Divide by A

Chapter 1

Hearing them whisper, that was always the worst part. Knowing they were all talking about me each time I turned my back. Back in middle school when it started it was secretive, no one knew but that special little group of kids that knew me in elementary school but changed over that fateful summer to sixth grade. As the years went by I caught on more and more. Finally, when I got to high school, no one cared if I heard because everyone knew to laugh at me. They all knew the fat girl with acne covering her face all the time and a funny name. Of course the teachers noticed, but what could they do? Give every kid detention because of one girl?

It wasn’t until junior year when my chorus class was doing an end of the year concert and I got a solo that I felt I was even alive at school. I stepped out from the risers and opened my mouth to sing, but before I knew it, a whole bucket of black paint poured down on me. With nothing but a gasp of breath, I rushed off the stage in tears. It was then I knew I had enough. Later I found out the administration caught all the kids responsible and had them expelled, but I couldn’t go back there.

In the summer I asked my parents to transfer me to boarding school for my last year old high school. They both work high paying jobs and are never home when I come in crying so to them it just seemed like I wanted to further my education, so they said yes. I don’t blame them for not paying much attention to me, they both work really hard at what they do and I’m old enough now that I can take care of myself. Plus, I like knowing that when everything falls apart, I’ll be able to pick myself back up and rise to the occasion. I don’t even blame them for naming me Amalyne (pronounced A-ma-line), it means “striving and hard work” which I find a very suitable name when I think about it.

My first day of senior year couldn’t start soon enough. I bought all new clothes, dyed my hair blonde, got layers of skin peeled off by facials to get rid of my acne, and technically ‘forgot’ to eat while I worked out the whole summer. When I walked through that door I felt on top of the world, even when my teachers called my name in class and everybody looked around, I simply said, “Call me Amy.” And that’s where it all started.