I'm With You

11

TW's:
-Bullying+abuse
-Homophobia

George's POV

I got brought to school the next morning and held my bag on one side of my shoulder so I could play with the keychain hanging on it. I walked to my locker, had a few tics before I could open it and grabbed the books I needed as I slammed it shut because of a tic.

I turned around and wanted to walk to my first classroom as one of the boys who bullied me came up to me. I got pushed against my locker.

TW bullying+abuse

'You're too annoying to go to class, George. I don't want to see you, you're ugly and way too thin. Is it that hard to just exercise a bit and shut that stupid mouth of yours?'

I didn't say anything and started playing with the cuffs of my hoodie's sleeves, having some quiet vocal tics.

The boy in front of me started imitating my tics in a mocking voice. He laughed loudly after and hit me in my face. 'Oh sorry, I had a tic.'

I tried not to cry and looked down at the floor as he grabbed my shoulder and started shaking me. My head hit the locker and he grinned again. 'Oops, another tic. I can't control them anymore,' he said as he kept hitting me in my face.

I just stood in silence as he kept hitting me in my face. I couldn't hold my tears anymore and felt tears stream down my face as I got hit for the fifth time. 'S-stop.'

'I'm having a lot of tics, I can't control it,' he said as he laughed loudly. 'Oops, another one.'

'Stop,' I cried as I tried to escape from his grasp. 'It's hurting me.'

'You've hurt me too, dickhead.'

'Stop,' I whispered again, having a few tics in a row. I really tried not to hit him and started to hit my own chest as I screeched a few times.

I got pushed on the ground and my bag got grabbed. He threw the bag against my face and I hit my head against the floor because of the impact.

'I'm so sorry, I'm having such a bad tic attack. I can't help it.'

I curled up like a ball, but he kicked the side of my chest. 'Shit man, I keep getting tics.'

I was breathing heavily as I curled myself up and hugged my bag against my chest to have something secure close to me. Luckily the school bell rang and the boy left me alone.

TW over

I was so stressed that I got a very bad tic attack again and constantly had painful tics. I threw my bag, hit myself as I pulled my hair and screamed out loud for minutes.

I ended up playing with the keychain hanging on my bag and calmed down after a while. I stood up and struggled to walk to my classroom where I would be too late in class now.

I slowly opened the door after I hit it three times and saw people look at me with an annoyed look in their eyes. The teacher smiled shortly and pointed at my chair. 'Sit down, George. We started at page twenty-three.'

I nodded slowly, trying to resist the urge of my vocal tics. I sat down, clearing my throat constantly as I whistled, coughed and screeched a few times.

I hit my desk, grabbing my book out of my bag. I threw my book away, just as my pencil, and slowly stood up to grab them again. I sat back down on my chair, hit my hand with my pencil as I started yelling out things I was thinking about.

'Clay, Clay, wall, teacher, Clay, floor, bag.'

My face heated up as I realised I was yelling out Clay's name. I hoped everyone would let it slide, but they most definitely didn't. One of the boys turned around with a mean smile on his face.

TW homophobia (but cool teacher)

'You always yell out things you see or you like, so you're gay too? You're pathetic.'

'I'm n-not,' I whispered. 'Clay, wall, Clay.'

I hid my face in embarrassment, but the teacher smiled at me. 'When George calls out the name of a boy, then it doesn't immediately mean he's gay or that he likes that boy. And with that, if George would be gay, then that would be totally fine. There are a lot more students who have a different sexuality than straight.'

I smiled at him and looked back down at my book, opening it on the right page.

'I don't like gays,' a boy said. 'It's really gross to me to see two boys make out.'

'You don't have to look at two boys who are kissing and it's not gross at all. That's love as well,' my teacher said.

'I don't understand how someone would be able to like a boy.'

TW over

'You don't have to understand it,' my teacher said. 'But you also aren't allowed to judge them, because they can't change their feelings. Love between two boys is beautiful, just like love between two girls.'

The boy didn't answer him and I had a big smile as I stared down at my book. I was closeted at school, but it meant a lot to me that my teacher had my back when no one else in my class did.

The class passed by a bit calmer. I got pushed when I walked away from class, causing me to fall down. I crawled back up and walked to my next class. Luckily this class wasn't as mean to me as my last one. I didn't have any friends and they still bullied me, but they never physically harmed me.

Before the class started my teacher walked up to me and smiled. 'How are you today?'

'I'm okay,' I said with a fake smile.

'Are you sure?'

I nodded.

'You can talk to me whenever someone isn't as nice to you. And when you're having a tic attack, you can always stand up to walk a small round through the school or call your parents.'

'Thank you,' I said. 'That helps.'

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