when i was in the 5th and 6th grade i was bullied not physically but mentally. i was told i was ugly, that i should kill myself, that i was a nerd because i read all the time, played bassoon and was in advanced classes. my 'friends' i had known my whole life would tell me to go away, they didn't want to talk me, that i was weird, too skinny, too fat, they didn't even blink when they said that they hated me. no one ever hit me but it still took its toll on me. my grades slipped from A's and B's to D's and F's and i couldn't even bring myself to care. i was hiding behind my books and the characters in them. harry potter was my best friend, nancy drew was the big sister mine never was. About halfway through my 6th grade year i decided i was finished with these kids who probably didn't care that i was sucidal and depressed. i decided i was going to fight back. i got in a fight with a girl because i sat at the wrong picnic table at P.E. in 5th grade. no one won, the coach pulled us apart before anything serious happened. i was gaining confidence in myself. i wasn't as withdrawn in myself. i got up and i spoke up. the teachers never did anything but i did. when the other kids, not the bullys the kids like me, caught on to what i was doing they got up and spoke up too. i had a following by the end of 7th. i ran for student council and lost but one of my friends, a real one, made vice-president of the 7th grade. he spoke up at the meetings about the epidemic running unchecked in our school. between us we got a lot acomplished. people started to leave other kids alone they would stop and help someone who had been shoved and dropped their books. these small acts of kindness helpped not only me but other kids realize that we aren't worthless, that there is hope, that maybe one day bullying would be a thing of the past. an enigma from a not-so-peaceful generation. i am proud to say i haven't been bullied in almost 2 years, that i survived to tell you this story. i am now an 8th grader at a different school and i am still working to help my peers. i am proud to say most of my friends at both schools are gay or bisexual or fat or nerdy or play a bassoon. just remember the german word for bassoon is fagott so when someone calls you a faggot think of it as a compliment it means you are beautiful and can do amazing things. you will do things you could never imagine. suicide and selfharm is not the answer. i know your pain and i got through it, you can too. just think on the bright side and listen to lots of music. they can't hurt you if you don't let them.