#RiseAbove Your Worries

#RiseAbove

I really hated Maggie Simmons. Well, I thought I did. But I wasn't sure. I mean, everyone else hated her. They all told me that to fit in I had to hate her. But she's so nice and she's pretty too, not that it's that important. I was just so sure that at my new school I needed to fit in. I thought I needed to do anything to ensure my status.

The truth is, I was her at my old school. I, Lexi Fitzgerald, used to be the schools dork. I was attacked both at school and online. They would speak these awful words to me. So many times I would be threatened to kill myself or someone else would. I couldn't take how intense it was getting. I attempted at my life so many times and my parents eventually found out what was happening. They immediately uprooted their lives to move me somewhere safe. They saved me from my monsters, but now they would be ashamed of who I've become. The bully.

I tried too hard to fit in that I just accepted the school-wide hate against Maggie. I promised myself that I wouldn't bully her directly. I would never message her threats, I would never pass her hateful notes in class, I would never get her number so that I could text her and torment her like I was tormented. But when the most popular jock in school posted a picture of her online I never imagined that I would hit that like button. I could see that I was stooping to their level. I could see myself becoming the bully. Every night I had nightmares about my old life. It came back to me in powerful, crushing waves. My mind would replay all the messages, I would relive all the hallway shoves, I saw the images they sent to me.

I needed to put a stop to it. I needed to do something about this. My first step would be to unlike the picture of Maggie. At school I would sit down with her at lunch. I would get her number so that she could have good messages admits the bad ones. I would tell her about my story and I would be her confidante. I would keep her safe and treat her how I wish someone had treated me. I was going to make a stand against these bullies and face whatever came at me. I was going to help her rise above her problems and defeat these cowards behind the keyboard.

I got to school that day and I was searching for Maggie. I couldn't find her. I looked all around, even ignoring most of my friends when they walked past. I wasn't surprised that I couldn't find her right away. She was almost always hiding away or being tormented by someone. I just had to find a group of people of check in some of her hiding spots I secretly knew about.

     Rounding the corner to the principals office I entered the guidance counselors section. I had seen her in their so many times because it was the only place she could go where people's words couldn't touch her. I had the same experience in my old school. But when I walked into the office far enough to have a full view of the minimal yet cozily decorated room I didn't see any signs of life.

     I decided to venture around the halls. I got to school early enough that I could spend the morning setting things right. I knew that as soon as I found her she would be hesitant. But I was ready to make any sacrifice for her well-being. She needs to know that there's someone who cares.

     Still walking through the halls I was continuing my unfruitful search. I hadn't seen too many people around, and the next-to-empty guidance room was unsettling. Rapidly I began seeing more and more people. Some were just passing by but the majority were circled around something that upon closer inspection I realized was our schools tv in the auditorium. It seemed as though the entire school had gathered around the tv. Most of them looked like mindless teenagers staring at a screen but what else was new.

     I wrestled my way through the crowd looking for my friend Amanda. I just knew that if there was a hot new news story that Amanda would be the centre of attention. I finally found her close to the front but I couldn't see the screen from where I was standing.

     "Amanda, what's going on?"

"Hey Lex, did you hear?" She said with a disturbing my cheery smile on her face.

     "Hear what?" I was growing more and more suspicious as I noticed that a few people surrounding me were crying. "What the absolute heck is going on?"

     "What do you mean what's going on! Maggie finally killed herself." In that moment the news hit me like a freight train to my heart. The realization of the weight of my actions as a simple bystander crushed me even further. The beautiful young girl died believing she wasn't wanted and never got to live out her potential.

     I couldn't have helped, but I was too late.