BULLIED

Submission 559

Well for me it had all started with a crush. Back in elementary days I had been a bit of a tomboy. My hair had been cut short too so while having curly hair it looked like an afro when really it was just super short hair. I honestly was into sports and all that. I was friends with all of the guys and girls. Life was pretty fine until sixth grade had hit.

Although I've known 'him' for while and I would consider us friends at the time. I just started to develop feelings for him, HW was funny, made me smile. So one day my friends kind of nudge me to go tell him how I feel, confident the feelings would be mutual. I write a note, give it to my friend who then gives it to him. Now I'm nervous, worried, flustered. Anything can happen right? I was prepared for rejection but not the way he gave it...

So the note was given and I see 'him'. I was like oh hey so-and-so but he just gave me a dirty look and ignored me. I being completely off guard jus blushed and hurried away.

Meeting up at lunch I ask my friend who delivered the note what had happened. She told me: "Oh he read it, crumpled it up and threw it way. He also he said he had a girlfriend in a different school." I felt kind of hurt. I mean, I didn't expect him to keep the note but yeah. Rejection hurts. Here's where it got worse.

He avoided me from then on. The looks becoming downright hostile. It was quite obvious he didn't like me but why?? I didn't understand. Eventually his cousin transferred into the school and hell got worse.

I didn't know he was related to 'him'. I found him nice. We played games, joked around. Eventually again I started to fall for him only this time I didn't say anything. A bad thing about myself is that whenever I like someone I'm obvious about it as in low key flirting (unaware to myself), blushing, laughing a lot, etc.

So yeah he found out.

Now both of them ('him' and his cousin) started to avoid me like the plague. It made me feel bad about myself since apparently they found me just entirely repulsive. The thought of me liking them had them angry.

One day at lunch someone tapped me on the shoulder and told me that 'he' wanted to talk to me. I turned around and out loud he said: "You're fucking ugly and I wish I could chop off your head." His cousin just emphasized the point where he was running a finger across his throat.

That scared me terribly. I wanted to cry. I shrugged it off as best as I could making it look like it didn't affect me but it did, deeply.

Because all of the classes in the grades sat together for lunch I had to play the maneuvering game so I wouldn't end up sitting behind them or in front of them because then they would start throwing stuff which got caught in my hair. It was terrible and embarrassing.

I thought things couldn't get any worse but I was wrong.

One day this guy who was a little shady had brought a Gatorade bottle but it had clear liquid in it. He was offering to all of us to drink it saying there was alcohol.

My friends and I were laughing, saying he was bluffing and it was probably water but he told me to drink it and see for myself. I didn't know whether or not to drink it. I thought it was water and he was lying. Shrugging I took a small sip.

Immediately I knew it wasn't water. I ran outside and spit it out. My throat burned but luckily, I didn't swallow whatever it was.

Furious I was like: "Uh hello?? Why would you bring that to school and offer it to us?" In response he only THEN takes out the alcohol bottle itself labeled Smirnoff.

The people who witnessed it were all my close friends. There was only one girl who wasn't there but since we were besties I told her anyway. No one told the teachers and so far I had kept my mouth shut.

The weeks following apparently the guy who brought the alcohol told his friends which happened to include 'him' and his cousin, the two dudes who hate me with a burning passion.

I was teased and harassed getting called 'Smirnoff!' & cDrug dealer!' Which I found stupid since alcohol wasn't a drug..and calling me the name of the drink was just unoriginal.

Either way they didn't stop. Months passed, everything died down a bit. They left me alone and I stayed away. I felt invisible. No one seemed to notice me anymore.

One day during recess that girl who was my bestie (on and off since we fought a lot) had told me to come into this teacher's room. She said she wanted to talk to me.

I was confused. I didn't normally have this teacher for class but yeah, in I went. The teacher then brought up the drinking incident and was like: "*Insert bestie's name here* told me you had drank alcohol that someone brought to school." I was thinking to myself: This is going to be hell...

I had to tell her the entire story. Tell the names of who was involved. When it was over I was furious at my bestie. "Why did you tell her what happened?!? They're going to think I snitched when I didn't but it was actually you!"

She just laughed and said it slipped.

No one likes a rat. Sucks for me that all the people involved thought I was said rat when really. It wasn't. We all got sent down to the office. All had to give our stories.

I was perfectly fine. Principal knew I was a good child so no consequence. The shady dude had gotten suspended for a few days. It was also when the Principal also found out that those two guys were harassing me along with their friends.

I left the office. Things got better but worse.

Whenever they passed me they whispered "snitch" or just ignored my existence all together by acting as if I wasn't there, rudely bumping into me on purpose.

I hated it honestly. Kept trying to prove my innocence but they didn't believe me. Apparently the Principal had told them to leave me alone or else consequences would arise. It was part of the reason they cooled it with all of their extreme bullying but still. They only stopped when it was near the end of sixth grade.

I was finally free of my tormentors when I moved up to intermediate and they went to some other school. I was relieved. All my problems went away. /They/ went away.

It's sad to know how much they ruined a part of my life for me. If anyone asked what my worst school year is I automatically reply sixth grade. I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I had to. My self esteem had dramatically changed because of them. I started to believe their words especially when it came to future crushes. I expected rejection and prepared for the WORST.

8th grade was when I hit my metamorphosis stage. I no longer looked like a tomboy.

9th grade though. I never liked anyone else again and it is how it remains even until now.