Emily sat on her bed, tears rolling from her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. The walls of her room felt tighter with each passing day. Her chest ached, not from one specific thing — but from everything. School had become a battlefield, and no matter how hard she tried, she always left with more wounds.
Her books were scattered across the floor. Pages torn, some soaked with water from Madison's prank in the cafeteria. Her science notes — ruined. Her hard work — mocked.
She had stayed quiet for too long. She had tried to endure it all — the whispers, the shoves, the laughter behind her back. But her silence had bought her nothing but more cruelty.
She sat up, wiping her face with the back of her hand. She couldn't stay like this. She needed help.
That night, she barely slept. And the next day, with trembling hands and a knot in her throat, she stayed behind after class. The classroom was quiet, sunlight filtering through the dusty windows as Mr. Daniels packed up his files.
Emily stood by her desk, her voice small. "Sir?"
Mr. Daniels looked up, surprised. "Emily? Everything okay?"
She approached his desk, her heart thudding. "I… I wanted to talk to you. It's about school. About… the way I'm being treated."
He gave a brief nod, gesturing for her to continue.
Emily swallowed. "It's Vanessa Rivers and her friends. They've been bullying me. They trip me in the hallways, ruin my homework, humiliate me in front of people. Yesterday, they poured juice on my science project. They call me names every single day."
Mr. Daniels' face twitched — not with surprise, but discomfort.
"I just… I thought you should know. I don't know what else to do."
He exhaled slowly, folding his arms. "Emily, high school can be… tough. Teenagers can be cruel, and girls, especially, can have their drama."
Her stomach twisted. "This isn't just drama, sir. It's every day. It's destroying me."
There was a pause. He looked at her kindly, but his voice was cautious. "Vanessa's family is very involved in this school. Her mother donates to the science program. Her father funds the tech lab. These are complicated things, Emily."
Her heart sank.
"I believe you're going through something difficult," he said. "But these kinds of accusations… they're serious. You don't want to stir up unnecessary trouble. Maybe it's best to stay out of their way. Focus on your studies. You're a bright girl."
Emily's breath caught in her throat. That was it? That was all he had to say?
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "So I should just let them keep hurting me?"
"I'm saying you're strong enough to rise above it. You're better than that," he replied gently. "Just ignore them. These things always blow over."
Emily stared at him, her eyes burning. But he had already turned back to his papers.
She walked out of the classroom slowly, her hands clenched at her sides.
No one was coming to help her.
And that realization… it hurt more than anything the bullies had ever done.