Some people hate going to school but I loved it. My friends and I had a great time. One of my best friends was Lisa. We were in the same dance club at school. One day in math class, I answered a question and got it right. Suddenly, Lisa turned around and said: "You re such a teacher s pet.2" At first I thought she was just joking, but she started saying things like that all the time. One day in French class she snatched3 my bag from me and started throwing it around. Everyone laughed and none of my friends tried to help me get it back. Instead, they joined in. Why were they doing this to me?
After the bag-throwing incident, things got worse. These girls had turned against4 me. I tried to stand up to5 Lisa and the others, but nothing made them stop. It sounds sad, but I still hope them to like me again. I invited them to my 13th birthday party. Despite the fact that they acted like they hated me at school, they all came to my party6. Maybe they liked me again? All day they acted sickly7-sweet towards me but I soon realized it was just an act8. They kept saying things to my parents like: "Mary s so clever. We look up to9 her." But they were just being sarcastic10.
Lisa and her friends stepped up their bullying campaign against me11. They followed me everywhere I went, and I felt threatened. It got so bad that I started having nightmares12 and throwing up13 every morning. The bullies had taken over14 my whole life.
One day they all planned to go to a concert. I knew there was a spare15 ticket and asked them if I could go along16 in a last attempt17 to make friends with them again. But they just laughed and said, "As if we want you to come. We can t stand the sight of you!18" I started to think that maybe it was me-I must be a disgusting19 person for everyone to hate me so much. I just wanted to curl up20 and disappear.
I couldn t hold it in21 anymore. Crying, I told Mom what had been happening at school. After hours of talking, we decided that action was needed.
When I did try to tell my teachers about the bullying, it seemed to me that they were suggesting maybe I am too good at everything.
Mom was horrified22 by the school s reaction23 and we decided to change schools. We found another one nearby and they were helpful. At first I was scared24, but by the end of my first day I made friends. I couldn t believe it. This was a new start away from Lisa and her hateful friends. I was free at last!
But one night I was watching TV and sitting too close to the screen, my glasses didn t seem to be working. I noticed that my vision had had been getting worse since the bullying began, but I hadn t connected the two.
Then things went out of control. I couldn t do anything by myself. I even had to hold my little sister s hand when I crossed the street because I couldn t see the cars. I went to an eye doctor, but he couldn t find anything wrong.
I was going blind and no one knew why. I was scared. Would I grow up not knowing what my future boyfriends would look like? Would I ever see my family again? Would I be blind forever?
One day, Mom came into my room to get me up25 for school, but I couldn t lift my head up26. I was very painful. I was rushed to the doctor s27. The doctor asked me if I d ever had problems at school. I told him about the bullying and he said my failing eyesight28 could be due to the stress of it all29.
It sounded strange to me-I never thought that there might be an emotional30 connection to my blindness. But he referred me to complementary therapist31. I didn t have a clue what a complementary therapist was, but I was willing to try anything.
My therapist, Linda, explained we would talk and help my body to let go of the thing I bottled up32. She said if I wanted to see again, all I had to do was concentrate to make it happen33.
Soon after I went on vacation with my family. On the first night, I cried myself to sleep. I thought about what Linda said, but I felt depressed34. The next morning I woke up and felt my way into the living room by holding on to the walls. I put my glasses on hoping that I might be able to see something, and suddenly I realized ... Oh my God! I could read the time on the wall clock! I could see my sister was eating a banana. I took my glasses on and off again in disbelief. I was so excited. I got my sight back! I ll never forget that moment. It was the greatest feeling in the world!