Paola and Dawn handed in their Reading assignment to Mrs.Sanders and gathered their books for the next class.Mrs.Sanders smiled at Paola and told her that her heart necklace was pretty."Thank you!" said Paola.(Paola's grandmother gave her the heart necklace for Christmas.It was pink,yellow,and blue.) Paola went to the doorway of the classroom where Dawn was waiting.Dawn told Paola that her stomach was hurting.They always walked to Art class together on Tuesdays and Thursdays and had five minutes to get to the next class.
Paola went to her locker.Then she went around the corner to the stairway to Art class.She dreaded walking to the stairway.It wasn't because she sometimes lost her pencil on the way to class.It wasn't because the line at the water fountain was too long.No,it was not because the hall monitor hurried them to the next class.
Paola was being bullied.
The girls names were Desiree,Cindy,and Jina.They would wait for Paola in the stairway that lead to Art class.Sometimes they tried to trip her with their foot.The girls told her that she was ugly and made fun of her clothes.Paola did not like it,but she pretended not to hear them and didn't want to stir up trouble.Paola never told her mom what was happening to her in school.Dawn told the girls to leave her friend alone.Dawn told Paola to stand up for herself.
Today, Dawn told Paola that she was going to the school nurse.Paola had to walk down the stairway by herself.So the took a breath and held her drawing pad to her chest tightly as went down the steps.She could hear Desiree and the other girls talking as she approached the classroom.They talked about trying to skip their next class.Paola figured that these girls thought they were cool,but really were just losers.
Paola saw the girls and they saw her.She looked away and a couple of seconds past.The next thing she knew,Desiree tried to snatch Paola's drawing pad away from her.Paola knew she had to stop this nonsense or it would get worse each day.Paola felt the silver chain of her heart necklace break and saw it fall to the floor.Dawn and Cindy laughed and walked over and tried to stomp on Paola's necklace.
Paola felt her fear go away and it was replaced by rage!She knew that she had no right to be treated this way!She decided to protect herself and her property.Paola yelled for them to stop and pushed Jina and Cindy to the floor before they could stomp on her heart necklace.Paola stepped on Desiree's foot and twisted her wrist to make her let go of the drawing pad.Desiree's mouth flew open so wide that a tennis ball could have fit in it.She could see the surprise on Desiree's and the other girls faces.By this time,a teacher came by and rushed all of the girls to class.
After school,Paola called Dawn and told her all about what had happened.Dawn told her that she was proud of the way she stood up to the bullies.Paola's necklace was not damaged and she wore it the next day. Desiree,Cindi and Jina never bothered her again.
Now,Paola enjoys her walk down the stairway to Art class without fear and polishes her heart necklace everyday!
*Should Paola tell her mom about the girls who wanted to bully her?
*What would you do if you were bullied?
*How would you deal with one of your friends if they bullied others?
no more bullies, Marie Brewer
