I woke up on my bedroom floor. My back and my shoulder was aching.
Those dumb hillbillies threw me on the ground!
I got up slowly, trying not to fall down from the pain. I went to my razor. I want to stop cutting. I really do. But I also want my parents to be normal again. I want my life to be normal.
My life at school isn’t so fantastic either. I don’t have that many friends. And the ones I do have leave me for someone else.

The next day at lunch, I sat with my “friends”. They were all talking amongst themselves until this new girl came up to me.
The table fell upon an awkward silence.
“Is somebody sitting here?” She asked politely.
“Um, no go ahead.” I said kind of unsure.
The table began with their normal gossip about boys, fashion and celebrities.
She pulled up a chair next to me.
“I’m Makayla by the way.” She said smiling.
“Mira.” I said plainly.
“Wow I love your name!” she exclaimed joyfully.
This girl is definitely preppy. I thought.
I smiled. “Thanks, yours is too.” I said.
I haven’t smiled in so long. She actually made me smile.
Maybe me and Makayla will end up being ‘friends‘.
Makayla ended up being in my science class.
“Hey Mira! Sit with me!” She shouted across the room.
This girl has a big voice.
I could feel people’s eyes on me. Wait, did I just here someone say that they wish they were Makayla??
No they couldn’t have!
I walked over with my head down. I got embarrassed quickly.
Once I sat down, me and Makayla looked over my schedule and it seems that Makayla is in all my classes!
We walked together to ELA. I was feeling pretty good. I walked her to every class since she didn’t know where any of them are. We walked into the classroom and sat next to each other. We whispered and passed notes until Mrs. Grey finally caught us.
“Mira and Makayla! Makayla, this is your first day here so I will let this one slide. As for you Mira, you’ve been going to this school since kindergarten and so you should know not to pass notes in my classroom because now we’re wasting time talking to you even though you should have known that it was wrong. She glared at me for a few seconds then went on teaching her class. I felt kind of embarrassed but Makayla just laughed it off.
Makayla and I giggled quietly and mimicked what she said.
Then at lunch, me and Makayla sat next to each other and did what we normally did. Which was talk about all the mean teachers and the populars’ quietly.








*************


Makayla and I have been friends for 1 month now. We have gotten to be really close.
“So, can I go to your house this weekend?” Makayla said randomly.
“NO!” I said, trying to stay calm and keep my voice down.
“Why not!?” She asked, surprised at my tone.
“Because my parents aren’t… nice.” I said tying to be as secretive as possible.
“Why?” She asked.
I hesitated.
Should I tell her about my parents?

I told her what they do to me.
“Why would they do that? And to their own daughter!” She asked. She was shocked.
“I don’t know. They just stopped loving me after my sister died texting while driving. She was only 16.” I said getting discouraged.
“That’s terrible! What are you going to do about it? What do you do about it?” She asked getting curious.
“Um, I cut myself.” I said quietly. I could see the surprise on her face. Her eyes her bugging out and her jaw was touching her neck.
“Why would you do that?” She asked loudly.
People were starting to stare.
“Do what?”
“What’d she do?”
The crowd was buzzing.
Whispers and excitement filled my ears all around me.
“Its my only way to feel again. To feel free.” I said.
“That is so… emo!” She shouted so everyone could here. Now we were standing right in the middle of a crowd of 8th graders. They were all around. Everywhere you turned they were there.
I think they were starting to figure out what I do.
“You’re a prep! How would you know the definition of emo?!” I practically shouted in her face.
“I just can’t believe you would do that.” She said getting quiet. I could see tears well up in her crystal blue eyes.
“I’m sorry that it hurts you. I want to stop. I’ve tried. But its so hard . Its addicting.” I said, trying to make her calm down.
“Okay. Just please don’t do it again. Its not a good way to express your feelings.” She said.
“I won’t.” I lied. I know I’m going to do it again.
She walked away and got on her bus. Is she seriously mad at me?
I looked around and saw worried eyes everywhere. I pushed through the crowd and got on my bus.

Today Makayla didn’t even say hi. She ditched me for the populars. This always happened. I don’t know why I’m surprised.

An hour later I got called to Mrs. Scarlatta’s room. They school counselor. I walked in the room.
“Take a seat, Mira.”
There was bean bag chairs all over the room. I’ve never been in here before. I walked over to the big white one.
“No honey that ones mine.” She said with a nice smile. I rolled my eyes. I was amused, yet annoyed. But what was going on?
“Mira do you know why I called you in today?” She asked frowning. I was starting to figure out why.
“No.” I lied.
“Mira, I heard you’ve been cutting yourself.” She said. I felt the blood rush up to my face. I felt tears prickling at my eyes. Threatening to come out.
“Is that true?” She asked impatiently. I nodded my head. “Why are you doing this?” She asked. I didn’t want to answer. I didn’t trust her. She says this is between her and me, but she’ll call my mom at work and tell her what’s going on. Yet she has to tell. Its her job.
“That’s my business.” I said plainly. I couldn’t move. I was stiff.
“Mira, I am trying to help you through whatever is making you cut yourself..” She said this gently. But it annoyed me. Every time she says “cut yourself” I just feel guilty and my stomach turns. I felt like I was going to be sick.
“Okay.” I said with no emotion. “So why do you cut, Mira?” She asked again.
“My parents.” I said quietly.
“What do your parents do to you, Mira?” She talked to me like I was a baby.
“They abuse me.” I said.
“Physically?” She asked.
“Sometimes. But its mostly emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.” I said.
She just sat there staring at me.
“Who do you think told me that you cut?” She asked. I could tell she felt sorry for me.
“I only told Makayla. So its obviously her.” I said. She wrote some stuff down on some paper.
“Have you ever had any suicidal thoughts or possibly actions?” She asked.
Um, if I did some suicidal actions wouldn’t I be dead right now? I thought. I didn’t say anything. Again, that’s my business.
“I’ll mark that as a yes.” She said fixing her small eyes on me.
I gave her a dirty look.
“I think you know that I should probably call your parents.” She said. I couldn’t breathe. I was so choked up. I didn’t say anything. She brought out a book to search my phone number. She dialed my parents’ number.
“Hello Mrs. Daniels! Do you think you and your husband can come down to the school in my room so we can chat with me and your daughter?” She said pleasantly. I was so annoyed. And scared. She was here all happy doing her job when I’m just about to have a melt down.
“What did that little rat do now?!” My mom shouted over the phone. Mrs. Scalatta had to take the phone away from her ear. My mother was that loud.
“We just need to talk.” And with that she hung up the phone.
“Can I go to the bathroom?” I said as a statement more then a question.
“Sure.” She said. She seemed kind of disappointed with me. I walked quickly out of the door and shut it gently. I moved slowly up the stairs. I felt like I was in the worst nightmare I could ever imagine. I felt stiff. But maybe I am dreaming. Nothing this terrible couldn’t happen in real like.
Right?

I didn’t even use the bathroom. I just broke down. I was sobbing. I was making a large, round pond of tears on the bathroom floor.
I felt dizzy and lightheaded. How could Makayla do this to me? I know she’s trying to help, but did she really have to do this to me? Its just going to make things worse between me and my parents.


I went back downstairs. I could barely walk. I felt numb. Its like all pressure is on me. I couldn’t move. It was like gravity was pushing on me. Pushing down on me and holding me still so that I couldn’t move my legs up the steps.

I finally broke through and got myself up the stairs. I went back in the room and grabbed some tissues. I sat down on the sky blue bean bag chair.
I started bawling. And I couldn’t stop. It felt impossible to stop.







*********


By now, I was finally done crying 10 minutes later. But then I heard a sudden burst of the door being shoved open.
It was my parents.

Today Makayla didn’t even say hi. She ditched me for the populars. This always happened. I don’t know why I’m surprised.

An hour later I got called to Mrs. Scarlatta’s room. They school counselor. I walked in the room.
“Take a seat, Mira.”
There was bean bag chairs all over the room. I’ve never been in here before. I walked over to the big white one.
“No honey that ones mine.” She said with a nice smile. I rolled my eyes. I was amused, yet annoyed. But what was going on?
“Mira do you know why I called you in today?” She asked frowning. I was starting to figure out why.
“No.” I lied.
“Mira, I heard you’ve been cutting yourself.” She said. I felt the blood rush up to my face. I felt tears prickling at my eyes. Threatening to come out.
“Is that true?” She asked impatiently. I nodded my head. “Why are you doing this?” She asked. I didn’t want to answer. I didn’t trust her. She says this is between her and me, but she’ll call my mom at work and tell her what’s going on. Yet she has to tell. Its her job.
“That’s my business.” I said plainly. I couldn’t move. I was stiff.
“Mira, I am trying to help you through whatever is making you cut yourself..” She said this gently. But it annoyed me. Every time she says “cut yourself” I just feel guilty and my stomach turns. I felt like I was going to be sick.
“Okay.” I said with no emotion. “So why do you cut, Mira?” She asked again.
“My parents.” I said quietly.
“What do your parents do to you, Mira?” She talked to me like I was a baby.
“They abuse me.” I said.
“Physically?” She asked.
“Sometimes. But its mostly emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.” I said.
She just sat there staring at me.
“Who do you think told me that you cut?” She asked. I could tell she felt sorry for me.
“I only told Makayla. So its obviously her.” I said. She wrote some stuff down on some paper.
“Have you ever had any suicidal thoughts or possibly actions?” She asked.
Um, if I did some suicidal actions wouldn’t I be dead right now? I thought. I didn’t say anything. Again, that’s my business.
“I’ll mark that as a yes.” She said fixing her small eyes on me.
I gave her a dirty look.
“I think you know that I should probably call your parents.” She said. I couldn’t breathe. I was so choked up. I didn’t say anything. She brought out a book to search my phone number. She dialed my parents’ number.
“Hello Mrs. Daniels! Do you think you and your husband can come down to the school in my room so we can chat with me and your daughter?” She said pleasantly. I was so annoyed. And scared. She was here all happy doing her job when I’m just about to have a melt down.
“What did that little rat do now?!” My mom shouted over the phone. Mrs. Scalatta had to take the phone away from her ear. My mother was that loud.
“We just need to talk.” And with that she hung up the phone.
“Can I go to the bathroom?” I said as a statement more then a question.
“Sure.” She said. She seemed kind of disappointed with me. I walked quickly out of the door and shut it gently. I moved slowly up the stairs. I felt like I was in the worst nightmare I could ever imagine. I felt stiff. But maybe I am dreaming. Nothing this terrible couldn’t happen in real like.
Right?

I didn’t even use the bathroom. I just broke down. I was sobbing. I was making a large, round pond of tears on the bathroom floor.
I felt dizzy and lightheaded. How could Makayla do this to me? I know she’s trying to help, but did she really have to do this to me? Its just going to make things worse between me and my parents.


I went back downstairs. I could barely walk. I felt numb. Its like all pressure is on me. I couldn’t move. It was like gravity was pushing on me. Pushing down on me and holding me still so that I couldn’t move my legs up the steps.

I finally broke through and got myself up the stairs. I went back in the room and grabbed some tissues. I sat down on the sky blue bean bag chair.
I started bawling. And I couldn’t stop. It felt impossible to stop.







*********


By now, I was finally done crying 10 minutes later. But then I heard a sudden burst of the door being shoved open.
It was my parents.

The next day, I got all my things to grandma’s house. I spent the night at Mrs. Grey’s house because she was afraid my parents might ‘try something.’
Grandmas house is a mansion because she’s mayor of Willdensburg.
My bedroom is beautiful! Its back and white with a crystal chandelier.

I unpacked all my things in less then an half an our. My parents didn’t buy me anything. I bought it all myself. And the money I buy the stuff with is all birthday and Christmas money. So I don’t have a lot of it.
The next day I had to go back to Mrs. Grey’s room. She wants to check up on my everyday.
I walked in and opened the door. “Mira! Take a seat!” She said nicely. I sat down on the dark blue bean bag chair this time.
“So how have things been going at your grandmothers house?” She asked.
“Very good. I love it there.” I said happily.
“Good! So this means you don’t want to live back with your parents?” She asked.
“No!” I practically shouted.
“Okay.” She smiled. “I think living with your grandmother is a much better idea then living with your parents.” She said.
“I think so too. But I’m kind of late for class, so can I please go?” I asked sweetly.
“Yes go ahead sorry for keeping you so long!” She said apologetically.
I got off the bean bag and went out the door. I went up the stairs to my homeroom class. I opened the door. Everyone turned and stared at me. I heard whispers.
What was going on now?
I took my assigned seat next to Makayla. She was grinning.






What did she do???
I saw her writing a note to me.
Makayla: Hey cutter. It said.
Mira: Why are you being so cruel? Did you tell anyone I cut??
Makayla: Yup. I told the entire grade. Imagine little old me telling over 100 people that you cut. It was so tiring.
Mira: Why are you doing this to me?!
Makayla: Because. Cutters don’t deserve to live.
Mira: Are you saying that I should commit suicide!?
Makayla: Yes! You finally understand! I’m so happy I don’t have to explain to you!


I crumpled up the note. She was still grinning like the Devil. She looked so pleased with herself. I began to cry silently.
“Suck it up. Don’t cry yet. I’m going to make your whole high school life miserable. If you live for graduation.” She whispered. How could she do something so evil? I thought we were friends.

At the end of the class, people came up to me. They tripped me, punched me, kicked me on the sides and on the stomach. I cut on my stomach.
When they finally stopped the beatings, they called me cutter, emo, fat, stupid, and ugly. I tried to tune out the verbal abuse, but it was too much to take in.
I got up off the ground after the group of boys left. I put my hand to my stomach. It was warm, wet, and sticky.
I ran to the bathroom, opened a door, and looked the hinge.
I lifted up my shirt and saw blood everywhere from the opened cuts. I got some paper towels and wet them with warm water. When I pushed it against my cuts it stung so badly that I winced and screamed in pain.
I just hope Makayla was happy with herself.

At lunch, nobody sat with me. But I guess that’s okay. I liked being alone. And I didn’t want to be surrounded with people who hated me.

After lunch I went up the stairs to see if Mrs. Grey was in her room. I could see through the window that she was sitting there looking at her E-Mail.
I knocked on the door.
“Come in Mira.” She called out. I took a seat and she sat by me.
“So why did you come in today?” She asked me. Her face showed that she was worried.
“Well, Makayla told the entire 8th grade that I cut myself. Everyone is calling me fat, stupid, ugly, emo, and cutter. They all beat me up for it. Including the boys. Nobody doesn’t even put effort into being my friend. Everyone in the 8th grade is bullying me.” I said. Tears were starting to form in my eyes.
“Oh my god. Makayla is not a friend clearly. I will have everyone that is doing this to you suspended.” She said.
“Then you’ll have to suspend everybody.” I said with a tear rolling down my cheek.
She bit down on her bottom lip.
“Okay. Everyone except Makayla is getting detention with no sports. I will have Makayla get a phone call and email home. She will be suspended on this last week of school and not attend any high school football, volley ball, or basketball games.” She said.
I honestly didn’t think it was a good enough punishment. It wasn’t fair. But at least she’s getting some discipline.
“I will also have an anti bullying assembly in the gymnasium.” She continued.
“Alright.” I said.
“Don’t worry. We’ll work it out.” She said positively.
I nodded my head.
But how was she going to get everybody in the 8th grade to stop?

I got back to my house. Grandma got a phone call from Mrs. Grey. She was devastated.

Then the next day we had the assembly. Everybody looked at me. But my eyes were fixed on Makayla. I knew she was scared.

“Bullying is a way for a weak person to feel stronger then someone else. It is emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, and verbal abuse. This will not be tolerated in this school. Our motto is ‘Treat Someone How You Want To Be Treated’ and I heard that nobody is following that motto. I am mostly disappointed in Makayla Reeves for telling the whole grade a secret that was only meant to be shared with her.” She said glaring at Makayla. Makayla’s face was red. She deserved to be embarrassed. “I want everyone to think twice about what you say and what you do next. Be kind to one another. If anything else happens, I will hear what happened. The people that were involved which was everybody has detention for the next week of school and will not play or attend any spots. There will not be any volleyball, football, or basketball for the last week of school, and there will nit be an end of the year celebration because of your choices. You can all thank Makayla for that.” She finished.
Makayla looked at me. I raised an eyebrow at her and she just looked away. She was embarrassed. She got what she deserved.

I came home feeling quite satisfied. I told grandma about what happened. She thought it was fantastic. She was really happy that it was all going to end soon.

That night, I had a dream that everything was okay and normal. I was normal and my parents were normal. Everyone was my friend and was popular, but I was a nice popular girl. Imagine a popular girl that was nice!
The next morning I snapped right back to reality. That dream will never come true. I just wish the dream was real.
I checked my Facebook. I haven’t been on in nearly 2 months.
I got some messages only from this week.
But all these terrible things have been happening this week…
They were all posting so everyone who was my “friend” could see what they said. I don’t know why I even have a Facebook if my friends aren’t even friends at all.

“You are so fat and ugly! Cutting isn’t going to do anything so maybe you should tie a rope around your neck already and kill yourself!”
That was yesterday morning. Before the assembly. I just wanted people to stop.
I went downstairs crying. I told grandma what happened when she saw me sobbing.
“I’m calling the principal.” She said furiously.

10 minutes later grandma said that the principal thinks there is nothing he can do about it. He also said that he will call all the parents of all the students.
“You have two more days left of school. I’ll keep you home.” She said.
I was completely okay with staying home.

The summer was hot and boring. I stayed home most of the time since grandma was always at board meetings.
Suddenly I heard pounding on the door. My heart began to race. Who could that be?! Grandma had a key. But maybe grandma lost the key and she didn’t know If I was up yet so she’s banging on the door.
I started getting scared. Grandma always had a spare key.
The police?
But grandma didn’t do anything. She couldn’t have.
The pounding got louder. The pounding suddenly turned to kicking. Then pushing. Then shouting.







Oh my god…

The voices sounded familiar. Very familiar.
It was mom and dad!
Why were the here!
They knocked down the door and they were thundering into my house. Luckily, this house is huge and my parents have never been here before. I ran up quietly to my bedroom upstairs. I ran into the closet where there was a hidden door. To get into the hidden room, you had to tap the 4 corners of a certain wall. I tapped at the corners and the door opened. This was the first thing grandma showed me when I moved into the house.
“Mira!” My mom screamed.
I almost screamed myself. I covered my mouth with a pale blue blanket.
I heard them split up. My dad went to the first bathroom. He then came back on the second floor.
My parents were both backing up at the same time. They didn’t here or see each other. Then they banged into one another like those corny movies or Scooby-Do episodes. They both yelped in surprise.
Idiots. I thought. Ridiculous.
But it was still funny.
After 10 minutes, they didn’t even find the stairs to go upstairs to my room.
After 20 minutes, my dad finally found my room. He opened my closet. He fooled around with my clothes. I watched hum through the tiny peephole the width of a thumb tack. He was smelling my clothes now and moving them around. Even tying my long sleeved shirts together and spitting on my shorts.
“Messy slob.” He shouted.
Um it’s a closet. Its supposed to have clothes. But yours is probably full of my sisters body parts. I thought.
I truly did miss my sister…
The man of course didn’t find the hidden door. After another 5 minutes, the finally left cussing up a storm because they couldn’t find me.
Did they want me back?
If they did, oh well. I wasn’t coming back. They should of thought twice about hitting me and making me feel terrible about myself…
I stayed in the hidden room for about another half hour. Cautious if them leaving was just a trick that I would regret falling for later.
I heard grandma’s car pull into the drive way and her stepping on the knocked down door.
“Mira!? What happened here!!” She asked nervously.
I tapped the 4 corners to come out and the door slide open and closed again when I ran out.
I ran down the stairs to meet my grandmother.
“Mary and Dan broke in the house and knocked down the door! I think they tried to kidnap me! I hid in the hidden door in my closet!”
“Oh my god.” My grandma sighed.
After a few minutes of getting both me and grandma to calm down, grandma called 911.
“Hello what is your emergency?” The polite voice of an operator picked up the phone instantly.
“My granddaughter lives with me and when I was gone on a board meeting her parents bust the door down and tried to kidnap her. She was hiding in the closet the whole time.” My grandma explained.
“Okay how old is she?” The lady asked.
“She’s 15 in July”
“Where do the parents live and why does she live with you?” She said getting curious.
“They abused her. And they live on 8271 Route 71 Willdensburg, Maryland.” Grandma said.






“Okay we’ll take them into custody right away ma’am.” She said.
“Thank you bye.” Grandma said.
The operator hung up the phone.

On Tuesday the detective called us. He asked questions like “Why are you living with your grandma?” and “Why did they come here?”. We answered everything truthfully.

Later at 6 pm, me and grandma turned on the Channel 11 news.

“Top news featuring Mira Daniels. Mira is a 14 year old student at an original school right here in Willdensburg. Mira has been abused ever since her 16 now to be 17 year old sister, Kayla Daniels, died in a car crash texting while driving July
11th right on Mira’s birthday. The whole family was devastated of course by the loss of their daughter and dear sister to Mira. But then the parents of the two girls fell into a very deep depression when only abusing Mira would make them feel better. Mira then told her one and only friend just last week that she cuts herself. The friends name is Makayla Reeves. Makayla sabotaged Mira by telling the entire grade that Mira cuts. Makayla then bribed all the students in the school in not just money, but other things as well to make Mira’s life in high school miserable. Rachel Blu, a student at the same school told reporters about how Makayla bribed a boy in the school named Adam Wills. Makayla bribed Adam to either make her life miserable or have the local gang at the school kill his girlfriend. Adam had to accept because he was planning on asking his girlfriend, Olivia, to marry him once they graduate from high school. Rachel explains that Makayla bribed or tricked everyone in the whole grade to bully Mira until she commits suicide including herself. Rachel explains that everyone in the school loves Mira because of her caring and forgiving ways. Rachel says she just hopes Mira can forgive not only her but everyone else in the school district. In other news…”
I couldn’t believe what I just heard. “Makayla bribed people to make my life miserable? She forced them? The kids at my school actually like me? Why haven’t they ever talked to me then?” I asked grandma/
“Maybe they’re just shy. Its possible.” My grandma said.
I ran upstairs up to my room and ay at my desk. I opened my laptop onto Facebook. I had 2 private messages.

“Mira I hope you got to watch the news tonight. I’m one of the people that’s been bullying you and I’m so sorry. And since Makayla is rich, she promised me $100,00 in cash. I took the money. We’re very late on taxes and my family could use the money to pay for them. My family is almost poor. We can barely afford food and we just found out my mothers pregnant again. Taking care of 6 kids with another on the way takes a lot of money out of our pockets. I’m working 3 jobs to get money but I’m just not getting enough. I already got the money, so I won’t be hurting you anymore. I hope you could ever forgive me, and if you do somehow, we could be really good friends. And the only reason I haven’t tried to be your friend before is because I was really shy and you were apart of the populars, and I didn’t want you hurting me.”













- Rachel Blu.
“I’m one of the boys that has been helping to beat you up. And I’m so sorry. Makayla forced me to do it. She said that if I didn’t do it, she would get that gang to come after my girlfriend and kill her. And I couldn’t say no. planning on asking her to be my wife in 3 years. She told me that she would make the gang take Olivia away and her. And I cant let Olivia die.ll the guys on the football team are talking how Makayla is forcing them to beat you up and call you names. They all said that they don’t want to do that to you because your such a sweet girl and you don’t deserve that at all. Makayla forces everyone to pretend to hate you when we all adore you! And the reason nobody ever came up to you is because they didn’t want you to be another Makayla. They didn’t want to get hurt by you. Olivia always talks about you. She’s always saying how she would love to be your friend. But I hope you can forgive all of us. Because we really want to be your friend. And this is not a trick. You can trust me now.”













-Adam Wills

People were shy to talk to me??
I was shy to talk to them!

I decided that I was going to stay in the same school for 9th grade. I felt pretty confident now that I know nobody hates me.
But could this be another set up?

Summer vacation is now over. Today is the brand new start of 9th grade. I was wearing a new outfit that grandma bought me, and I felt on top of the world. I was walking down the hallway. I wasn’t really paying attention where I was going and I bumped into a girl that was in my kindergarten.
“Alley? Is that you?” I asked her.
“Mira! I haven’t seem you since we were squirting glue in each others hair!” she said cheerfully.
I laughed. “I know right!” I said happily.
“ Well I better get to class.” She said with a wide smile.
“Okay catch you later!” I said. She walked away and headed to my class. I haven’t seen Alley in a really long time and I was glad to see her again.
I walked down the hall to my first class.
Everyone looked at me. I gave little friendly smiles and they all smiled back. 


At lunch I sat alone. Then all of a sudden, some people came up to sit with me.
“Hey Mira!” Olivia said nicely.
Then Rachel came over with 4 other girls that I didn’t know. I found out there names were Hannah, Savannah, Scarlet, and Megan. Everyone at the table had a warm smile on their face. Olivia looked like the most excited one there. She was very bubbly and bright and naturally a happy person.
Rachel told me she was the one who talked to the reporter.
“Makayla deserved it.” She said.
“Makayla deserves a lot of things, but don’t be mean to her.” I said. I looked over to find Makayla sitting alone. I could see cuts all over her legs and arms. I didn’t want her having a miserable life like I did.
“I’ll be right back.” I said staring at Makayla.
I walked over to where she was sitting. “Hi Makayla.” I said while she folded her arms to cover the cuts. She winced in pain. So the cuts were fresh. She just looked at me, then down to her untouched food.
“Makayla do you want to sit with me?” I asked.
I felt eyes on me and people saying “Why is she talking to her!? She ruined her life!” But I wanted to be the nice popular girl and do what was right. I didn’t want everyone shunning Makayla.
“Why are you being nice to me after all I put you through?” She asked.
“I just wanted to be nice. You look lonely.” I said gently. I pulled on her to the table and pulled out a chair. I put my hands on her shoulders and pushed her down on the seat. Everyone was whispering. My friends (that sounds so nice!) were staring at me like I was crazy.
After lunch, I walked Makayla to her next class to make sure nobody gave her a hard time. People waved and said hi to me, but pretended that Makayla wasn’t even there. Yet I didn’t blame them. What Makayla did was pretty evil. But they didn’t need to ignore and shun her.

I didn’t see Makayla until bus dismissal. But when I did see her I ran right up to her. “Hey Makayla wait up!” I shouted.
“Look!” She growled. “If your trying to pretend to be my friend, then make my life hell, I’m not going to fall for it! And everybody in school hates me now! I cut myself! I’m just like you now! A cutter with no friends who’s invisible to everyone! Look at this!” She said pointing to all of her cuts. “I am just like you.” She shouted so everyone could hear her.

“No Makayla! She is not like you! Mira doesn’t even cut anymore because we’re all her friends and we don’t hate her! She is not invisible to me or anybody else! You could have friends too if you weren’t such a jerk! And she’s trying to be friends with you but you still push her away. You could’ve had all of us as friends but you threw it all away. Its going to take a while for all of us to gain back your trust.”
Someone in a crowd was saying. I just noticed that we were standing right in the middle of a large circle the crowd was making. I couldn’t believe these strangers were taking my side!
“Yeah Makayla! We all love Mira! We respect her because she is the most caring, loyal, and forgiving person we’ve ever met! She forgave you and wanted to be your friend but you just pushed her away because you thought she was playing a trick on you like you did to her! She isn’t that kind of person. She wouldn’t do that! Of course a bad person like you would think she’s doing something bad to you! that’s how you think life is! If you did something bad to someone they’re all of a sudden going to hate you and do something bad to you. That’s just how a bad person thinks! You had the chance of having a friend, but you threw it away.” Another person said.

“Thank you guys for sticking up for me and saying all those kind things. But don’t call Makayla a bad person. She’s not a bad person. She just made some bad decisions. And she thought I was tricking her because maybe someone did that before to her, and she just wants to be cautious because she doesn’t want to be hurt again. That’s all.”
Makayla just stared at me.
“You know. Maybe you are a good friend. I just didn’t want to look like a fool by believing you if you were tricking me. And I’m sorry for everything I did. I hope you can forgive me this one last time and maybe we could be friends? I totally understand if you don’t want…”
“Shh.” I cut her off. “Of course we can be friends. I do forgive you.” I said smiling. She smiled back. She was probably happy that she finally got a friend. And a real one.
Everyone grinned. Now I finally know what I wanted. Not to be popular. But to have no bullies in my school. And for everyone to be kind to each other. And for everyone to be friends. All 150 of us. United as one. And that’s finally happening.
The End.