My Only Hope

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and I was enjoying God's Creation. Well, for now. I used to love school, but now, I don't have anything enjoyable there. I only had one friend, and she was slowly drifting away, slipping off into the big world. Soon, I just knew I would lose her to the popular crowd at school. I know I should have faith that God will bring her back to Him instead of having faith that I was going to lose her, but it was hard.

My thoughts were disturbed by my mom.

"Are you ready for school, Kasey?" mom asked in a comforting tone. She always talked to me in that tone because of how my life was. My life, well, it was completely messed up. My only Hope was Jesus, and I was having a hard time trusting Him.
"Not really." I replied.

"Maybe today won't be the same. You just have to trust in the Lord. It's hard, but in the end, it will be worth it. Prayer is very Powerful, darling." mom always said that.

"Mom, I'm having a really hard time. At school, on the bus, at home, and now online. They keep calling me names. Everywhere I go, they find me, and bring me down again. My only escape place is Church, and now I'm having a hard time trusting that Jesus can help me. It's just so complicated, and it's been going on for a long time now. I don't even know what to do with my life anymore but try to be pretty, and skinny, like all of the other girls." I sighed. Mom and dad were the only people I really opened up to. My sister, Christina, was older, and much prettier than I was, and I just couldn't talk to her about these things.

"Kasey, let God handle it. He made you in His own image, and He won't give up on you. He isn't through shaping you into something wonderful. Trust in His Timing." mom kept it sweet and simple. I liked sweet and simple, but not for this kind of situation. I needed advice, not a short mom talk. I wrapped my arms around mom's neck.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you, too. I'm going down there today and talking to the principle. Now, get going. You don't want to miss the bus and end up late for school." mom walked out of the room. She was wrong, I would love to be late for school. I'd be lucky to skip at least thirty minutes of name calling.

-

When I got on the bus, I took one of the backseats by myself. I took the one no one ever sat in, so I wouldn't have to sit beside of someone who hated me. The girls in the seat next to me were whispering, then taking a glance at the fat girl and laughing. They kept that going until the bus driver told them to stop laughing. The bus stopped, and everyone shoved me back, leaving me the last person to get off the bus. I walked off of the bus, and slowly walked to the school building. Already dreading everything I knew was going to happen inside that monster building.

"Miss Viola Swamp has entered the building." someone insulted me before I could even get to my locker. Great.

"Don't look at her, her ugly face will make your eyes burn!" what a great compliment from my ex-best friend. I'd expect it from the player boy Randy or the popular girl Misty, but not from Clarissa. I walked through the hall to my locker, hearing the same insults I usually did, although some were even worse than before. I put my head in my locker and closed my eyes, hoping not to hear anymore insults while I was "hiding."

Lord,
Please stop them from calling me names. Thanks.

I know you don't just say a quick sentence then, "thanks," when you're praying, but I kept it short because so many thoughts were rushing through my head, and I always started doubting that my prayer would come true when I was being called names while I was praying. Someone tapped me on the back and called me ugly. I turned to see who it was.

"Jane, why do you call me ugly? Because I'm not as pretty as you?" I said sarcastically.

"I don't know, maybe so you'd get some beauty tips or something." she replied and laughed.

"What I do with my face is none of your business." I stood up for myself, finally.

"Actually, it is kind of my business, because my mom works at a beauty parlor." she replied, making no sense whatsoever. It's her business because her mother works at a beauty parlor? Please.

"You don't even make sense sometimes." I left it at that, then took the high road, and walked away.