At this school, you are combined with other grade levels. My particular class included 5th through 9th grade. As an 8th grader at the end of the year, you have a "graduation" ceremony, complete with the cap and gown. I had been at this school since 1st grade so this year was very important to me. Even more so because I would not be staying for 9th grade. I would have to face public school the following year.
My eighth grade class consisted of me and 4 other people including a new boy I developed a crush on. As the naive, sheltered, private school girl, I believed that going on a "date" with him meant he was my new boyfriend. When the other girls started in on him too, I had my jealousy but I had gone out with him. He was mine! Valentine's Day rolled around and I threw a party for my classmates. We played "Spin the Bottle" but the private school version (if it lands on you, you shake hands) and also a game we had come up with called "Prison". An excuse to touch a member of the opposite sex, the object of the game is to "capture" as many people as you can and keep them in a confined area until all have been rounded up. I was on top of the world. I was the popular girl with a cute boy "friend" and had everything I ever wanted.
The next day on Valentines Day, no one would talk to me. The boy I had thought was my boyfriend gave a box of chocolates to my best friend and asked her to be his girlfriend. All the boys gave the other girl candy and cards. I went home with nothing. A fear in the back of my mind ever since has been that once I'm happy, it will be taken away from me. The next few months were horrible. I was alone at lunch, alone at break, alone on the weekends. I heard the whispers, I saw the notes being passed back and forth with the dirty looks. One day, I received a letter from the boy I had liked that said "I can't believe you would say that about me? You are crazy and need to see a doctor." I had no clue what he was talking about. Graduation rolled around and we all went out to eat that night. I was given flowers and a couple cards from people in the class so I assumed all was well.
Two months went by without a word from the group. Our class trip to Myrtle Beach was right around the corner and I was dreading it. I was going to be stuck in South Carolina with a group of people who acted like they hated me and I was too shy and scared to ask anyone about it. The whole first half of the trip was indeed miserable. Finally, the tables turned...
"Ashton, I need to talk to you about something." said Josh, who had been my best guy friend. "Niki has been going around saying horrible things about you to everyone. I didn't want to believe it, but she sounded so convincing and everyone went along with it." "Well what did she say?!?" I asked. He said he couldn't remember the details but everyone had been avoiding me because she told them to. Jarrod (the boy I had a crush on) approached me on a nightime walk along the beach and told me he was sorry and should have never listened to Niki. The next day, she called home crying because everyone had turned against her and were friends with me again. A few weeks later before I started Rustburg High, I threw an end of the year party for my old friends...and we agreed to not invite Niki.
Fast forward 10 years- this episode continuously repeats. Everyone makes accusations, forms their opinion but would rather follow the majority, and makes everything out to be the worst case scenario. I have learned to wait it out. I know that anytime between now and a year from now, the truth will come out, people will see who I really am, and another lesson will be learned. While the waiting period sucks, I know in the end it will make everything that much better. We all deserve a chance and we all deserve happiness.
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