Come Out It's Dark in There

Harmless

      "Why are all the girls wearing pink?" I asked. "Mr. Haas, said they should." Axel replied as he took out the binders from his bag. "Why though?" I asked while shoving my book bag in my locker. He just shrugs.

      As soon as we were both done, we headed into the classroom. "Haley, I thought you would get the memo that we only worn pink on Wednesdays." Mr. Haas states. "The boys aren't wearing pink." I pointed out. "Yes, but you're not a boy. I mean unless you wanted to become one." he teased. 

      Now, I was angry. When the fuck, did not wearing pink exclude you from being a girl? I was about to yell at him, but Axel grabbed one of my arms. As, if telling me it wasn't worth the risk of detention.

        "Woah! Calm down Mrs. Bandage Head. It was just harmless teasing. We don't need your face to get even more red." Mr. Haas said. Everyone laughed in the room. So, I pushed Axel off of me and ran. "Remember, Wednesdays we wear pink," a girl hollered behind me.

        I was in the 8th grade bathroom again. This time I wasn't alone though. I heard the toilet flush followed by the sound of a door unlocking. Great someone's coming out.

        "You okay? No way, is that you, Haley?" a familiar voice asked. I turned around and saw Jessica. "Hi, and yes it is." I responded. 

         "Bullying?" she asked. I nodded feeling my cheeks getting redder by the second. "No need to be embarrassed. It happened to me, too. I mean I wasn't exactly as skinny as I am now." she says. Damn, people even bullied a girl like her. I guess I'm not alone.

           "You wanna know something?" she asked while approaching me. I guess I did. But, it seemed like it would be a bit rude to ask. She seemed to take my silence as an answer.

          "Just know that those people who bully you are just as insecure as you are. If not even more." she said as she lightly pats my back, "Once you know that their words start to sound... harmless." 

      "It was just harmless teasing..." a voice mocked. What the fuck, is wrong with Jessica? Harmless, yeah right! Was that what in looked like when she found me in the bathroom. "Their words start to sound harmless," the voice also said.

     I clenched my fisted. Jessica seemed to notice the difference in emotion. So, she left quietly. "Their words start to sound harmless," the voice repeats. "Harmless... harmless" it whispers.