To thy own self be true

                The loud clatter of the usual boring sunny lunch for the sixth graders filled the air. The gentle fall breeze was playing with our hair and faces, and those words cutting through me like a snapping wire of my patience. “The freaks will never get anywhere in life.” The laughing starts cutting the wound deeper. My friends quickly looked down as though they were ashamed of themselves. Tears burned down my face like a leaf in a fire.

                “Meggie they’ll never stop teasing us, until we stand up for ourselves or just breakdown. Megan you’re the brave one of the group,” my best friend Adina says to me. The hurt of those heartless liars in her eyes as they fill with tears. Seeing my closet friend that hurt set me off making me see only, sending annoyance over the edge. I take a deep breath trying to calm my racing heart. With one final glance of encouragement at Adina I was ready to stand up and protect myself and my friends. This was war and it was our tie, and they were not about to win.

                “At least we choose to be ourselves and are liked for it. “ My voice shakes unsure of what I was doing. The thoughts ran through my head, well the Kelly motto is “Go big or go home!”

                “We choose to be ourselves not fake clones like you guys. Heartless cruel who pick on people you think are weak to make yourselves feel better.”  I lock eyes with one of the bullies, and stare him down. He is the one who hurt my Adina. Then the sense of my small band of friends stand behind me fills me with the courage to back my words. The loud lunchroom fill with laughter and noise fell silent like a starless sky. I laugh.

                “Wow! I didn’t think standing up to them for us would be like,” I thought. I continued, “You call us freaks and say we won’t go anywhere, but you’re wrong. It’s the freaks that make the world go round.” I feel the power and the will grow inside me. I extend my hand to Adina, she takes it. I see the pride and self respect come over her, as she stands by me.

                “Ha! As if you losers will probably drop out or something,” the bully’s voice sounds shaken.  “Well let me say this, Better to be hated for who we are then loved for who we’re not.” I stated calmly. I feel calm, steady and strong. I speak these words from my heart as Adina squeezes my hand to encourage me to keep going.

                “I don’t want to fight; I want you to back off and leave us be, we are who we are and if you don’t like it. That’s your problem. “My words shoot through the silent grounds like a shot heard round the world. Now surrounded the bullies had nowhere to go. All the eyes in the school yard looked in on them to see what next, riveted like a novel was.

                “To thy own self be true.” I proclaimed. Many times after that day that was our motto. The bullies still teased but the words, didn’t hold the sting like they use to. Adina now holds her head up and smiles. She hugs me and tells me ‘thank you for being my friend’. I learned more from myself self that day then the bullies taught. And it is true.

 

                “To thy own self be true.”