I've grown too much to back down now...

I'm a seventeen year old target. I'm shot at heavily from all sides, forced to duck and find cover behind the walls I've built to keep the bullies away. The strange truth behind this? They used to be great kids. They used to make straight A's, have goals for their futures... But they've been corrupted.

Pot, beer, drugs. The pressure to "fit in" with those around them.

Monsters were created from the goodness that used to exist within them. It makes me sick. I've known these kids since my first steps inside a school. And I used to be friends with them.

But now, I fear getting onto a bus with them. Things get thrown at me, words cut deep into my flesh, and a terrible depression starts to take over my life. Maybe I deserve it, I would think. Is this because I didn't follow suit and change along with society? The main bully, lets call him Bully One, screams in the seat behind me.

"You ugly piece of Sh**!" His voice is so loud I can hear it over my music. I slowly take my headphones off, knowing it's useless to hide from them.

The bus begins to fill with snickers, protests, and more objects get pelted at me. Suddenly this high school bus just turned into a battle field. I cringe into my seat, waiting to arrive and make my retreat. But for me, it's never that simple.

"Hey Scarlett, why don't you go tell the principle we're bullying you? Or maybe, better yet, try to stand up for yourself again?" Bully Two shouts.

I remember the last time I had spoken a word to them. We had arrived at Tech and I had confronted them head on. Pushing my face up into theirs and shouting until finally their words had stopped every word about to come out of my mouth. Useless. Pathetic.

Ugly.

I'm Fresh Meat.

I wonder if anyone could relate to me, or if there's any way out.