It is never late for someone to say what they think or to take a stand for what they believe. Tolerance is a very hard quality to find during high school, especially when it is a big campus. Back in my country the school I used to attend had a big campus. After spending almost all my life there I knew pretty much everyone, and everyone knew me. When I started seventh grade I took too many wrong decisions and in the end I had to do seventh grade again.

            I hated the idea of staying in the same school and that made the new beginning even harder. I had acquaintances but not real friends there and my old friends stopped talking to me. I was all by myself. The time went by super fast and I started to made friends easily, especially with the guys on the soccer team. But at the same time I was making good friends a guy decided that his new hobby was to make fun of me for everything. He even stared at me for two or three classes at a time, making me feel very uncomfortable.

            After some weeks things were the same. It didn’t matter how I asked him to stop he kept making fun and jokes and making me feel very bad. One day, he decided it would be hilarious to grab me from my back and drag me around the room. That was the breaking point. I could not stand him any longer. I got out of his hands and punched him in the chest. The fight was just starting. He tried to punch me but I avoided his fist. I cornered him and everyone started to gather around. They wanted that fight as much I wanted to beat him up but one of my best friends decided it was enough and hugged me so that I would stop. Some other guys took out the guy I was fighting with.

            Since that episode no one even tried to put me down. The reputation I gained was big and I wanted to keep it that way. I had power and influence among all of the seventh graders and because of the backup they gave me some eight graders started to be my friends too. That power was making me an ugly human being. If I had problems with someone I would make everyone turn against that person. I did not use my influence to help or stop bullying until my friend passed away.

            My friend was a very sweet girl; she was always smiling and was always willing to help. Friendship was a huge thing for her. She was very loyal. She had this dream of being president and fixing the country. But getting into high school was not easy. A group of kids decided to bully her and a lot of kids around the school joined them. The level of bullying was exaggerated, to the point that she couldn’t walk through seventh grade hallway. She had to go around the school to avoid us.

            I never took a stand for her and I regret it so much. I was so busy taking care of my reputation that I totally forgot about doing the right thing and I let her down.  One Friday afternoon she had a brain problem; her body crashed and she entered into coma. She was like that for almost a week and she didn’t make it, and died on a Thursday night. During this time, I realized how valuable is a friend. How important is to do the right thing and use the power one has to help others, take a stand and support the ones in need.