Disclaimer: I own nothing
This story is dedicated to Bullying Awareness Month...I've had people say things about me behind my back and think its the worst thing ever and causes so many terrible things..,,We don't think about it until the Bad Things truly happen.
Raven stood in front of the young High Schoolers. She remembered herself sitting here with her friends laughing and goofing before they were forced to listen bored. The fact that they missed class made up for it...or it use to. That was ten years ago... Ten Long years ago.
"Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome our Guest Speaker today Miss Rachel Roth" The Principal said
She stepped up to the podium
"Hello...my name is Rachel but my friend called me Raven...or he use to. His name was Garfield Logan and he was a good man. He was smart funny sweet and very kind. But he was different...He had a very large birthmark on his left cheek, many saw it as an ugly mark and made fun of him for it because it was odd." She sighed
"It all started My Sophmore Year..."
I was heading home one Friday, I was heading over down the road and saw our local FootBall jocks picking on some smaller kid. He had shaggy blonde hair and deep green eyes and was a skinny beanpole and had that birthmark on his cheek. The Jocks were Jason Todd, someone everyone called Fang, Johnny Rancid, a tall muscular dude everyone called Mammoth. They were tossing is books around in the air far above his short head.
"COME ON GIVE IT BACK" He shouted
"MAKE US SHRIMP"
"YEAH UGLY FACE"
I walked over and pushed Jason aside...sadly Jason was an ex boyfriend of mine...If was the Eighth grade, it lasted two days nothing more. He was kissing some random girl and I saw it...I don't know what I saw in him.
"Drop the Bag Flee Bag"I said to Mammoth, who was very hairy. I was known to be a tough serious girl and he dropped the bag
"Aw come on SunShine why ruin our fun"Jason said
"Shut up!"I was storming made and when Im made on a Friday...someone visits a hospital.
"See ya twerb" Jason said and they kicked his stuff as they walked away.
He bent over to grab his stuff and I helped him
"Thanks"He said "They're always doing that to me"
"Those guys are nothing but Jerks"I said"Im Rachel"
"Garfield"
"That was the day I met Gar, I invited him over to my house to watch a movie since my other friends Were busy. Richard and Victor were at Basketball, Kori or as I called her Star was at a Cheerleaders mandatory Sleepover and me and Gar were watching movies"
"We became Close friends... Best friends even, Richard Star and Victor all got along with him but I was the closest to him...and then"
It was later that year when Gar got a crush on Terra Marvok the star player for the Gorls Lacrosse Team. He was falling hard, it was obvious puppy love and I didn't like Terra. She used boys and broke their hearts. He then went to ask her out. I wasn't far and I heard him nervously ask her out. She laughed at him
"Really? Why would I want a nerdy geeky weakling like you when I can have a real man"She said laughing
He was heartbroken and she said it so loudly that everyone heard her. After school I stayed back and when Lacrosse practice was over I taught her a lesson...
"By the end of the Year Gar was in High Honors...I learned he had the greatest sense of humor and was extremely caring...eventually he got over Terra and came to my rescue Junior year..."
I was asked out by this adorable boy and I was waiting forever at a restraunt he told me to go to. I was there till Eight Thirty and realized he stood me Up. On my way home I got a text from Jason saying it was something like an initiation For the new Foot ball player...Gar found out and came over with a bucket of icecream and the Titanic movie. I cried all night and he comforted me. He was awesome...he didn't get annoyed by my blubbering and he was so caring. He stayed by me all night.
"Gar however had problems...the bullies never left him alone"
We were sitting outside his house on the front porch surrounded by the flowers his mom planted.
"Be honest...I look like a freak"He said
Somehow the Football team got a hold of his ski cap and managed to tamper with it so it dyed his hair green. We both knew it was the football team but he didn't tell his parents exactly so he wouldn't be labeled a snitch. The boy man was called geek, nerd, freak, ugly mess, so many things...I was always there to stand up to him but I couldn't stop them turning his hair dark green.
"I think it makes you look tough and cute"I said...I had been slowly developing the tiniest crush on him
"Really?"He asked
"Yep"I said and smiled"Hey watch this"
I whistled a few tunes and a few Ravens flew around us. I was a natural at their calls
"WHOA! Nice Raven"
"Raven?"
"Thats my pet name for you now"
"Fine but Im calling you Beastboy or BB for short because you wanna be a zookeeper"
"You wanna be a medical professional"
"Touche"
Two days later Gar saw me with purple short hair...I dyed it so I was a freak too...Freaks stay together
"Near the End of Junior Year my tiny crush grew and Richard and Star became a couple. Victor was in a relationship with a girl name Karen who was the Captain on the Girls BasketBall team...But Senior Year...senior year was what hurt Gar. The bullies wouldn't stop...they gave him bruises and black eyes...And then...It all came crashing down on him and..."
"In Senior Year Gar was really in trouble with Jason. Jason wouldn't leave him alone so I stepped in. Jason was being a jerk...he pushed me aside and then hit Gar where it hurts the most...my anger rose and for hurting my friend and going to kick him while he's down I punched Jason in the nose. His Uncle was the VicePrincipal and though Jason had as much a right to be suspended like me he got off with two days and I was out for a week. Things happened in that week he never told me about and I knew they were beating him but he hid the worst of it...It was Friday April Seventh and I had been trying to call Gar. He was upset and it was the last day when I was suspended and then the weekend. I heard his parents went out to have dinner with his moms boss and they said I'm always welcomed. I went over, Gar never answered and I knew where the Hidey Key was and opened it for me. I went up to his room... I went up to his room-"
Raven sucked in a shaky breath
"I walked in to see that he hung himself... He took his life and before I screamed and cried and called for help and tried to pray that he wasn't dead when he was...I found a note addressed for me"
Raven paused and took it out and read it
"Dear Raven...Thank you for being my defender, my protector my best friend my supporter and more importantly the love of my life. I'm sorry...I'm so terribly sorry for this but I love a girl who couldn't ever love me back in the same way. It started sometime between my rejection from Terra and when you were stood up by that jerk for Football. I realized that then you deserved someone who loved you..I knew I'd love you and never hurt you but In the week you've been suspended Raven Jason and his gang have been bullying me. They've hit kicked and made fun of my birthmark but they told me that I live in a world where I will never be loved by anyone but my mom and dad...they knew I had feelings for you and they said that you'd only see me as a best friend and would never love me... They said that I wasn't old enough for you and that You would laugh like terra. Raven I love you with every fiber of my being but the pain they gave me brought me to the edge...Im sorry Raven but I love you...I love you
BB...
P.S. I'm sorry Im so so so sorry"
By now Raven had tears streaming down her face
"Bullying took my best friend from me...It took the Love of my life...I loved Gar but I was afraid he didn't love me...I loved Gar and he knew I cared but Bullying took him from me"
Raven looked out and saw a skinny boy like Gar who was sitting next to a girl who was tough looking like her. They were obviously best friends and she remembered her love
"Bullying took my love and Im not going to let it take anyone else away from the people that love them And the people they love... If your a bully then Im telling you now that this is the perfect moment to stop. Because of their bullying Jason Fang Mammoth and Johnny were expelled for it and sent to jail...It's THAT serious! And if you think it's funny then your a sick individual and I hope I never have to be acquainted with you"
Raven sighed
"Thank you..."