Twinned!

Part of a Set

Now, what would you do if you woke up one morning and found yourself lost in the middle of the ocean?

That was exactly how I felt that day. Like there was no escape, feeling foreign among people I didn't know.

Obviously I was shy, that goes without saying, but I felt it was my mission to make new friends. To not be part of a set anymore.

The first person I spoke to looked friendly enough. A blonde, petite girl called Sarah. She seemed quite cool. Obviously a lot more confident than I was. I thought that if I distracted myself with others, I wouldn't worry about what Mia was doing.

So, Sarah and I started chatting, and it turned out we had loads in common. Such as, we both liked the new Barbie Princess movie, we both liked cookies, and we both found interest in writing. It was good to know someone that acts as your stand-in twin for the day. So you don't feel so lonely.

Having Sarah around made me a lot happier when I was in school, and we stayed friends the whole time in our Primary school - Crimson Oaks. My teacher, Miss Weston, favourited me in this school, too. I know this sounds really nerdy, but I liked my teacher. During Guided Reading, she let me be the head of our group when the teaching assistant was away. This was the time I started to enjoy school. And I didn't feel so alone...

By Year 3, I made friends with another girl called Samantha. She was quiet, like me, so I thought we would have a lot in common. We started talking, and she spoke in a whisper. By this time, I had become a little more confident than the years before, so I didn't find it difficult to talk to new people. In Year 3, my teacher, Mr Sterling, made fun of my name, and sung Umbrella by Rihanna everytime the register was called. Every single morning and afternoon. Sometimes he just shouted 1,2,3... and the whole class would join in. It was okay at first, but after a few days, it got annoying. People repetitively shouting and making fun of me. It made me want to curl up into a ball and disappear right on the spot. But Samantha (who I then called Sam), was there and shooed away everyone who was mean to me, when I lost my confidence to stand up for myself.

And I thank her for that. 

Halfway through Year 3, I was bullied by two girls I once called my friends: Maxine and Lola. They both turned against me. Maxine and I always chose each other during group work, and Lola and I were each others PE partners. Before we fell apart, I was quite popular at my school. The people in my class were all my friends, and I wasn't enemies with anybody in particular. But then they had to go running off with each other every lunch time, while I was in the toilet and hiding when I came out. I felt too vulnerable to speak to my teacher or parents about it, or even Sam and Mia. I knew she had her own worries without me coming in and infiltrating them.

Some days, I would eat by myself or with Mia and her friends, who I didn't really get on with. It was horrible being alone. It felt exactly how it did on the first day, with a sea of strangers going about life around you, as if you don't exist.

Ella

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Sorry about the long chapter today, I needed to get all of the stuff out about the first half of primary school. More tomorrow if I can. Enjoy!