A New Perspective

Chapter 8

Vivian's POV

Thursday
Yesterday, I went to the principals office and told her about what has been happening with Jessica. I feel bad telling on her, but I know I deserve to not be pushed around like this. Well, I mean I guess that's what I deserve. Gwen said so and I trust her word.

Now I have to navigate the halls of my school once again. I'm worried about how Jessica is going to take this if she finds out that I said something. I hope it doesn't get worse. What if it gets to the point where there's only my word against her evidence? By evidence, I mean what if she makes stuff up to get me in trouble? I've had that happen to me before, not by Jessica, but it's still very much possible. Who knows what levels she would stoop to.

Then, all of a sudden, a scream in the halls catches everyone's attention. My head snaps to look down the hall beside me to only see a crowd of people. I'm curious so I delve into the crowd only to witness something I would never expect.

I whisper under my breath in shock, "Jessica?"

Wednesday (A Day Before)
"Can you describe what Jessica's been doing to you lately?" The principal asks me. She's a sweat older lady, probably nearing sixty. At least she's believing me so far.

But it's hard to focus on so many things at once that have had my stress levels going crazy. This morning, Gwen asked me if she could foster me. I didn't give her a straight up answer because I'm not really sure she can. I'm not sure I'd let her get herself into that. I'm still under my mother's care and she'd have to sign her parental rights away, would she not? Maybe that was only if I was being adopted. Honestly, I'd prefer to be adopted than fostered. I've heard that at any moment a social worker can come in and take you away from your current foster family for almost no reason. It would kill me to be ripped away from Gwen and uncertain of where I'm going. I would at least like a warning first.

"Jessica has said some really rude things about my home life. She has also said rude things about my body and how I look." I start, still thinking about the whole fostering situation in the back of my mind. I can't stop thinking about the fact that Gwen just blurted it out this morning, as if she has been thinking about saying it for a while now. There's no way I could be that special to her.

"Okay. Has she done anything to you physically?" The principal asks again.

I take in a deep breath. I am going to be so glad when this day is over.

"Yeah, she's hit me, shoved me... kicked me too."

I know this has to be done for my own good, but a part of me feels as though I'm only hurting her and doing nothing for myself. I don't understand why I've always cared for her even though she's done some pretty terrible things to me. I think it's passed just having a big heart.

"Do you have any bruises or something along those lines to show what she's been doing?"

I nod my head, taking a minute before getting out of my seat. I felt my legs shaking beneath me for some reason as I raised my shirt. I never did enjoy being weak around people I didn't know. I always thought that a sign of pain or vulnerability was bad and was only a burden, but Gwen's different about this stuff. Instead of telling me to get some armour or grow tougher skin, she helps me work through it.

The principal looks shocked even though there's not much to see today.

"My mom bandaged it up for me." I tell her. I can't help but smile slightly because by 'mom' I don't mean my biological mother that couldn't care less about me, I mean Gwen. I can't say her name though so I've resorted to calling her mom in this situation. And it feels nice, because she really is like a mom.

Thursday
There she is, curled up on the floor, sobs racking her body. I look around at the crowd surrounding Jessica. I don't like that they feel they can just stand there and stare. That's so rude of them, but what could a person like me do? There's a massive crowd circling Jessica.

"Wow, I never knew she was so weak."

"Pathetic."

"What happened? Did her boyfriend dump her for her much hotter friend? I don't doubt it."

"Oh my gosh, why is she crying? Can she not? It's so ugly."

The students surrounding her start to gossip and say damaging things about her. This only hurt me more. I could understand what it felt like to be gossiped about and to be told all these terrible things. I know what Jessica's feeling with all these people surrounding her. That's the last thing she needs right now.

"Stop! Don't say that stuff about her, especially in front of her when she's clearly not having a good day! Just leave her alone, all of you!" I speak up unexpectedly. I'm not sure why I do. I feel like I need to help her somehow although she's bullied me all these years. Maybe there's something deeper going on that's making her do all this. It doesn't justify it, but it could help put some clarity into the situation.

"Why are you defending your bully? Isn't she mean to you or something?" A girl at the front of the crowd says to me.

I nod, "Yes, but she's still a person. Show her some respect."

The girl scoffs and turns around to leave, a few others slowly following. The hall starts to clear out and that's when I feel a poke on my ankle.  Turning around, I have my eyebrows furrowed as Jessica looks up with red, puffy eyes. A small smile appears on her face. A genuine smile. Something I don't believe I've ever seen from her.

"Thank you, Vivian."

Wednesday
"How did today go, Vi?" Gwen asks as I get in the car after school. I know she's referring to how I told the principal about Jessica today.

"It went alright. They said they would talk with Jessica at some point this week." I explain, "I still feel bad that I told on her."

Gwen placed her hand on my knee in comfort as she drove us home.

"You have a big heart, Vi. You were only doing what was best for you. It's not fair for you to be pushed around like that." She says and I hope she's right. I hope this is only because I have a big heart and care for many people. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that if it was Alessio I was telling on, I wouldn't have had such a problem with it.

So why did I feel so bad for telling on Jessica? She was only another bully.

"You deserve to feel loved not hated because you are loved." Gwen speaks up at a stoplight, looking over to lock eyes with me. I smile at her, moving my hand to rest on hers on my knee. This makes her smile too.

"I love your smile so much." I giggle. She smiles wider,

"Oh shush! We both know you have the prettier smile, babe." She tells me before taking her eyes off of me to continue driving.

Now, more than ever, I wish I can call Gwen 'mom' more often than when I'm talking to my principal. I guess I'll just have to keep dreaming about that, won't I?