Skin Deep ✔️

Epilouge

I take a deep breath, fiddling with the white sheet that's laying over my collage. I refused to show anyone it, even after I had already finished it. It was important to me and I needed them all to see it at the same time. I needed them to know just how much it meant to me. 

My photography teacher said that he would be hosting and unveiling for everyone's project and whoever was willing was encouraged to put their names down. At first I was unwilling to do it, my piece was private. Made for my, and my examiners, eyes only. Then I realised, I wasn't teaching anybody by having it stay hidden under a piece of cloth the whole time. I had to show them. I needed to. 

"Youre up next." A random girl says to me, tapping me on the shoulder.

She's smiling at me and I recognise her face from around school. She never tripped me up like everybody else did, or smack my lunch out of my hands but she didnt do anything about it either. I smile back at her. 

"Thank you." I whisper as I walk past her, collage in hand and make my way across the stage. 

I place the collage down and a camera focuses on it, putting the image on the screen behind me. I search the crowd for the people who love me most and grin once I find them. Isaac and his parents sit on one side of Ezra and my mum and it surprises me to see Nathan there. After the party Isaac explained that his brother was trying to make ammends and he was taking the chance to forgive him. Next to my mum is Charlie and her entire family, she beams at me as she tries to get Jayden to put his phone down. I move my eyes from her and there in the middle is my mum and Ezra. Mum blows me kisses and Ezra winks at me. 

"Name?" Someone at the front asks. "And title of your piece?" 

"Tonnoya Johnson." I tell him. 

"That's my girl!" Isaac yells. "In a completely non possessive and un patriarchal way. I'm a feminist."

Everyone in the room laughs and so do I when I see Ezra nudge him in the ribs with his elbow. It calms my nerves. 

"My piece is called: Humanity." I continue, grabbing the cloth off of the Collage. 

I turn around and look at it even though I've seen it a hundred times already. Its a picture of a human being made up of hundreds of photos of random people. All kinds of people. I made Cecelia's picture a bit bigger in the centre and she flushes when she sees it. 

"I made this because throughout my life I was relentlessly bullied for being different and it ruined me. I let it ruin me. I made this to remind myself and everyone else here that we are all human. We all deserve love, kindess and respect. It really isnt that hard." 

At first I only get a few scattered applauds until everyone joins in and my smile grows even wider. I start walking to make my way off stage before pausing. 

"Oh and Cecilia Crow." I look directly at her. "I forgive you." 

She stares back at me shocked and I actually fight the urge to yell out 'Sike' because its going to take a lot for me to actually forgive evil incarnated. I don't do that though because even though  I know its going to be a long and difficult road, I'll eventually forgive her. Maybe.