A Maple Among Elms [2017]

Chapter 10: Hope

Papa and Mom must hear me crying, because they run into my room to find me sobbing on my bed. "What's wrong, mija?" Papa asks, kneeling in front of me.

"Gabriela," I say between sobs. "She-- she cut herself, because she's been bullied at school, and so have I."

Mom and Papa exchange horrified glances. "Esperanza, how long has this been going on?" Mom asks.

"Since the first day of school."

"Why didn't you talk to us sooner?" Papa says.

I cry harder. "I-- I was scared. The bully, Jayla... I knew she'd hurt me even more if I told. Or worse, she'd hurt Gabriela more. She's been hitting me, tripping me, sending mean notes, ripping up my homework. She's done the same thing to Gabriela. She even broke Gabriela's glasses." I pull up my sleeve to reveal the faint mark on my arm. "She gave me a bruise here, in October. And last night she sent Gabriela a message saying she didn't deserve to live. That's why Gabriela cut."

My parents' shocked faces flick from each other to me.

"I told guidance this morning, first thing. They both got called to the office, and I haven't seen either of them since then. Mom, Papa, I'm so worried about her." 

Mom sits on the bed next to me and wraps her arms around me. "Oh, honey," she says softly, "that's an awful thing to go through. I can't believe we couldn't tell."

"Adults are here to help you," Papa says. "This bullying has to stop."

"What if Jayla makes it worse because I told?" I whisper.

"The teachers will know," Mom says. "They can make sure it doesn't. Bullies depend on you being afraid to tell an adult. You and Gabriela are safe." She squeezes my hand. "I'm proud of you for speaking up."

Gabriela and Jayla are both absent the next day. I spend the whole day worrying about Gabriela. Mrs. Oliveira checks in with me to see how I'm doing, saying that Jayla has been suspended and she's spoken to Gabriela's parents. Gabriela is safe. Even so, I worry.

But for once, my worries are unnecessary. Gabriela is there the day after that, smiling and cheerful and back to normal, if not better. Her arms have bandages over her cuts. When she sees me, she hugs me until I think my ribs will break. I hug her back, relieved to see her happy and safe. She puts her hands on my shoulders. "Your message helped me a lot," she says quietly. "I was afraid you were mad at me until I got your call. And you reported her. I was afraid to do that, but you did it. Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," I say with a smile.

She smiles back. "Yes, and you're the best friend I could ever ask for."

My parents report to me that my tree has made a miraculous recovery and is no longer in danger. I look out my window that afternoon and think of how my father and I would joke about the tree and I being intertwined. In a way, he is right.

I am the maple tree, a maple among elms, the elms being Jayla and her gang. They threatened me and tried to rob me of my nutrients. But I stood strong, and I didn't let the elms control me. When Jayla returns to school, I will be ready for her. She will know that Gabriela and I are strong and that she cannot overcome us. I am the maple of hope. I am strong.

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And that's it!

This story was partly inspired by things that happened to me and partly my imagination. The situation with the trees can actually happen: several trees of a certain species can "gang up" on a tree of a different species, taking away the tree's nutrients and eventually killing it. My sister has a tree that was planted on the day of her birth, and we joke that it's part of her as well.