The kids all whispered around me as I passed though the dingy school hallway.

“Look at her hair.”

I covered my hair with my hands self-consciously. It was a dirty blonde knotted mess. I couldn’t brush it this morning.

“She’s so fat”

I looked down at myself; I had always been big, but not fat. Though never was I skinny like the other girls my age.

“She is so ugly.”

There just words, I told myself. They were lies. I chided myself saying it didn’t matter what they thought. The words hurt, like cuts with dirt rubbed on it. Like a knife stabbing me and ripping though the muscle to the bone. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Well whoever said that was lying because words hurt.

Tears gather in my eyes but I refuse to let them out. I will not give them the satisfactory of knowing they hurt me.

I shuffle over to the empty classroom. 8 minutes early. I walked over to my desk by the window and sat down. I let my tears out now as I stared out the window looking at the kids who hurt me.

“Hi,” a male voice whispered. I looked down at my watch: 5 minutes left. I wiped my eyes and looked up at a boy with brown hair and blue eyes that shined like a crystal.

“My names John, what’s yours?” he asked.

I was shocked silent, no one has ever talked to me before. He sat down in the seat beside me that was always empty. I stared at him while he placed his books in the desk and hung his backpack on the chair. He flipped through the notebook he had on his desk.

2 minutes left. I bit my lip for I need to talk to him now or the other kids will get to him first.

“Kelly,” I whispered.

“What,” he looked up.

“My name is Kelly.”

He smiled a genuine smile, not a pity smile like the other kids did when they looked at me. A genuine smile which made my heart flutter.

“Nice to meet you, Kelly,” he replied.

The bell rang and the other kids in the hallway filed in. And just like always they stayed clear of me, but it didn’t matter because John was here beside me. And that was all that really mattered for now.