In middle school I was bullied non-stop. I was the new kid in 6th grade, I came from a public school to a small catholic school. Every student in my class had gone to school with one another since preschool. I remember walking out of my dad's car the first day of 6th grade and his last words to me were "just be yourself, you'll do great kiddo"! I took his advice and it was the worst day of my life. I was trying to start conversations with the kids in my class they just ignored me. As the year went on I had no friends, no confidence, and my grades statred dropping dramaticallly. I soon realized that the girls in my class were spreading horrible rumors about me, saying things like i live in an apartment with 5 other families, I didnt shower or brush my hair, and that i was lesbian because I didnt have a boyfriend. At that time I didnt really understand what was going on. I soon realized I walked around the school with a target on my back. No matter what i wore on dress down day, or what kind of head-band was in my hair they always found something to spread around the school about me. I was heart broken and it affected eveyone around me. I satred getting agravated, and annoyed very easily, everytime I walked out of my house I thought someone was talking about me behind my back. By the time 6th grade ended i was a train wreck. When &th grade started the next September, i decided to say under the radar and be the quiet girl. It worked but I was still really unhappy. When 8th grade started I was ready to have a great time, being the oldes kids in the school we could do what ever we wanted, excpect for me! The girls were horrible, worse then in 6th grade, my younger brother was liked in my grade more then I was, i felt like i was living in his shadow. Everyone asked me why i wasnt like my brother he's cool and you're not. What was cool anyway? spending the whole day in the principal's office, failing important tests, or even better going out and getting high or drunk that weekend, that was definatly not what i wanted to do. I just looked at them and walked away. By the time graduation came around I couldn't wait to get out of the "hell hole" i had wasnt 3 years in,but the last timei walked out of those frount double doors, i realized that im a stronger person because of all the rumors and crap that were spread around, I took what i had learned about bullying and spent the whole summer being myself, I even met a boy you liked my for me, amd didnt care about what he heard about me! Bullying is something that hurt me throught the hardest times of my life, I help kids now affected by this problem, and i am stronger today then i ever was before!