I zipped up my backpack and walked out of the classroom, my eyes full of tears and my brain full of hate. "Yeah! Go and run stick girl, no one likes twigs anway!" he yelled. I cringed and kept walking. "Why am I so skinny?" I thought, "What's wrong with being thin?" I had told my mom about this boy bullying me about my weight and she said, "Sweetheart, the doctor says you're in fine condition, let it go. You know he's wrong." But that didn't work. For six weeks, i had endured this guys taunts and jabs. Why couldn't he just leave me alone?

There was a sudden silence in the classroom when i walked in. The teacher wasn't there yet. "Hey toothpick, 'bout time you showed up." Francis snickered. I felt my face go red. "It's too bad you're like what? Thirty pounds under weight?" Everyone laughed. I saw my best friend and felt a surge of gratitude when i saw that she wasn't laughing. Instead, she looked angry. I couldn't stop the next flow of words, "Yeah Francis, maybe I am thirty pounds inder weight. But at least I'm not thirty pounds over weight like you." Francis's face purpled. I could see his hands clench and unclench. Everyone "ooooohhhh'd" and laughed. Francis (Or was it me?) was saved by the teacher who came bustling in, holding a stack of pop quizes. During class, I caught Francis's eye and knew i was in for it. I out my head down and prayed to God that i hadn't ended my life right there. 

I sprinted out of the classroom oce the bell rang and secured myself in the safety of my car. "Hey honey? How was school?" I said it went fine and peeked out the window. There was Francis, standing on the sidewalk, watching me. I paled and ducked back down slowly. "Oh no, what have i done?" 

The next day was P.E. And ironically, it was capture the flag. Boys versus girls. I think I almost had a heart attack at this news. "What am I gonna do?!" I said to my friend urgently. She shurgged, "No idea." I felt sicker and sicker as each bell rang. Finally, my sickness turned to an uncontrolable fear when the teacher annonced, "Alright guys! I only have one extra rule to this game. Play like you mean it."  I think i nearly passed out. The only strange thing was that all day, Francis had not talked to me. Even when i thought he'd chew me out, he wouldn't say anything. He only stared at me. The P.E teacher blew his whistle and the game began. I sprinted passed most of the boy's defense's and ran into the safetly zone. I grabbed the flag and started running back. But one boy stood in my way. One boy who I was sure would rip my guts if he had the chance. Francis.

I stopped short. Francis was right in front of me, waiting. But instead of saying something malicious, he stepped aside. I ran past him and crossed over the line. I heard several of the other boys yell at him and ask him why, out of all the girls, why did he let me pass. He didn't answer. He just stared at me and mouthed the unthinkable. I'm Sorry.  I held back tears and nodded. And he did another first. He smiled at me. I continued partying with my friends, but I never gave up the image in my mind of Francis smiling. 

Maybe not all bullies are bad. Maybe they just need the push to help them get a kickstart in life. My grandma once said to me, "Bullies are just people so insecure about themselves, that they have to ruin someone else's life to feel better."