Hurts Instead

Part 1: THE BEGINNING

                      Chapter 1

The day I met you, I was eleven. Big unruly kinky hair, muddy face, eyes shining, and curiosity filled.

I was standing next to the sandbox in the playground of my elementary school. I was ready to jump into it and begin the process of building my dream mansion which probably would be gone before I was finished. I was ready for my mission.

"Tomboy! You're so dirty! And you have cooties!!" Sarah and Louise were yelling at me, their faces filled with disgust as they scrutinized me.

They were so immature. They should have known there were no such things as cooties by now. We were about to go to Middle School. I ignored their little girly screams, climbed on to the top of the tallest playground houses, and took a deep breath.

Looking down at the sandbox and my actually complete sand castle, I was ready to jump. Despite the kids that stood on the ground looking up at me with mean mugs, I was ready.

I jumped head in into the sandbox.

This was supposed to be fun. I've been waiting to do this since I walked into Miss Jennie's classroom. I've seen some boys do it, and they always were laughing and happy after.

But after struggling, I had finally gotten out, and crying as I felt my head begin to throb.

The other kids stood around pointing at me, with laughter and mockery filled on their evil faces. I cried harder the more they laughed.

Miss Jennie heard the commotion and quickly took me inside.

"Imani!" She said. "Look at you, you dirtied yourself." She took a cloth and started wiping away at my clothes, making it worse.

She grumbled in frustration and took my hand in her's again. Yanking at my hand, she marched outside of our classroom.

"You completely dirtied yourself. Because of you, no more recess for the rest of the year." She said angrily. I silently whimpered. The other kids would hate me. Probably even more than they already did.

"And that's dangerous! Jumping that high into a sandbox, you could have badly hurt yourself, young lady!" She continued to scold me with her jaw clenched.

She walked me to another classroom. She knocked. We waited.

The door opened and out came Mrs. Smith. I hid behind Miss Jennie. I was scared to see the the evil witch. She hated me.

I hated her. I hated her class even more. In her class were evil little kids who would do anything to humiliate. I once fought one after he said that my mom was the size of a whale.

He had to go to the school's emergency room that day, which made my little body fill up with pride. I beat him up pretty bad. I got in trouble. Detention, time out, I even got spanked. By my mom. Who I was defending.

Miss Jennie pulled me into the classroom. I tried to hide from the kids. But they saw me, my tear filled eyes and dirty clothes, they started laughing. I wanted to laugh too. They didn't have recess today. They were probably being too bad. Again.

The witch had extra clothes in her classroom, definitely for emergencies like my type of dilemma. I wouldn't have to stay in my dirty clothes. I think my hatred for Mrs. Smith lowered down a little bitty.

As soon as I got the new clothes on, which surprisingly didn't smell like evil potions, I wanted to run out of that classroom. And that seemed to be Miss Jennie's plan as well.

But a kid grabbed my hand. I was ready to yell and scream at him.

It was Rocky. The new kid. The stupid kid that started the 'jumping into the sandbox' thing.

"Did you do it?" He asked. I searched his face for any sign of smug and mockery. I found none. He actually looked genuine. A genuine person on this school! Wow! I suddenly liked him.

"Yeah." I respond.

"Oh." He said putting his finger on his chin. "I'm sorry."

"Huh? Umm okay." I was surprised those words came from his mouth. "But I thought it would be fun." I said sadly.

"Imani, let's go!" Miss Jennie yelled from the door.

Rocky shrugged, a slight boredom on his face. "Sometimes it hurts instead."

That day when you said that, you didn't think much of it. Neither did I. But I wish I had.