The True Life of Chloe Harris

Chapter Eighteen | Don't Cyberbully

Chloe adjusted her dress, flattened her hair, and looked in the mirror one last time with a perfect fake smile.

There, Chloe thought, everything is perfect.

Well, almost everything. Things would be better if she had Mia by her side. Because right now, she is all alone. She doesn't have anybody in her corner.

The constant ringing of notifications and the fact that her phone has almost shut down at least three times because it was overwhelmed. Nobody has come over to check on her, but that wasn't too much of a surprise. What was a surprise was the fact that none of the notifications have been people checking in on her.

Almost all - actually all - of her notifications were from people talking poorly about her. In some cases, the braver ones, people were coming straight at her. They didn't circle the rumors around namelessly, but they would tag Chloe in it and directly call her out.

Even braver times, people would text Chloe. Talking to her directly without other people involved. The words these people used when there was nobody around were astounding. Chloe didn't know what half of the words meant - which isn't surprising. Chloe doesn't know many words. She thought she did, but apparently not.

Today it was time for them to test it all.

Today was Monday. Also known as the first day back to school and in public since her amazingly perfect day of embarrassing moments on Friday night.

Chloe was in no way shape or form to deal with any of her classmates or anything that will happen today. She has no idea what to expect.

Actually, that was a lie. Based on the - now fifty new messages to add to the thousands beforehand - messages, there was a basic idea as to what people thought of her and the things that they wanted to do.

She has got to hand it to them, some people can be very creative about what they think and the things they want to do.

To not go into details, but people really don't like Chloe (in the simplest terms), and that they wanted to never see her again.

Well, they won't be getting their wish today.

Or any day for that matter.

Chloe has not and will never swoop down to another person's level. Especially if it is to undermine her as a person.

Now, Chloe knows that there is a bit of hypricrosity in that statement.

Actually, there is a lot of hypricrosity in that statement, come to think about it.

If you were to ask anybody at her school they probably would highly agree with that statement. But that's simply not true.

They don't know that Chloe does it with true and positive intentions. She never means to hurt anybody, at least not so drastically or harshly. She thinks of herself to be providing emotional growth and guidance. Almost like performing an act of charity.

Too bad that they don't understand it.

It's not like everybody has to understand everything that is happening in the world, but they really should. Especially if it is Chloe's world that they are living in. And wouldn't you know, it is Chloe's world they're living in.

Isn't that funny how it works out?

Obviously, it is Chloe's world they're living in because honestly, everything is about her.

As much as they don't want to believe it, or support it, they're still doing so.

The countless - and still ongoing - messages on her phone just proves her point. Even if they hate her as badly as they say they do, they are still giving her the attention that she so greatly desires and needs.