Going Anyway

Peer Pressure

Monday, May 15

I cannot believe we are done next week. We don't give out finals, but I pretty much give out a final on the last day. I want to prepare them for what high school is really going to be like. Honestly, kids probably learn more in my class than they do in four years of high school.

I've never wanted to end a school year less because after this year, I'm gone. Hopefully I left a mark, but the mark may not have been bold enough to promote change. I guess at the end of the day it's about helping a person one-on-one. That's what really changes the world.

When I got home, I could tell right away something was off with Ava because when I asked her how her day was she gave me a "Fine." She's usually excited to see me, but she was just sitting there, arms crossed.

"What happened?" I folded my arms as her eyes welled up. She pressed her lips together, shaking her head. "Ava..." I sat next to her.

"It doesn't matter." Her tone was sharp.

"It matters to me. If something's bugging you, I need to know. I can probably help you."

Ava sighed, leaning on me. "My friends don't like TJ, and they don't want to sit by me anymore." She groaned. "I don't wanna end this on a bad note."

I put an arm around her. "You know what? You're not in the wrong here. They are, so don't worry about what they think."

"It's not that simple." Her voice shook a little.

"Hopefully, they figure out that it's okay to be nice to everyone. If they don't realize that, then that's their problem. Be nice to them no matter what though. It's not about choosing sides; it's about being nice to everyone no matter what."

She glared. "You're an adult, so that's easy for you to say."

"No, a lot of my co-workers are mean, but that's because they are insecure. They need people like us to be nice to to them."

She licked her lips a little, wiping her cheeks. "I just wish everyone would get along, and I just wish people would do the right thing." I stared at the wall, realizing how close to home that hits. "I wish people would stop giving into peer pressure."

I couldn't even look at her because that stung so much. The reason why nothing is getting done in our district is because nobody wants to put the effort into fixing our broken system. People know it's broken. They still do whatever they want because that's what everyone else is doing.

"Just remember you can only do so much, and they are the insecure ones here."

Ava looked straight at me. "Sophia is kinda the leader of the group, and you're right, she's really insecure. I think it makes her happy when she can tell people not to sit with TJ."

"Sadly, that's probably true. Don't give her the power."

"How can she be less insecure?"

Her question threw me off guard. Usually no one cares about the bully. "I don't know. Love her, I guess. Show that you're going to be nice to her whether she has power or not."

"What if she thinks I'm mean because I'm sitting with TJ and not her and Izzy?"

"Maybe you should tell her you still value her, but you know you need to treat everyone nicely. Just kill her with kindness no matter what. Don't be mean back."