Life was good at Stuart Mesa elementary school. I had lots of friends. My best friend's name was Jayana. We lived on Camp Pendleton. They had their own school on base. After school, we used to hang out, and my friends would go to the store every day. Then, every Friday, we would buy cookies, ice cream, and juice from the school. Then we would explore the sewers, crawling through them, and we also loved exploring the desert. We played football and rode our bikes all around the neighborhood.

Then everything changed. My auntie went back to Maryland and we could not come with her, so we moved into a shelter. I had to change schools to Breezehill Elementary School. When I was in the fourth grade, I was on the chubby side. I was bigger than most fourth graders, so that's what they used to make fun of me about.They used to call me names, like “fat ass.” Even when I didn’t do anything, they would still bully me. I would tell the principal, but all she would do was tell them to stop. They would know I had told, and they would keep doing it. I used to come home sad and tell my mom. She would call the school, but they would lie to her, acting like they were handling it. Then I would go back to school, and they would call me a snitch and start hitting me. I would tell the staff, but they would ignore my complaints and do nothing about it. 

The year ended, and I went to fifth grade. The day I stood up for myself, I was in science class. I was sitting next to my friend, and we were doing our work when this kid started talking about us. We were trying to ignore him, but he was getting louder. Then he left the class because the teacher called him to the office. He was gone for like three minutes, then he came back to the class looking mad.

I looked at him, and he said, “What the fuck are you looking at?” I told him no one cares if he’s mad. Then he got in my face. I said, “You’re not going to do anything,” but before I had a chance to back up, he smacked me on the face. I pushed him back, then he ran up on me. I punched him in the jaw, then he hit me back. He grabbed a metal rod to throw at me, but he missed. Then he grabbed a chair and threw it at me. I moved out of the way, and it almost hit these two kids.

I backed him up into the cabinet, and we started fighting. Then the teachers pulled me off him. We both got sent to the principal’s office and were suspended for one day. When I came back, I got kicked out of making a car group, but most of the fifth graders were happy I stood up for myself. He and I ended up going on a field trip together.

But now, since I got bullied, it changed how I see everyone as my friend. I realized that not everyone is nice and not everyone is meant to be your friend. But some people can be trusted. Now, knowing that, I am at peace with everything that happened in fourth grade.