AG Spotlight: Rita Cheryl Lassiter

I'm Rita Cheryl.

FULL NAME:  Rita Cheryl Lassiter

WHERE I GOT MY NAME:  I'm somewhat morbidly named after a little girl who died in a bus accident in 1958.  I look nothing like my namesake, who had reddish hair and blue-green eyes, but it's a nice name.  Rest in peace, Rita Cheryl Matney.  My last name came from a book by Zane Grey.

JUST LIKE YOU NUMBER:  #49

BIRTHDAY:  November 23rd

HOMETOWN:  Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn, New York City, New York

HEAD MOLD:  Classic

HAIR COLOR:  Black, with some caramel-colored highlights mixed in

EYE COLOR:  Light blue

FAVORITE COLORS:  Red, royal blue, and purple

THINGS I LIKE:  Volleyball and cheerleading, the New York Yankees, kids' cartoons like Doc McStuffins and Paw Patrol, Hello Kitty and her various Sanrio cronies, early summer days (the kind when it's neither too hot nor too cool), Star Wars in moderation (kill Jar-Jar with fire), sunglasses, lounging in pajamas, storm spotting (I sometimes join the Moon Girl in gawking at thunderstorms, like I did last December), being held, pandas (both red and the regular kind), and my beanbag chair.  It's got butterflies on it!  See?

The Etsy seller liked that picture so much that she used it on her shop!  She asked for Moon's permission, of course.

THINGS I DISLIKE:  Feeling unwanted, my own personality flaws, going outside without sunglasses (a woe of all blue-eyed folk), dropping my flyer (Doremi, wouldn't you guys know), being treated as a cut-rate person because I'm half-Native American, falling off the Moon Girl's bed (I do that a lot), extra-hot weather (the Moon Girl says I'm handling it better than she is)

MY CHOICE OF MUSIC:  Boston and Shinedown are my favorite bands, even though they're pretty different.  "Hitch a Ride" and "Bully" are my favorite songs, though "Bully" is a little bittersweet since I've been both the giver and the receiver of bullying.  

FAMILY:  Rilla Louise is my cousin, much to my dismay.

PET:  I'm babysitting Gabriela's cat for now.  I guess that counts.  Gabby wrote to me saying that her name is Maya.

Don't worry, Gabby.  Maya is in good hands.  In fact you may not get her back, as she's too darn cute!  She's WAY cuter than the stock photos!

BEST FRIENDS:  I used to be a loner, but but Justin and Samantha have taken a liking to me.  Courtney, Z, and Luciana have also accepted me into their little clique as well since I'm a casual Star Wars fan.  I think they're hoping that I'll become enough of a fan to pick a side, and indeed I'm leaning towards Sith, largely so Luciana won't be alone on the dark side (the Moon Girl also identifies as a Sith, LOL).  Z compares us to the girls on Turning Red, and I don't disagree too much with that...except she compares me to Mei, because I love red pandas.  LOL, I don't relate too well with Mei, but I won't complain.  I'm also on the cheerleading team with Justine-Marie, Doremi, Zoe, and Joss, and I like Zoe and Joss a lot.  Joss never quits, even when the going gets tough, and I respect that.  Zoe is always positive and encouraging, and I respect that as well.

SOMEONE I'D RATHER AVOID:  Rilla Louise, Justine-Marie and Doremi, for reasons I'll share in the "about me" section.

HOW I CAME HERE:  I came from eBay, in a sparkly blue tracksuit, no less!

ABOUT ME:  I'm kinda hard to get to know.  I hide a deeply insecure heart behind a wall of bossy confidence, and sometimes that grates on people.  I don't mean for it to, but it is what it is.  My family was highly dysfunctional; my mother is full-blood Iroquois and my father is white, and my egg donor's family never let me forget it.  As that broad Cher sang, I'm white by law.  And yet those same people are the ones that collectively had a stroke when I renounced them all.  My dad's side of the family wasn't much better, as his elitist sister and her family were much wealthier than I was.  Rilla Louise is that witch's daughter, and she's just like her mother:  an elitist snob.  She tells me now that she's sorry, she's sorry, and she may very well be, but I can't bring myself to forgive her.

But then why should I?  Doremi won't forgive me.  I know I was wrong for wanting to be Doremi's only friend.  I know I was wrong to be jealous of her friendship with Justine-Marie.  I know I was wrong for being mean to Justine-Marie and trying to drive them apart.  I want to apologize, but...I'm so afraid now.  What if they won't accept me?  I know I don't deserve it.  I should probably sit down with Rilla Louise and ask her if that's how she feels; that might be a good way to break the ice with her.  Oh well, I have my circle of friends and that's enough for now.

Alrighty, enough negativity.  I like to play volleyball, though I'm the only one who likes it (Luciana got smacked with the ball the last time she tried to play).  As a result I have to use the wall for practice.

Oh well, I make it work.  Like Kailey I collect stuff, but unlike Kailey I do the Sanrio thing.  Kuromi, Badtz-Maru, and Aggretsuko are my favorite characters (Aggretsuko gets double points because she's a red panda), but any of 'em will do.  See my necklace?  Told you guys I like Kuromi!

I apologize for not having anything else to show you guys, like Kailey did.  Moon says she's going to make up for that, but in the meantime she got me a miniature of my favorite American Girl doll.  Good ol' Gabby.

I wonder how Gabby would feel if she knew I had her as a mini-doll?  Doremi and Silver Bird have their pen pals as dolls too (Addy and Maryellen, respectively), while Courtney and Denise own miniature versions of two dolls here in the Moon House (Molly and Luciana, respectively).  Molly just accepts her mini-me, but I've never asked Luciana what she thinks about Denise owning a Mini Luci, as we all call her.  Come to think of it, Denise never asked Luciana either.  If I know Luciana like I do she'll probably blame her miniature's existence on aliens and laugh it off.  Now that she's got that crazy Tribble Luci laughs everything off.  Like Doremi, Luciana has changed since I've known her...but she's changed for the better.  Maybe Doremi needs a Tribble.  I'd suggest that Doremi pet Luci's Tribble, but Luci doesn't like Doremi much, and the feeling is mutual.  Not many of the dolls in Casa del Luna do like Doremi, mainly because of the way she treats Justin.

More about me, now...hmmm, what to say, what to say?  Sheesh, I'll say that I am MELTING!!!

*Side note from Luciana:  YOU'RE MELTING, MELTING!!!

Yeah, what a world, what a world, LOL!  Who'd have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?  But seriously, it got hot in New York City, but not quite like this!  The Moon Girl says I'm getting my Moana vibe on with this outfit, but in truth I'm just trying to stay cool.  That's a panda dangling from my necklace, by the way; he's since migrated to my wrist.  My top is a cloth face mask that was too tight for the Moon Girl.

School will be starting soon, so these playground pictures will have to stop.  The Moon Girl says she doesn't want to go poking around school when it's in session (or soon after it lets out), lest she look like a creeper.  Anyway, I told Luci that she needs a long, loose skirt like I've got.  Seriously, girl, it'll feel some better.

*Side note from Luciana:  I've got THIS skirt, for crying out loud!  

But it's denim, and denim's heavy!  Mine's made of linen.

*Side note from Luciana:  I'm fine!  Besides, isn't that equipment hot on your feet???

Nope, can't say that it bothers me!  I guess I'm more cut out for hot weather than I thought, even though it still isn't much fun.  Now to you folks still reading, we did get a lot of rain this week (and we may get some more), so it hasn't been as miserably hot.  In fact, the evenings have a slightly autumnal feel and smell to them.

Autumn can't get here fast enough!  It was September when I arrived (last year, LOL), so I've got plenty of cute outfits to wear.  The Moon Girl says that Luciana needs some fall garb.  Can't wait to see what she gets!  

Love,
Rita Cheryl Lassiter