After high school, I thought I would finally leave behind the painful memories of my friendships and the bullying. I was filled with hope as I transitioned to university, a new beginning where I could reinvent myself. But as fate would have it, my past had a way of creeping back into my life.
Joyce, the girl who had once been my friend and had distanced herself after forming a bond with Isabelle and the new girl, began to reach out to me again. I was taken aback. How could she just come back after everything that had happened? The betrayal ran deep, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to forgive her. Yet, as much as I wanted to hold onto my anger, loneliness was a powerful force, and the truth was, I missed having a friend.
Despite my hesitations, I found myself gradually accepting her back into my life. We reconnected and, surprisingly, grew closer than ever. But deep down, I struggled to forget the past—the times when she had mocked me, the laughter that echoed in my ears whenever I thought of them pushing me to the brink. I remembered vividly the day they had cornered me on the library staircase, calling me an embarrassment. Isabelle’s words still stung: “This is why I can’t be friends with you. Even Joyce is embarrassed to be seen with you.”
The pain was palpable, and I felt a wave of bitterness wash over me each time I looked at Joyce. Whenever I tried to meet her gaze, she would quickly look away, and it hurt more than I cared to admit. No matter how much I tried to convince myself that I had forgiven her, a part of me held onto the hurt, like a wound that refused to heal.
Amidst this emotional turmoil, I faced another challenge—my academic performance. I had never been the top of the class, but I had always done my best. As I entered university, the pressure mounted. I remembered my a teacher from high school telling me that if I managed to get admission with my grades and behavior I meant that the education system was finally ruined.
I know i wasn't really close with any teacher but still he had known me since I came to that school making his words hurt more than I wanted.
His words hit me like a blow to the chest. I knew he didn’t mean it as an insult, but it felt like a reminder of all the ways I had fallen short. I couldn’t shake off the feeling of inadequacy, that maybe he had been right to doubt me. Those childhood memories flooded back, reminding me of the cruelty I had faced since I first walked into that school at nine.
I was determined to prove myself, to show everyone—including my brother—that I was more than what they thought of me. But with the weight of past traumas and the fear of failure looming over me, it was a battle I felt I was losing.
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Between Us
Romance**Blurb:** In the complex world of adolescence, one girl struggles with the pain of unreciprocated love for a boy who seems out of reach. As friendships shift and her closest allies slip away, she grapples with feelings of betrayal and loneliness. ...
