I think the pain began at the end of fifth grade in June. You could take a few friends to fifth grade celebration and have pictures taken together, but no one wanted to go with me. It was then when I first felt the sting of rejection, but only a little. They said I was too athletic and tomboyish. Over the summer, I decided to quit being athletic and somehow after not practicing for a long time, my athleticism has somewhat faded. However, in 6th grade, there was a girl and a guy who bullied me because I wasn’t athletic enough. In seventh grade, that’s when the pain hit the hardest, I had no friends and a tough algebra class and felt like no one was going to help me. I also got sexually harassed by a guy, making me not as trusting in relationships as I used to be. In eighth grade, I fell in with the wrong female friend and she got me very depressed. I was so desperate for friends, that I tried to be friends with her, but she was very depressed and made me more depressed. Also, in eighth grade, my parents were being overly critical of my wiccan religion saying that I had my head in the clouds. They said that I wasn’t a model student because I enjoyed spending time meditating instead of studying for tests. I got good grades, but they said that since I was almost in high school, I should stop acting and be more serious in life. I love acting because it helps take my mind of things, when I can be someone else, I feel like I can do and be what I want without limitations. Also, when I’m acting, I feel free and I enjoy making people laugh. I’m still a little on the shy side and trust as easily, but I’m getting more courage and building up self-esteem. The first two years of high school have been great and I have lots of friends and no one bullies me. Yet, I still feel insecure about myself at times. There are times when I have moments of clarity and I know what I want in my heart and no one, not even my parents can dissuade me. But at other times, I feel an emptiness and wonder if I’ll ever find fulfillment before I pass away.