Games Of Hearts

3. Weight of a word

I couldn't believe Rue invited someone like Eva to play with us. From the moment she started talking, I knew we were in for a long night.

Her constant yapping and complaining were like nails on a chalkboard. I mean, can't she just shut up for one second? I'm trying to focus on the game, not listen to her whine about everything. And her voice... it's so grating.

High-pitched and nasal, like fingernails scraping on a blackboard. I tried to keep my cool, but it was clear we were going to clash. She's one of those people who thinks they're always right, and everyone else is just an idiot.

I can already tell she's going to be a nightmare to work with. I just hoped we could get through the game without her driving me completely crazy.

But deep down, I knew that was just a pipe dream. This was going to be a long, painful day...

Just like those days in school...I still remember those days, a few years ago, when I was in 5th grade. I thought I had found my group of friends, my tribe, my people.

We would have lunch together, talk about our dreams, and share our secrets. But, looking back, I realize they were never truly my friends. They were just a group of mischievous kids who enjoyed causing chaos and mayhem.

Everyone in school hated us, including the teachers and school staff. We were the class clowns, always disrupting the peace and pushing the limits.

But, there was a line. A line that I never thought they would cross. One day, they started teasing and bullying girls in our class, making fun of their appearance and clothes.

I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up for them, told my so-called friends to stop, and that it wasn't right. But, they didn't listen. They got angry, ran away, and told me they would meet me after school.

I knew I was in trouble. I tried to avoid them, but they were waiting for me outside the school gates. They grabbed me by the collarbone, punched me, and kicked me.

My nose started bleeding, and I ran home, crying, to my older brother. He comforted me, but I could see the worry in his eyes.

The next day, they started calling me "Mistake". They would tease me, mock me, and bully me for three long years.

"You are a coward! A mistake!"

I was trapped, alone, and scared. My mom saw the change in me, the effect it was having on my mental health, and she decided to change my school.

It was a fresh start, a new beginning. But, the scars remained. I built a wall around myself, a cold exterior that nobody could penetrate.

Except for Rue and Mark, my childhood friends, who knew the real me. I shared everything with them, my fears, my dreams, my past.

But, with everyone else, I was distant, aloof, and unapproachable. I didn't want to get hurt again, didn't want to be vulnerable. And, so, I became a loner, content in my own company, but always yearning for connection, for friendship, for love.

Years went by, and I thought I had left the past behind. But, it came back to haunt me, in the form of Eva, a new teammate who reminded me of my old friends.

Her constant criticism, her belittling tone, it was like a flashback to those terrible days in 5th grade.

I tried to keep my cool, but it was hard. The old wounds were still raw, still bleeding. And, so, I lashed out, I snapped, I let my emotions get the better of me.

But, deep down, I knew I wasn't angry at Eva, I was angry at myself, for letting the past define me, for not being able to move on.

As I reflect on those days, I realize that I was a victim of bullying, but I was also a survivor. I survived the taunts, the teases, and the punches.