The day before my 8th grade year I was doing some last minute school shopping at the local mall. I walked through the lounge area and before I knew it six girls grabbed me and pulled me outside. I will never for get the faces of the other kids and adults just sitting there watching me being bodily removed from the mall while I screamed in terror.

The pulled me outside against a concrete pillar. Three of them held me against it while the other three proceeded to punch and kick me. Funny thing is I don't remember the pain. I do remember the anger in their faces and wondering why is this happening to me. I kept going through every moment of my day wondering what I did wrong.

Once they finished with me, they let me go. Bloodied, swollen and in pain I wandered back into the mall where my sister greeted me. Her horrified face said it all. Right after the questioning, we left for the ER then home.

I had complained to my school about these girls tripping me, slamming me into lockers and knocking books and my lunch tray out of my hands several times through out the previous year. Nothing was ever done as no actual physical harm was caused.

Come to find out, all this ridiculousness was a result of the ring leader thinking I liked her boyfriend simply because he was my lab partner. She and her # 1 ended up in juvenile detention for the next year. The rest were expelled from school. I have never seen any of them again. I spent my first two weeks of eighth grade black and blue, sore and a bit more aware of my surroundings... Not to mention a lot less trustful of people and a lot less innocent.