Sitting alone in a room full of people, I lay my head down and cover my face and my tears. I hear footsteps.
“Hey, what’s going on here?”

I peek one eye out of my sleeve and see a strange face. Who is this? And why does she care? I reply, “Nothing, I’m fine.” I expect her to walk away; instead, she continues. Her soft voice fills with compassion as I feel her light touch on my arm.

“You can talk to me any time if you need me.”

I manage a smile and say, “thank you.” I sit in the bathroom the rest of the period thinking about how those words helped me.

I leave the school, get in my car, and cry. I get home and I feel sad, tired, useless. I think about the girl, and I think about what she said. So I text her. I tell her what happened and thank her for caring. She helps me through the hurt by sharing her experiences with me so I know I’m not alone. She tells me how she got through the bullying, how she’ll help me along, and I don’t feel so sad.  We become friends. The bullies don’t bother me and their words don’t hurt; because, I know I have someone who cares.

One act of kindness is all it takes to prevent bullying. Stand up for victims when you see these things happening. Everyone has been bullied and we know how it takes a toll. Show you care, be a friend, help make someone's day better. All it takes is a kind actions to prevent bullying.