When you hear the word school, what do you think of? Do you think of going to classes, seeing friends, and eating lunch? That’s what many people think of, but to some students it is much less ideal. All they think of is embarrassment, harassment, and pain. Some are afraid to go to school, others are depressed. It’s what bullying does to a person. And, all too often it leads to suicide. It is clearly a problem in schools across the nation that needs to be fixed. I have a story that can directly relate to this problem.

At the start of seventh grade and I walk into math and see this boy. His name is Bryan. I immediately recognized him from past years in orchestra. All I knew about him was his name, age, and that he loved to make himself know. I hated him. He annoyed me to no end in orchestra. He didn’t even have to say anything to make me hate him.

At the end of math I see Bryan and another boy getting into an argument one table over. They are almost yelling at each other so I step in. I start yelling at Bryan too. I don’t even know why anymore. It made me feel good that I could be better than him, but I see now that that is all wrong.

At New Year’s Eve, there’s been about four months, constantly bickering with him. By know I learned that almost the whole school hated him. He was picked on daily. Frankly, I was getting sick of it because I knew it must be wearing on him. That New Year’s Eve, I made a goal to stop being such a bully and give him a chance.

I stopped arguing with him. I stopped ignoring him. I started being nice to him. And, as it turns out he wasn’t such a terrible person. He was actually sort of nice once I got to know him. Being nice to him not only made him happier I felt happier too.

It’s 2012 now and I have stuck to my goal, and we actually became friends. He texted me often and still does. It turns out he even had a crush on me. He asked me out. If he asked me out a year prior to, I would have had joy in making him feel like dirt for it and letting everyone know it. But I had changed. I didn’t like him that way so I politely turned him down.

I recently learned he had wanted to commit suicide. It scares me to think that someone I know, that I go to school with, wanted to commit suicide. I am glad I became friends with him.

I think that as long as everyone in a school feels wanted and no one feels alone, bullying can disappear. Sometimes a bully bullies because they are the ones that are truly alone. I think everyone just needs a good friend.