The steemiteducation homework was to think of the whackiest classroom tale and my mind honed into this one incident, which was not whacky to me, but at the time everyone in the class thought it was.
It was geography class, in the building across the road from the main school. For some reason or another, we did not have a teacher that session. The Witch (that particular geography teacher's nickname) had been called away and there were no spare teachers.
The classroom was bored. So for the sake of entertainment, the boy sitting next to me, George, decided to start shouting abuse at me, pulling my hair. The whole classroom laughed.
Then he discovered the back of the plastic chair was loose and started to hit me with that. Not too hard as I put my arms up defend myself.
So after half an hour of that, it was lunchtime. I left the classroom in tears. One classmate, out of about 20, stopped to ask if I was okay.
I tried to find someone to tell. But teachers deserted the school at lunch times.
After lunch, I went back to the classroom, there was no teacher again.
They found something else to amuse themselves with that session, but I vividly remember eyeing up the back of that chair and wanting to smash it around the back of George's head. I obviously didn't, but that's what I honestly felt like. Maybe he felt that intensity.
Those who know me, know that's not my nature at all.
I feel like such a wuss writing this, as I know all too many have or are going through this kind of ridicule, hurt and humiliation every day and this was a one-off (more or less) for me.
I was ignored mainly, for most of the time, and I switched off to the daily jibes on the school bus. The only other 'major' incident I can recall is having my trousers set on fire with deodorant and a lighter, easily put outable.
Perhaps there were more, I know I have the capability to put things out my mind or 'forget' then.
It's had its effects, but I cope with them (mainly).
As for the geography bully, I told my mother about it and she just said bullying is just part of school.
No, it's not!
Being a Mum now I cannot comprehend how she could even feel that way.
But anyway, I told my best friend about it, who told her big sister, who know some people who told George to leave me alone. It worked.
He was also in my drama class on Fridays, and the last thing he ever said to me was "can't you get a joke".
I was and still am one of those people who just wanted to be different from the crowd.
I am my own person and sod everyone else (apart from my father, I might care about his opinion too much still).
Not always been an easy choice, but overall I am glad to be who I am now.
