From Lonely to Loved

Chapter 1

Jack

I was walking through the class hallways, heading to my locker to get my work for the day ahead. As I unlocked and opened my locker, a letter fell out. It was in a black envelope and it had a red mark on it. I picked up the envelope and... Hang on, where are my manners? My name's Jack and I'm in my third year at high school. I'm not popular and don't have any friends, which makes this letter all the more inconspicuous. I've lived in Upper Hutt most of my life, after moving here from Christchurch when I was Three. I like it here, besides the bullying... Anyway, I decided not to open the letter just yet, because I was in the middle of the hall. People would come and take it and read it and rip it up without me seeing it.

In class, I hide behind a pile of books and open the envelope slowly, unnerved by what might be in there. The letter came out easily, it was a red piece of paper, folded in half. I opened the note and it read:

'Hi Jack, I've been seeing you around alone a lot and so I thought I'd say hi. I keep seeing you around, and I figured that because you look alone, and I don't have any friends yet, that maybe we could hang during break time? Meet me at the school library if you want to.

I hope you come,

Sarah Jenson xo

It was Sarah who wrote it- a new girl at school in some of my classes. She's been here about a week now. I had seen her around a few times outside of class but always alone. She's really pretty. With her dark brown hair and wonderful hazel eyes. She's not tall. But she's not short. It's kind of cute. I never said hi to her myself, because I didn't want to put her in the firing line of the bullies with me. So I decided to go, but only to tell her to stay away from me, because nobody likes me and if she's seen with me she'd get bullied too.

Class came and went, I just kept thinking about that letter- why did Sarah write it? Can't she tell that I get bullied? Doesn't she know that if she gets seen with me she'll get bullied too?

Soon break came, and so did meeting Sarah. I slowly and casually walked over to the library, and as I walked, I heard names directed at me being whispered.

'Ooh, such a nerd.'

'Look at the dork.'

'He's such an idiot.'

'No one likes him.'

'He'll never have any friends.'

The words hurt, but I was getting used to them. They kept going all the way to the library.

'He's such a loser.'

'So stupid.'

'Never have any friends.'

I finally got to the library and Sarah was there waiting. She was beautiful, though I could never tell her that. She had dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She was tall- but not too tall. Maybe just a little shorter than me. I walked over and said hi and she just said 'Oh are you okay?! I heard some of the things they were saying about you! I'm sorry. I wish I could help....'

I interrupted her 'No, that's why I came, to tell you that you should stay away from me. Everybody hates me. Keep yourself safe. Stay away. Please. I don't want you to be hated by the school because of me.'

'I don't care about that. I've seen you around, you look so lonely. And now I've heard what they say about you. I just want to be your friend.'

'I want to be your friend too. I've seen you around. You're alone like me, but you don't get bullied like I do. I don't want that for you. I want you to be able to get friends.'

'I want to be your friend, though! Not theirs! They all bully you. I don't want to be friends with bullies. You are a decent person- more than decent! But everyone is trying so hard to fit in so they just follow the people they are trying to fit in with, and those people bully you. To be honest, I think that everyone is trying to fit in, so no one really knows why or who started calling you names, that person's been lost in a sea of followers. People just do it because they saw someone do it and that someone did it because they saw someone do it.'

'Maybe you're right, but that doesn't change the fact that I get bullied, and that I don't want you to be bullied either.'

'Please, Jack.' The look on her face hurt me so much, she looked in so much anguish because of me. What am I doing? I can be her friend... No. I can't. She'll get more hurt. I can't let that happen.

'No. I can't. I'm sorry.'

I walked away sad because I had given up my only chance at having a friend. But I knew that what I did was right because Sarah won't get bullied because of me. I wouldn't let myself be the cause of her pain.

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