Sticks and Stones • Park Jimin

xix.

Jimin opened the door of his home, panting from running the whole way.

Jimin has to run to the bus to lose weight.

Jimin shut the door. "Mom," he called out desperately. "Mom. Mom!"

His mother came down from upstairs. "Jimin? What are you doing home from school so early?" She stopped when she saw his face streaked with tears and his hair sticking up in all directions. "Jimin? Jimin, sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I can't go back there," Jimin said, sobbing. "I can't. I won't."

"Jimin, baby, tell me what happened," his mother said, going and hugging him.

Jimin let himself be hugged for a moment before pushing her away. "Mom? Why did you lie to me?"

"What?" Her eyes widened. "When did I lie to you?"

"When you told me I was beautiful and special and-" Jimin choked on his tears. "But they were lies, Mom. Why would you do that to me?"

"Baby, I never lied to you. You are beautiful and special, Jimin. Did someone tell you differently? Just ignore th-"

"Everyone tells me differently, Mom! Everyone! You don't have to lie to me because I know now that I'm fat and ugly and short and useless and-"

"Jimin!" His mother stared at him. Jimin had never done anything like this before. He'd never broken down or cried in front of her as long as she could remember. How long has this been building up? she wondered. Why didn't he tell me sooner? "Jimin, you aren't any of those things. You're-"

Jimin clamped his hands over his ears. "Don't lie to me again!"

"Jimin..." His mother didn't know what to do, how to handle an emotional Jimin. So she reached out and hugged him tighter this time, kissing him on the forehead. "It doesn't matter what they tell you, because you are beautiful and special, okay?"

"You're just saying that because you're my mom," he mumbled, but she shook her head.

"I'm saying it because it's the truth and because I love you." She frowned. "I'm sorry that your classmates are telling you differently, but just hang in there. High school is over in a couple of years, and then you'll never see them ag-"

Jimin tensed in her arms. "Years? I'm not going back there, Mom."

She sighed. "I'm sorry Jimin, but I can't afford to send you anywhere else. Can't you just make do for a few y-"

Jimin pushed back from her, his back hitting the wall. "No! I can't! I can't!" he screamed.

But then he got quiet, like he'd remembered something.

"Fine," he mumbled. "I'll go to school tomorrow." Then he turned and went up to his room.

His mother sagged against the kitchen counter. She didn't know how to make Jimin's pain go away, and she was worried for him.

I'll make an appointment for him with the doctor later this week, she decided.

But she didn't know that a week would be too late.