Michael Ahn

I’ve known Inbar since the wee days of grade 9. She had frizzy long hair and
glasses. Kind of like a nerd you would shove into a locker. I don’t remember
much, but what I do remember is that she gave me sass and some how made me feel
unappreciated (a recurring theme in this article). I also thought she was ugly.

The first real interactions I had with her started in grade 10. We were both
young-ins on stage crew and didn’t really talk. My first memory of her was
sitting beside her on a bench backstage. It was awkward trying to make small
talk and I’m pretty sure to this day she was pretending to text to avoid
talking to me. Through out that inaugural year I learned to hate her with a
passion. Not because it was awkward, but because she shut me down every
time I said anything.

“Can I do this?”

“You’re stupid”

“Anyone want Tim’s?”

“Shut up”

“Hey Inbar, Looking fly!”

“You are trash”

Granted, none of that was ever actually said but you get the idea. The main thing to
keep in mind was that in grade 10 short hair-bar was introduced and we were
forced to collaborate (not because we wanted to, but because we had to).

It was grade 11 things started to change for the worse. She ditched the glasses
and got contacts. She was also gaining more friends. My worst fears were
beginning to come true: She was gaining confidence (“I’m not confident, just an
asshole” her words, not mine). Now not only was she attacking my self esteem at
this point but she was getting others in on it to. It only gets worse from
here. She became employed at the same co-op placement I had applied for. It was
during these times I learned it just wasn’t productive to hate Inbar. You had
to learn to channel it. She began criticizing the way I talked (“You have a face
for radio, but not the voice”). Admittedly I have an occasional stutter. I
sometimes talk too fast or slur my words but she was ruthless and tore at me
until I just accepted that I don’t speak good. Something at this point in the
year changed though. After being forced around her for such a long time, I had
come to see her as a reliable friend. It only took eighteen months but who’s
counting?

That brings us to our final year. I became stage crew head and Inbar’s horribleness has not changed. She constantly undermines my authority (“ What authority?”) and no matter what I do to showcase leadership she manages to me feel stupid. Not only that but I’ve started to pick up a few new hobbies and she constantly makes fun of me for it.
If you ever see me backstage during an event with the clear com headset and I’m
looking sad, it’s because that used to be her job. And now I have to do it. The
absolute WORST part about all of this? I’m stuck going to prom with her…