When I was in grade 8 I had a best friend named Chloe.
We hung out on the swings at recess, we sat together at lunch, and traded sandwiches from
time to time, and we always took the same bus home after school.
We were like two peas in a pod, rarely separated.
Well that soon changed when Chloe got a boyfriend halfway through the year.
He was a boy named Tom that was known as one of the school's biggest bullies.
Everyone was extremely intimidated by him and tried to stay on his good side.
Once I had seen him through a kids backpack over the roof of the school for no reason.
He just seemed to take pleasure in ruining people's days.
So when Chloe asked me to sit with him and his friends at lunch everyday I couldn't say no.
I didn't want to lose her as a friend and I didn't want to upset him, so I pretended
to support their relationship, even though I knew Tom was a bad guy.
Well one day a new girl named Jenna was introduced to our class.
She looked very shy and nervous and had no one to sit with at lunch, so she sat by herself.
I timidly asked Tom and his friends if I could invite her to sit with us and they instantly
started laughing as if I had told them a hilarious joke.
Tom then picked up a couple trips from his lunch and threw them over at her table she
was quietly reading a book.
She looked startled but didn't try to stand up for herself I remember feeling so bad for
her the moment but I didn't have the courage to say anything.
For the next week Tom and his friends would bother her during lunchtime. They would roll
up pieces of paper to throw in her hair and would constantly call her the weird loner girl.
I was so shocked that Chloe was allowing her boyfriend to treat and another human being
this way.
And I started feeling really embarrassed that I was sitting with these horrible bullies,
because by not standing up for Jenna I looked like one too.
So the next day I finally decided to make a change even if I knew would impact me negatively.
So instead of sitting with Chloe and Tom I went and sat beside Jenna.
She looked really happy to finally have someone to keep her company.
But right away I noticed that Tom and
his friends were giving me dirty looks and whispering to each other.
And it didn't take long for them to start treating me the way they did her.
Crumpled paper was throw it at me and I was beginning to be called weird girl number 2.
But all I could think was at least Jenna isn't going through this alone.
I finally decided that this was enough and took Jenna with me to see the principal.
We tried the best we could tell her what was happening but she told us that if there was
no proof of bullying, she couldn't do anything.
Whenever a teacher was around Tom would act normal and the minute she left the room
for a few minutes to continue harassing us.
It was a very difficult time, but every time Jenna would tell me how thankful she was for
my friendship it was so worth it.
So one day I heard that there was a hate page online about Jenna that was started by Tom
and his friends. It had an unbelievable amount of likes and follows on it.
They would take pictures of her and post them with terrible captions, they would quote things
that she said and gossip about some of the things she did during the day.
And as unfortunate and sick as it was, it was finally the proof we needed to give to the principal.
The police actually ended up getting involved and Jenna was never picked on again after that.
I'm very proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone to stand up for her because
if I didn't, I'm not sure if she would have had the confidence to do it herself.
Some people need the extra push from someone else that is willing to support them if you
ever see someone being bullied, don’t just be a bystander, do something about it.
Your actions could greatly change someone's life for the better.