The Middle-School Days of Miss Tsumiki

"Another day..."

"Another day of torture." The young girl murmured to herself as she walked up the stairs to her classroom.

Mikan walked into her classroom, hoping today's insults wouldn't be that bad. "Hey look everyone! It's the stupid ol' Tsumiki wobbling in again!" A student sneered. "Wow look at her hair! It's all messed up and snippy-snappy!" A girl snobbishly commented. The classroom snickered and laughed, the sound echoing in her ears. "Hey, if it looks so bad let's shave it off!" Another boy rudely added. The class laughed harder, Tsumiki wanting to shrivel away and die.

"What do they think they're doing?! I-I'm strong, right?! I'm tough, I-I can make it..." Tsumiki thought to herself, pushing herself to her desk. Everyday was an eternity of suffering to her, no one had ever helped her, no one ever had. All she had to do was wait out this never-ending storm.

Finally the teacher came in, silencing the laughter of the other children, and began their lesson. It's not like Tsumiki cared about anything the teacher said anyway, the only reason she was at this school was for her parents, she didn't want to be here at all. But every time she complained to her parents, they wouldn't listen. Tsumiki sighed at the thought of no one ever coming to the rescue.

After what felt like forever, the lesson was finished, and it was time for recess. Recess was the worst, she had no friends, heck, the concept of friendship was crazy to her, the only time anyone would want to be her friend would be to use her for something. She felt like trash.

Recess was inconveniently also the best time for her bullies to tease her. Mikan was aware of this, yet she sat on the bench near the playground and took it all in. "Mikan Tsumiki, you are the worst, craziest, and sloppiest person on this planet!" A girl shrieked. "I-I'm so sorry then, I might as well be a piece of worthless garbage..." She whispered in reply. She just wanted all of this to be over. She was used to this. She was oh, so used to this.

"Oh how I hate myself so..." She thought to herself, water welling up in her eyes. "I can't even do anything right." She quietly said aloud as a tear streamed down her cheek. She wanted help, she needed help, but it never came.

No matter. She was used to this. She was used to crying everyday. She was used to loathing herself. She was used to seeing the world as a big black pit of sorrow and despair.

Despair.

Tsumiki walked back, down the hall, back to her class. The students near her teasing her again. "Why does she have so many bruises and bandages? What a weakling!" "She's so stupid!" "She's worthless, her life is so pitiful!" She'd heard it all before.

Mikan continue to walk, trying not to cry. "Hey idiot!" A boy yelled, pushing the poor girl down the stairs. "H-Huh?!" She screamed in surprise.

Down she flew, every step of the stairwell feeling like it was getting chucked at her, the pain gauging up her whole body. She landed at the bottom of the stairs with a slam, the pain was unbearable, she was sure she was bleeding. But sure enough, the students laughed and jeered at her. Tsumiki couldn't take it anymore, she began to cry. On her knees, she began tearing up.

"T-This is so unfair! What did I do to deserve this?! What did I ever do?! Unfair!" She yelled, her voice cracking and wavering. Surely, the other students laughed and teased again. It felt as if their souls were made of ice.

"She's so stupid!" "Something is so wrong with her." "She's so weak!"

It was like they were chanting about how worthless and stupid she was. Their words blurred into the white noise. Why couldn't she have just been normal? She didn't want to be here anymore. It felt as if her pains and sores were screaming.

It felt like all odds were against her. It felt like all hopes were gone. It felt like everyone was out to get her.

It felt like the world around her was surrounded in darkness. It felt like the floor was crumbling below her. It felt like her own sky was falling and toppling onto her. It felt like she was trapped in a corner where no light could reach.

It felt like despair.