(Un)confidently Me

Chapter 2

I woke up around eight, the world around me blurry from the tears in my eyes. Blinking, I rolled onto my side. I found my border collie, Julius, staring at me with a grin. I smiled sadly and got up to pet him. I was glad to have relief from all the negative thoughts that clouded every corner of my mind. 

I remember getting him from a friend who was moving away five years ago when I was nine. He was only a puppy then, but he still acts like a puppy. 

I didn't feel like thinking. Almost involuntarily, I flipped my laptop open. I forgot about what happened earlier until I logged into Facebook. The posts just wouldn't stop. 

I shoved my laptop off the bed and stared at myself in the mirror.

Puffy eyes...ugly face.... fat body.....

I shoved my face into my pillow and fell asleep, not wanting to deal with myself. 

The next morning my alarm clock went off and I lazily shut it off. 

I dreaded going to school and facing everyone. Julie might have just practically ruined my life. 

I pulled on a black and white striped hoodie, and took my time getting ready. Might as well be late because I'm scared as heck. 

I pulled out my phone and checked Facebook again. Determined not to let it affect me, I shut it off and walked out into the hallway. Kyra was sitting out in the living room, smiling. Her hair fell in perfect ringlets around her shoulders, and her eyes were just as perfect. I wonder why she was the gorgeous one. 

My limbs felt heavy, and I had no motivation to go anywhere. 

I waited for my mom, and just as I was ready to be late, she clambered through the door. 

This was how it always was; my parents were always either gone, or not caring about anything that's going on. This fact filled me with hopelessness.

I arrived at school late, and walked down the empty hall to my science class. I could almost feel the harsh words of my classmates rain down on me, and I pulled on my hood. 

When I arrived, Ms. Brooks was in the middle of some lesson. She stopped and looked up at me.

"You're late.", she said, stating the obvious. I remained silent and walked to my seat.

I heard a few people snicker, and I just felt like falling through the floor. 

Ms. Brooks continued her lesson on science-whatever, but I couldn't pay attention to her voice, only the voices chanting in my head and the ones from students passing around more rubbish about me. 

When class was over, I grabbed my stuff and made a beeline to the door, ignoring everyone around me. But by the time I got to the hall, people were already stopping me so they could remind me of their snide comments that wiped me clean of all confidence.

"Hey Mrs. Jackson, who's the dad?", "Mirrors run and hide at the sight of you, dude!". 

The cruel comments intensified, and I could feel each one run through my ears and into my heart. Then Julie came along, smiling cruely.

"You're a jelous bit-", I started to say.

She cut me off saying, "Oh puh-lease. You're so stuck-up it hurts!". She and a few other girls laughed before she turned on her heel and walked away. 

I looked around for some friend who would stand up for me, but all of them seemed to want to be useless bystanders today. 

I pulled my hood farther over my head and ran down the hall to math. At least most of those people weren't in my math class.

Why do some people enjoy bringing hell to others?

Why?