Aria's Story

~ Chapter 12 ~

I walk into school, feeling depressed and anxious, not knowing what's going to happen and not knowing if I'm going to make it through the whole day. As I walk pass people in the hallway, they give me an outraged look and continue on walking through the hallways, going to class. I walk up to my locker and open it as I look around me, noticing people staring at me with so much hatred. I grab my books and close my locker. I start heading towards my class, and decide on picking up my pace because I feel people staring at me still and it's kinda starting to scare me.

Most of my days lately have been filled with hatred of other people towards me and constant staring and bullying; I absolutely hate it but I don't think I can really do anything about it. Emily used to be one of the nicest people I've ever known and now she's one of my biggest bullies. Danielle was my best friend and now she's not even my friend, she's one of Emily's helpers. Michael was the guy friend who always helps me out and now he's not talking to me because of Emily, and how he's dating her. Hunter, who was the guy who always put a smile on my face even when we were just friends, left me because of a huge argument with Michael. It feels like everybody's leaving me and I don't know how to cope with this, with the feeling of loneliness and pain. Nicole is the only one I have left and I feel like she's slowly giving up on me, and I feel like she secretly hates me.

I walk into my history class, as my teacher, Mrs. Bradley, gets up and starts handing everybody a piece of paper. I then remember that she said last class that we would have a quiz today. When she hands me the paper, she gives me a sweet smile and says, "Good luck, sweetheart. I know you'll do great." I smile back at her and nod my head in agreement. I haven't been paying attention in any of my classes since I started getting bullied and I forgot to study for the quiz, so when I look down at the first question, I knew right then that I was going to fail.

School was somewhere I loved going to; I loved talking to my friends in between classes and talking to them before and after school, I loved learning, I loved seeing happy faces in the hallway every day, and most of all, I loved seeing my friends at lunch and hanging out with them for that 25 minute lunch. Now, though, I hate everything about school. I wish I didn't have to be here anymore and I just wish my life was over.

I always pass each class with at least a B but right now I was sure that I was most likely failing each of my classes. I try to pay attention and learn but my mind's never in the right place to do anything. It's like the bullying has caused me to lose all of my concentration. There's a voice in my head reminding me of what people have told me and it's like my mind won't let me forget about it. I want it to go away but it won't and it feels like everything's coming against me.

As the school day continues, it gets worse and worse. The stares and looks that people give me start to send me into a deep place, a place I wasn't that sure that I wanted to be in. The pain and loneliness are starting to crowd around inside me like someone's trying to strangle me and kill me. It won't stop, and it feels like I'm slowly dying. The final bell rings and I walk outside, searching for the bench that was outside of the school, where I like to go and think about things.

People start crowding around me, pointing at me and laughing with their friends. I sigh, taking everything in, and feeling the warm breeze on me, "Did you know she has nobody now? Everybody has basically left her, except for Nicole. Let's face it, though, it's only a matter of time before she leaves her too." I heard someone say to one of their friends, laughing with a smirk on their face as they stare at me, wanting me to express some kind of feeling. I don't. I just sit there and stare.

Soon after that, they left and I was left alone. I get off of the bench and start walking in the direction of my house. I see branches falling from trees, cars passing me and sending warm breezes towards me, kids playing with their friends without a care in the world. There's so much to see, you know? I never realized how much life you can see when you just take your time and look at everything, you will see so much things.