Don’t Stop

## Don‘t Stop (a short story)

**By: Bluejayflyingfree**

I sigh as I let my pen fall to the ground, where it lays until I get the strength to pick it up.

Sometimes life is hard.

It never was this way. Until seventh grade, when Ellie arrived.

I used to have friends. I used to be happy. I used to get good grades, go outside, have fun.

But last summer Ellie Tesanos moved into the house next door, and it was never the same. And then in the fall, she started going to school with me.

I don‘t know why Ellie hated me so much. I was nice to her. I tried to be friends. I got her a birthday present, even though I wasn’t invited to the party. Yet she tormented me. Made fun of me. Turned my friends against me. I ended up becoming a loner, never saying anything in class, eating lunch in the bathroom, and became depressed.

I could fake it at home, sure. But some days I just wanted to scream. This was one of them.

Today Ellie had passed the limit. I don’t know how, I don’t know when, but somehow she hung a piece of underwear on the flagpole. But then she told EVERYONE it was mine.

Yeah, this was a new low.

“Sadie, why don’t you go play outside with your brothers? It’s such a nice day out!” My mom called from downstairs.

I sighed. If I didn’t go out, she’d start pestering me about whether something was wrong. If I did go out, there was a chance Ellie would also be out.

I decided to go down. My younger brothers (twins) were running around like crazy people, yelling. Great. Just the thing to get Ellie’s attention. And yep, here she was. Her three minions hovering around her.

”Well if it isn’t Little Miss Loner, with only her smelly circus monkeys.” Ellie smirked at me. I ignored her.

”Too stupid to speak, isn’t she? As if anything that came out of her would be worth hearing.” She taunted. Something in me snapped.

”It‘s not like anything you say is worth hearing, either.” I yell back at her. I’m making matters worse. I know this. Yet I just can’t help myself.

”Ooh, look at her being all feisty. So *stupid.* Life just got more miserable, loser.” She walks away.

The next day, her words rang true in my ears. Every moment Ellie got, she made me miserable. I was sick and tired of it, too tired to shoot back more mean words at her. For some reason, I tried the opposite.

”Ellie, why do you always pick on me? We could be friends, I’m sure you’re nice sometimes…” I said. She just looked at me, shocked.

”Why breath when you’re gonna die anyway?” She asked.

”Because breathing increases your life span,” I responded. She tossed her head.

”Such a nerd,”

Still, the teasing decreased slightly. Slightly. But I tried again the next day.

”Ellie, you’re pretty. You‘re smart. You’ve got all the newest electronics. You could be the best kid in school, and be friends with everyone! But you’re so mean, you rule only with fear. Just imagine…”

She ignored me, but that was still something.

She could be nice, I realized. She wanted to be nice. But she’d been doing this for so long, her pride wouldn’t let her step down.

And it was the same with me. I was scared of Ellie. Because of that, I didn’t have the courage to be happy anymore. So why shouldn’t I be happy? Ellie didn’t rule my life. I did.

So I tried a little each day to be positive. It was hard. Some days, I just couldn’t be anything but depressed.

And that’s okay, I told myself. There will be losses with some victories. Just don’t stop trying.

But by the end of seventh grade, I was happier. More confident. Even eating lunch in the cafeteria. And while Ellie was still mean, it wasn’t as bad.

Positivity can change your life, too. Don’t let the mistakes of others form your own mistakes. Bullies are only mean because they’re scared, too. Show them how much you’d love for them to be kind. Show them how it‘d be so worth it to be friends, rather then enemies.

Don’t stop trying. In a world that wants to crush us, be positive.