I got to school with murderers. Everyday I watch them hunt for a kill; toying with their prey and making a game of it. Every year we have new people join our class, and by the middle of the year, at least one girl is gone. My class’ secret method is to ignore the target; to make sure she is friendless. After years of observation, I believe it’s time I do something about it. Time and time again I’ve thought about standing up for their victims, but I could never gain enough courage to do so. That is, until now.

T.A was a new girl in our seventh grade class. At first, she was completely tuned out. No one bothered to introduce themselves or help her out on her first week of school. Why they did that, I don’t know. Maybe it was because she was different. She didn’t act or speak like everyone else did, so they simply acted as if she did not exist.

Longing for attention, T.A began to make stories up. She told wild tales, just to get someone to talk to her. Little did she know that this would only make make the abuse more destructive. People began to tease and mock her. They called her names and pushed her around. T.A was left helpless and defenseless. She saw no other way to survive it other than to laugh along with everyone else. What else could she do?

As the years flew by, the situation worsened. Her things were constantly sprawled across the floor. Bystanders watched as others threw her books around, but did nothing to stop the act. I kept asking myself how people could stand to watch abuse and do nothing to stop it. Everyone was aware of what was going on, even the teachers. So, why didn’t anyone stop it? Better yet, why didn’t I?

I am now in eleventh grade, and my classmates are still on this hunt for T.A. I have no idea how far they plan on taking this, and I don’t know how much longer she can last. This isn’t the first time such a thing is happening, but it is the most prolonged. T.A has the strongest spirit I have ever seen. Nothing seems to bother or hurt her anymore, which probably isn’t a good thing.

What keeps bothering me now is why I hesitated to help until now. Why didn’t I stop the harassment? The fear of being the quarry stopped me. No one wants to be mistreated, and higher authorities, like school teachers, should get involved. Bullying has to be stopped now, because later it might just be a little too late.