I'm sorry if this ends up long, but sometimes there is a lot to say. Please read to the end. Okay, to begin with, I'm gonna introduce myself. Hi, my name is rebel, loser, freak, weirdo, jerk, nerk, geek, and some other names I'm gonna be polite to not mention, but you can call me Alyssa. I have been defined by these names since I was ten years old. I'm 13 now. Each year I'm gonna some up what went on and share a few stories, but don't leave early because there is a happy ending so far.

6th grade:

  As a fairly "sheltered" child I wasn't ever really exposed to bullying or anything else, now I can write a book. Anyway this was just the beginning. I was always different from the other girls my age. I liked dragons, reading, and was practically allergic to the color pink. There was always my best friend Kelela, but she didn't always understand. I did, however, have one friend. Trinity Rodriguez. (Who later moved to Texas.) She was the only one who knew how it felt to be bullied. I am Christian indefinitely. She had a now quite rare in America religion, she believed in the Greek Gods. I didn't care. She liked dragons, reading, and despised the color pink. (I skipped 3rd grade.) I kept telling her about our savior. This is a story about when I found my spark, by defending her.

   I never stood up for myself or anything for that matter. This is about the day I found my fight, warrior's soul, moxie, spark, or whatever you want to call it. Just know that it was this day that something in me changed from soft to stone. I never liked my 6th grade social studies teacher. She was just plain mean and rude. She was an older lady, but only cared about bullying because she was obligated to do it.

   One day we were to separate in groups according to the answers she asked. The first few meant nothing until she as said, "Okay class, now I want you to separate into groups according to religion. Christians on one side of the class, others to the other side."

I walked to the Christian side and shyly stared at my feet as a group gathered around me. Everyone started to laugh. I looked up to realize that they were laughing at them. Three kids on the other side of the room. The first two were kids I knew. They said that they were atheists. My friend looked up with a red face. "I-I believe in G-Greek Gods." she stuttered. Everyone began to laugh harder. My face got red with anger. I hated these kids who I stood with. I pushed past my awkwardness and step by step made my way to the other side. It became silent. Until they stared shouting with confusion.

   "What?! Alyssa you are Christian!"

   "How could you stand with... THEM!"

   "I'll tell you how!" I shouted with anger. "I couldn't bear to stand with you! You call yourself Christians! God doesn't want you to laugh at the different! He wants you to love them and bring them to his side! I stand with Trinity because she is kinder than any and all of you! She is my friend and if any of you decide to pick on her or these two again," I finish with tears in my eyes. " You'll have to go through me."

   "May I go get a drink of water?" I ask my dumbfounded teacher. She nods. I go out to get a drink and the bell rings. I get my drink run to the class room and grab my stuff.

I hear my teacher say, "Well done Alyssa."

   "Huh?"

   "Good job standing up."

   " Thank you."

I leave the classroom and a hand grabs my shoulder. I turn around to see Trinity's face. Her eyes are full of tears.

"What's wrong?"

"No one has ever done anything like that for me before."

"Well they should." I turn and hug her.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

7th grade:

   This one is really short.

   I became colder, more reserved, a loner, and I got picked on a lot more. I hated humanity along with myself.

8th grade:

My friends left me and I fell into a depression. I had endless sleepless nights of crying. Late into the summer I began therapy and In the last few weeks I went to 2 Christian camps and met the most amazing people and after 6 months of pain I came out of my depression and am now nice and always put my new friends first. I now have soooo many friends. There is always good times. Just stick to it. Walk the road.