is easy as I don’t have an option, but I can try being friendly. I had already endured another day of break and lunch times on my own and it’s really not much fun at all. I felt like people were staring at me, but every time I looked up nobody was looking my way. At lunchtime I was sitting near a group of girls who I know are in my year as two of them are in my Form Group. I overheard them talking about trying out for the sports teams for that year. They said that the sign-up sheets were going to be outside the PE block early next week. I kept listening while they were talking and it seems that the school has a successful collection of sports teams. They were listing loads of schools that they were going beat and apparently every other school in the area is crap. It took me back to sitting with my friends at my old school. We were on most of the sports teams and did okay throughout the year. It didn’t seem to matter whether we won or lost, the other school was always crap for onereason or another. It’s amazing how you can moan about your own school, but as soon as you’re on that sports team it’s every other school that’s crap. Listening to those girls made me miss that feeling of being part of something. I didn’t really miss my friends so much, although it would be nice to have people to talk to; I just really missed being a part of something. Maybe I could have that again if I tried out for the teams? It’s been a while since I played any sports but I haven’t forgotten the rules, and surely if I was on the teams in my old school I couldn’t be that bad at it. All I need to do now is find out where the sign-up sheets are when they go up next week. I was tempted to ask one of the girls who is in my Form Group, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
What’s happened to me? I really didn’t think I’d ever be too frightened to go and speak to someone. I felt like I was literally glued to my seat and despite knowing that the simplest thing to do would be to get up and ask, I just could not do it. That’s not me. I used to be the sort of person who was first to speak up in class, first to sign up for anything and nobody would ever have described me as shy. I didn’t think twice about speaking to other people in my old school whether I was friends with them or not. Now, I’m just scared. Scared of anything and everything to varying degrees. My stomach ache had reappeared at the thought of speaking to those girls and my legs felt too heavy to move. I hate this new me.
After I was raped, I eventually went back to school. I was nervous but I didn’t feel as afraid as I do now. My legs felt like they were a normal weight and I had the ability to move them for a start. When we moved house I was more excited than anything, but as the time got closer to starting school I seemed to get more and more afraid. My biggest fear is that people will find out about what happened to me. I didn’t really think anything of it in my last school as everything happened so quickly. I guess nothing bad happened as a result of people knowing, but nowthat it’s completely my choice I want to keep it a secret. What would people think of me if they knew? At least my old friends already knew the real me before it happened. People here would surely only see me as a victim. That’s the last thing I want as being ignored has got to be better than being pitied.
I couldn’t wait to hear that final bell and once again I was home in record time. When I stepped inside the front door, I was greeted with an envelope with some familiar handwriting on it.
Hey Dani,
Of course we miss you! It’s not the same here without you but we hope you’re having a brilliant time at your new school. We reckon you’ve got loads of cool new friends and have forgotten about us already because you’re having too much fun. It’s got to be better than here. We keep getting lectures about working hard for our exams (like we hadn’t figured that
What’s happened to me? I really didn’t think I’d ever be too frightened to go and speak to someone. I felt like I was literally glued to my seat and despite knowing that the simplest thing to do would be to get up and ask, I just could not do it. That’s not me. I used to be the sort of person who was first to speak up in class, first to sign up for anything and nobody would ever have described me as shy. I didn’t think twice about speaking to other people in my old school whether I was friends with them or not. Now, I’m just scared. Scared of anything and everything to varying degrees. My stomach ache had reappeared at the thought of speaking to those girls and my legs felt too heavy to move. I hate this new me.
After I was raped, I eventually went back to school. I was nervous but I didn’t feel as afraid as I do now. My legs felt like they were a normal weight and I had the ability to move them for a start. When we moved house I was more excited than anything, but as the time got closer to starting school I seemed to get more and more afraid. My biggest fear is that people will find out about what happened to me. I didn’t really think anything of it in my last school as everything happened so quickly. I guess nothing bad happened as a result of people knowing, but nowthat it’s completely my choice I want to keep it a secret. What would people think of me if they knew? At least my old friends already knew the real me before it happened. People here would surely only see me as a victim. That’s the last thing I want as being ignored has got to be better than being pitied.
I couldn’t wait to hear that final bell and once again I was home in record time. When I stepped inside the front door, I was greeted with an envelope with some familiar handwriting on it.
Hey Dani,
Of course we miss you! It’s not the same here without you but we hope you’re having a brilliant time at your new school. We reckon you’ve got loads of cool new friends and have forgotten about us already because you’re having too much fun. It’s got to be better than here. We keep getting lectures about working hard for our exams (like we hadn’t figured that
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