Now You See Me

Bullies and Bruises

I'm Sutton. I'm fifteen years old and I don't have any friends. I've been treated unfairly for most of my life. I've been ignored, bullied, and hurt more times than I can count. I guess that that is my normal.

I was walking down the halls headed to class when I bumped into Josh Donovan.

Josh was one of the many people that tormented me. He made sure that everyday of my life was a living hell. He never let me forget that I was below him.

"Watch where you're going!" He screamed at me.

I kept my head down and my eyes closed. I tend to try to make myself invisible in times like this.

"Ugh, it's you again." He said with distaste.
"You know I don't understand why they let freaks like you into this place," Josh laughed. "You don't deserve to breathe the same air as me or anyone else for that matter."

I ignored him. I continued to pretend that I was anywhere but there. I pretended I was in a small bookstore, sitting in the corner and reading a story about a girl like me who gets a happy ending. Sadly, my fantasy was interrupted.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" I flinched at his words and started shaking. Josh grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. He then grabbed me by shoulders and shoved me against the lockers.

I let out a soft whimper and held my eyes tightly closed. "Please," I begged. "just let me go." Josh laughed and tightened his grip on my arms.

I didn't need to open my eyes to know that everyone in the hall was staring at me. I knew that no one was running to get a teacher. I knew that no one was even bothering to help me.

"Every girl for themselves." I thought.

"Stay out of my way. Or you'll regret it." Josh growled as he let me go. He sauntered down the hall leaving me on the floor crying.

I only got up after I was sure that no one else was left in the hallway. I went to restroom and took off my sweater to look at my arms. They were covered in bruises from Josh. They felt limp and weak as I moved them.

I stared at myself in the mirror. My eyes were red from crying too much, my skin tanned from the amount of times I would run and hide on the roof of the school, and my body bruised from all the hate people threw at me. I was used to that, but I shouldn't have been.

"He can't break me." I thought.

I didn't bother going to class. Instead I went to the roof and waited for first period to end. First period was just study hall, so it didn't matter if I showed up or not. I know I should just ditch school, but I didn't know where else to go.

I stood at the edge of the roof watching the clouds roll by. I was jealous of the clouds. They didn't have to stay in one place. They could just go around and no one would bother them. I wish I could do that.

I don't know why I got bullied. Maybe I was too ugly, maybe my breathing annoyed people, or maybe the world was just out to get me. I hated that I was born into this life where no one cared about me. My parents never cared when I would come home with bruises all over me, crying about how the kids at school were bullying me. They kept saying how that's life and I should just accept it. My teachers never cared when I would tell them that a student physically hurt me. They would tell me that everyone was just joking with me and how it was just "fun and games".

I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was to my alarm letting me know that I had five minutes before first period was over.

I left the roof and headed back to the halls where I was tormented so many times before.

I avoided the people in the hallway coming from other classes and prepared myself for my next class.

My second period was Mrs. Brady teaching history. She made history even more boring than it already was. She was nice when she wanted to be, but that was usually a rare moment. Mrs. Brady liked drawing attention to people just for her own amusement, and today was my turn.

I was deeply honored. Note the sarcasm.

I was sitting in the first seat closest to the window when Mrs. Brady came up to me and said, "Sutton, I know you missed first period. I know you have been doing it a lot lately, so I have made sure that you get week of counseling from Miss Meredith."

"Why counseling?" I practically whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"Why do I need counseling?" I asked louder this time.

"You seem to attend every class except for study hall, so you must have some form of a problem with it. But no worries, Miss Meredith is great with problems."

I heard everyone around me whispering. No doubt it was something about how crazy I was.

I looked out the window closest to me. Mrs. Brady was basically saying that I was a problem. That there was something wrong with me, and I'm glad that she is finally getting me help because maybe now I can figure out what everyone has against me.