My story of last year!
Part 1/4

Hey! I'm Claire. I'm 15 and will be a sophomore in high school. I live in the bottom of Ohio but go to a high school in Kentucky. I use to be homeschooled meaning that my only classmate was my sister who is a grade younger than me. I wanted to go to a ‘normal’ school because I wanted to know the feeling of a class room and having friends. I have triplet brothers who are 5 years older than me. My one brother has CP (cerebral palsy) and can't speak. I lived in an environment where there was no swearing, no media because it wasn’t always the safest for kids, help taking care of my older brother, loving family, and growing strong in my faith.

My younger years were spent moving from friends to friends. I learned that there is no such thing as real friends. Friends who will stick with you and someone you actually like. All you need is yourself in life. One day, you will die on your own so why need friends? I have become shy around people and just started ignoring that there was a world outside of my home. If I ever did meet someone, I would just keep in mind that it won’t last and it meant nothing. I would leave people before I was left. I had a hard time taking people seriously. I started the school year with a promise that I will actually try harder and make friends and apart of a group.

By November, I made plenty of friends. We would all gather in the front entrance by the benches and it was like our spot to meet each other. However, a girl who I met before anyone else started pinching me in the waist. We were all doing it to each other for fun. Except, the difference was I don’t think she was doing it in a friendly matter - maybe I was paranoid I don’t know. I could never get her back while she got me all the time. Every once in awhile, when I did, other people noticed. Once, they were defending her while she was the one who started it all. Sitting behind me, she would also kick me in the back. Luckily, Catholicism was my only class with her.

By December, though, she started fighting with me on random things. I am known for being innocent, someone who couldn't hurt anyone, and a girl who knows nothing because she “lived in a ‘box’” meaning my whole life I lived outside of the world of reality. I would ask stupid questions or not understand something, because I lived in a ‘clean’ home. People would tell me how it was strange that I didn’t know about this and that. I once saw someone gossipping about it and they knew I was there too. My friends would say things that made it sound like a huge deal and then go on telling other friends about it with gasps every so often making me sound like a kid. They think I’m so innocent! I always wanted to prove them all wrong! There, at high school, I was updated fast - learned most of the swear words, the kind of music these days, and etc.

January after Christmas break everything changed. The girl started physically fighting me. She would slap me, try to push me off my seat, and flick my hair. Everyone were friends with her. She looked so harmless. I wasn’t her first ‘victim’. She has hit plenty other of her friends. She was known for hitting when she was stressed or tense. People would just brush it off saying that its nothing and that she does it to everyone. But, I think she did it mostly to me. I eventually convinced myself that I should just stop complaining. It’s not just me. Others are dealing with it - why can’t I?