It started in about 3rd grade. I was a little bit odd from the rest of the kids, but it didn't really matter until middle school when it started getting worse. There was one kid in particular who was the worst of them all. He was constantly tormenting me and one day I finally snapped. It was the last day of band in 8th grade. He wouldn't leave me alone; we weren't doing anything band-related, just sitting there. He was flicking my ear, making remarks and such. After a couple more flicks I got fed up and smacked him with my band folder. Luckily the teacher saw me hit him before he retaliated and we both got in trouble in for the incident, but I was never bullied again. Something that helped stop the bullying was my involvement in wrestling. It helped with my self-esteem and made me more confident that I could stop the bullying myself. But the one thing that I took from this entire experience is to never let anyone get to you. Stand up for yourself and they'll leave you alone, whether or not an adult has your back.