past enemies, new friends

About five months ago I was at work, ringing people up in my line and I looked over to see who was up next. It was this girl from back in high school who started every single awful rumor in the world about me. I attended juvi with her boyfriend the previous year and we had become good friends. She hated that. Upon my return to my home school everyone had already hated me because of her. I was taunted, things were thrown at me, I was pushed, my name was written on bathroom walls, etc. I wasn't nervous, I looked at her and smiled. I began ringing her stuff up without a fright in the world because it has been years! No way she still hates me for no reason, and no way I hate her for what I had to go through. I had forgiven her a long time ago and have moved on with my life. So I asked her politely if she found everything ok and how she was doing. She looked at me with the rudest glare and said, "are you seriously speaking to me?" I was stunned. After all these years this girl still had so much hate for me. She watched everything I went through in high school and had no remorse or sympathy for me. She still, after all this time had actual hate for me as a person. She isn't with that boy anymore and I honestly couldn't even tell you his last name because it was just a little friendship. I don't even know him anymore. I just couldn't believe it. I went home and cried. I shouldn't care what people think and feel that it's her fault for the way she still feels but I couldn't help but be upset. She never even knew the type of person I was before, and she certainly does not know the person I am today. I was hurt.

A few months later I was at work and yet again, I looked to see who the next person up was. It was a guy from back in high school who didn't like me because of rumors he heard. We have never spoken, ever, though I knew how he felt about me. This time I was nervous. I didn't want to deal with it. The anxiety built up from my stomach to my throat and I felt like I was going to be sick. I didn't even look at him. I began ringing up his stuff and putting them into his basket. I wouldn't look up because tears began rolling down my face. I was so embarrassed and I'm sure I turned red as well. He finally looked at me and realized who I was. "Whitney?" He said. "Whitney Martinez?". Shoot, what do I do.. I looked up at him with my red face and bloodshot eyes and said "Yup, It's me! Anything you want to say? Refrain. I don't have the strength to hear it. You guys win so please just stop." He looked at me kind of confused, then smiled. I was so scared. What have I just done? I felt like I started the battle all over again. He's going to go home and tell everyone on Facebook what an idiot I am.

It was time for my break at work and I went to the cafe to sit down and have an ice tea. There he was, sitting there with a pretzel and walked over to me. He sat down at the table I was at and asked if I was ok. I was so embarrassed I didn't even know what to say. He apologized, for everything. He admitted to everything he had ever said about me and told me what other people said and why they did it. People still bring me up sometimes apparently. I don't understand what I did. He told me I was a good target. I would walk around school and look happy, like I didn't care what anyone said so they wanted to bring me down. Honestly when he told me all of this I became angry. I wanted to scream at him "Do you know what you put me through?! What kind of monster are you people?!" I stayed calm, though. He was so sweet. He had grown up a lot. I learned a lot about all the people who would ridicule me and in the end, I'm a much more successful person than any of them.

I'm so blessed to be where I am today and I couldn't ask for a better handful of people who care so much about me. That guy and I still talk often and he's a really great person. I feel sorry for that girl, though. And I feel sorry for everyone else who still haven't given me a chance, or another chance. People are constantly changing and growing and learning. We all need to learn to stick together and be there for each other.