She found me in the stairwell, where hide when I just can't deal with the bullying anymore. It's on the far end of the main school building and people rarely use it, so it's a safe place to cry and eat lunch in peace. I was so used to having that place all to myself that I flinched in shock when she burst through the door.
She looked at me like she had expected to find me here, though I don't know how she could have known. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and stood up to leave. I tried to walk around her, but she grabbed my arm and said "Here."
She was holding a tissue towards me. I stared at it for a moment before I realized she wanted me to take it. I wiped my eyes and blew my nose. I balled the tissue up and put it in my pocket. I wondered for a moment why she was here. She dated one of the footballers, so maybe this was all second phase of today's torture. I went to leave again, but she grabbed my arm once more. She was taller than me and when I tried to shrug her off, her grip held tight.
"Why do you let them treat you like that?" She said in a voice that I think was more curious than disgusted.
I looked at her face for the first time. She was looking right back at me. She was very pretty. I looked away.
"What do you mean?" I said.
"Why do you let them treat you like crap?" She asked again
I chuckled, but the noise caught in my throat, becoming more a choking grunt. I swallowed hard and with as much venom as I could muster, I said, "Yeah, why the does the fucking freshman let the fucking 6 foot football team fuck with him every day? Why doesn't he just fight back, I'm sure he could take them in a f-f-f-f-" I stuttered on the last word as I fought down a sob. I stopped talking, holding my breath, trying to stop myself from crying. I was always a fucking crybaby.
"Do you want me to talk to them for you?"
I started crying. I pulled away from her and ran away.
That was the last time I had a one to one conversation with a girl.
