Everyone makes mistakes. Some mistakes are forgivable. But some just tear you apart and can never be forgotten. There comes a time when you feel that you have reached the sky and nothing can push you down. But sometimes you do fall and all you need is someone to help you back up. I was always told as a kid that when I grow up and look back at myself I would see someone that I will be so proud of. That someone would be me. Unfortunately, when I look back I don’t see someone that I am proud of. Actually I see someone who was weak surrounded by darkness.

Who am I you ask. My name is Peyton Cooper. And this story begins back when I was 16 years old. Everything was perfect. I was pretty and nothing used to scare me. Then there was a time when I moved schools and started to meet new people. People who started to change how I thought of others and myself around me.

It first started off with little name-calling and nothing more. I was different than anyone else in the school. But different is good, right? A month went by and I let the name-calling continue. The name-calling was sometimes toward what I wore and sometime towards what I looked like. How much can a person take before they break and have to respond back? That was my first mistake. I should have not reacted. By reacting I just encouraged them to continue bothering me. Good news is when I did react they did stop calling me names. Bad news they started to do something else to bother me.

It was October 15th, 2008; I walked up to my locker and saw vandalism all over it. Not only that there was harsh comments all over it too. Words such as ugly, fat, and not wanted. I turn around and I see everyone looking at me, pointing and whispering about me. I start to walk away. I feel my face getting hotter. I straighten my back and start to walk down the hall. But once I turn the corner I start to run. And I can feel salty water running down my face. This continued for many months. I continued to cry for those months.

Lets now go a little into the year. It is April 16th, 2009 and from verbal bullying it started to go into something more serious. They stopped verbal bullying so they decided to use their fist to make a point. I started to get bruises and scars all over my body. This is was my second mistake. I should have told someone, my parents, a teacher, or a friend. It could have stopped if I had decided to take a stand.

My behavior started to change. I would get up and yell and scream at anyone who least deserved it. Then there came a day when I looked into the mirror and saw a stranger someone who looked so different. Then I knew I had to do something to make it all go away.

Now when people ask about a Peyton Cooper you know what they say. “She died 10 years ago. nobody knows how or why she took her life but she did."
I knew this is not how I expected my life. I wish people did know why I took my life. Why i continued to suffer for the longest time. But i didn't. I always thought the best way is to suffer alone and never ask for help. But all I have to say is that everyone suffers. Everyone gets bullied over such little things. You should never let it get to you and you should always ask someone to help. Because everyone is beautiful in there own way.