3TS: The Chances of Starting Again

Humiliation

Bullies are just looking for attention and trouble.

For a small girl like me, looking into the bully's eyes made me want to shrink.

I was walking down the school hall when I spotted a group of boys turn the corner. I instantly turned myself to look at the school board's center picture, with our principal shaking hands with another man eight years ago.

They were coming my way, I could hear them.

They were looking my way, I could feel their eyes on me.

I didn't want to pass them because they were the ones complaining about me, few days ago (behind my back), about my "embarrassment" during our dance in the Kadayawan Festival.

And I didn't want to pass them because, well, Trent was with them. Trent, with his dashing black eyes, with his clean haircut that had grown out a little, with his smile that always made me think of a summer breeze. With his smile that made me think of the relaxing waves on the beach.

With his-oh, nevermind. Back to the story...

So, there I was, pretending to stare intently at our principal in the picture, when...

"Hey, it's the girl who messed up our dance. They say we were going to win first place if it wasn't for her."

I heard one of the boy's voice speak clearly behind me. Then, he roughly turned me around to face him. I saw his curly, black, hair. I saw the only fierce expression in the whole school. Oh no, it was Juan. The torch boy.

Everyone knew what had happened. Juan had fallen off and had hit his head so hard he slipped to unconsciousness. And at the same time, someone found that he had burned his arm and had sliced his skin from the torch's edge while falling.

No wonder he was mad at me.

"Then, I guess, since she can mess everyone else up, I can mess up her too." As he said the last words, he slammed down my books.

I didn't say a word as I picked them up, one-by-one. The silence in the hall made my stomach sicken. I wanted to turn into a small mouse, run, and hide in a small hole.

As I was reaching for my last book, Juan grabbed at it. Unfortunately, he was taller and faster than me. He raised it above me, but I didn't respond as I stood there in uncomfortable silence.

He looked me in the eyes, smirked, and ran.

I stood there frozen. Should I run?

His friends followed after him. I could feel Trent looking at me, but slowly he took off towards the others. My shoulders drooped.

I thought he was a better person. I thought he would try to stand up for me. I thought he was different.

I guess what 'I thought' was something that happened in dreams. Dreams that never came true.

I itched my hair, threw the rest of my books in my bag, heading into the direction of the boys that had just ruined my day. And probably my whole week.

I raced down the next hall, turned the corner, and burst through the school's front doors.

The group seemed to have disappeared in the waves of high school students walking in every direction. Where was Arlene when I needed her? She knew how to stand up to me. But I didn't know how to stand up for myself.

"Lost your precious book?"

I whipped around to see Juan. He moved his shoulder, and I looked down his arm to see a white fabric wrapped around his forearm. My stomach tightened. He must have had a large scrape when he had fell. Is that why they were picking on me?