Always

1| New Beginnings

You know the worst part about having a childhood bully you hate?

They're literally always hot.

***

Greyson and I knew each other before we were able to walk. That's what my parents say at least...

And I guess it's true because I have memories of him tormenting me that I shouldn't even have. I mean do we even remember much before the age of five?

The pigtail pulling, the name calling you name it. It all somehow sat on the edge of my pit of lost memories, they never fell in though, not once.

He took every opportunity given to make fun of me and ran with it. I mean hauled ass.

There was not a single thing I did that he didn't make me regret. What's worse was that he had the entire class join in. He had that kind of influence on people. Despite his relentless need to ruin my life, he was the kind of kid everyone adored.

Well, everyone but the chocolate skinned girl with the most beautiful deep honey eyes. She was probably the only kid in our third grade class who stood up against his bullying. One day she filled his lunch box with dirt and threatened to make him eat it if he made fun of my pigtails again.

Safe to say he never did and we've been inseparable ever since.

When we got to middle school the bullying subsided, but he never let a day pass without leaving a mean note in my locker. In fact, I'd gotten so used to receiving them when he didn't send any for an entire week I got worried.

Kevin and Jacob were the only two people he ever considered his friends, and the only ones who actually got through to him. It took him the entirety of middle school to finally leave me alone, but at least he did.

Well until my first freshman dance that is.

We were nearing the end of freshman year and decided to have a mini prom. Now, normally when we have school dances I just stay at home and read until I couldn't anymore. But Mya practically begged me to go, and she never begs. So how could I say no?

I couldn't. It's either I went or I died, and there was no in between.

Anyway, at some point during my time there I accidentally spilt punch on Greyson's suit.

That was the moment I realized death wasn't so bad.

I tried apologizing but he didn't even let me. He went off like a land mine like he'd been waiting to blow. He insisted that I did it on purpose and that I was jealous. Yeah right. He went on insulting me from head to toe, talking about my defected glasses, and how they clearly weren't working. He spoke about my dress being ugly and way too short because it exposed my legs.

He said that my legs were too fat too be shown and that I should cover them because looking at them made him sick. I didn't know what was going on but it was not him. Sure he terrorized me my whole life, but he never went out of his was to body shame me. He talked about my legs, my arms, my cheeks and the fact that my clothes always looked like they were two seconds away from ripping with every step I took.

It didn't take long before the entire school surrounded us and I got incredulous looks and murmurs from the crowd. Mya of course came in and dragged me away from it all and I ran away with tears in my eyes with the intention of never speaking to him again.

I've always been a little insecure about my weight, but Greyson pointing it out in front of the entire school broke me. News about what he said to me at the dance circled around the entire summer. I got random dm's on Instagram and it was the worst feeling in the world. I was accustomed to his insults, but this time was different.

He crossed the line.

That same summer I started to eat less, waking up every morning to inspect my figure that I so desperately hated in the mirror determined to perfect it. I barely got results over those two and a half months and by the end of summer I decided to stop eating completely.

Sophomore year I joined the dance club to help me lose more weight and disguise the fact that I wasn't eating anymore. The weight loss came drastically and I needed something to blame it on. Eventually it caught up to me though, and I nearly died from anorexia. This of course led me to a series of doctor's appointments and rehabilitation centers that actually helped with my recovery.

By my junior year I had lost significant weight— the right way— spending most of my time studying, dancing and steering clear of Greyson. We had absolutely no classes together over the past few years and I was thankful for it, making avoiding him so much easier.

***

It was now the first day of my senior year and I refused for it to be absorbed by my insecurities. I look so different now, and I knew it when I pulled into the parking lot and all eyes were on me.

I'm not the same girl I was three years ago and never will be again.

I walked into class as the bell rang for first period, spirit and hopes held high for my new beginning.

I scanned the room for an empty seat locking eyes with the boy sitting next to the only available one. All my hope diminished.

Great.

A/N:
Omg my first chapter so excitedddddd. Let me know what you guys think.

Don't forget to vote!!