like her.'"

I couldn't believe my ears. I had put myself down so low that I made trash look more superior than me. I was so caught up in the negative, that I let my parents' mistakes define whom I was.

I wanted to ask Sherry one more question, but just then the warning bell rang. We hastily said goodbye, and Hagar and I departed from Sherry.

As we walked to first hour, my final question still lingered in my head. I knew I would forget my question when I saw Sherry again, so I decided that I would get an honest answer from Hana.

"Hana?"

"Hm?"

"Do I deserve it?"

Self doubt got me nowhere, and it almost killed me. I was losing myself and I was losing touch with a great girl who had been kicked around too much who only needed a smile of encouragement.

She looked at me with those big, brown eyes that were full of innocence and were some how wise at the same time and could always see right through me.

"Yes. I told you so." she grinned smugly and I couldn't help but grin myself.