I was mocked for how I talked, how I didn’t make eye contact, how I didn’t "fit in." They’d laugh at me for being quiet one moment and call me annoying the next if I tried to speak up. Group projects were the worst—no one wanted to work with me. I’d get ignored or outright told I wasn’t welcome.
The physical bullying wasn’t rare either. I got shoved in the halls, had my things stolen, etc. Teachers didn’t care. They either didn’t see it, or worse, they blamed me for “not standing up for myself.”
The adoption center wasn’t much better. The other kids had their own cliques, and I was always on the outside. They called me names—“freak,” “retard,” “robot.” I heard one of them say, “No one’s going to adopt you because you’re too weird.” That stuck with me. Even when I tried to join in during playtime, they’d find ways to push me out, making me feel like I didn’t belong.
If I made something I was proud of, it’d get destroyed. If I tried to share an idea or participate in class, they’d turn it into a joke. Even when I tried to just keep my head down, rumors would spread—lies about me that made everyone avoid me even more.
The physical bullying wasn’t rare either. I got shoved in the halls, had my things stolen, etc. Teachers didn’t care. They either didn’t see it, or worse, they blamed me for “not standing up for myself.”
The adoption center wasn’t much better. The other kids had their own cliques, and I was always on the outside. They called me names—“freak,” “retard,” “robot.” I heard one of them say, “No one’s going to adopt you because you’re too weird.” That stuck with me. Even when I tried to join in during playtime, they’d find ways to push me out, making me feel like I didn’t belong.
If I made something I was proud of, it’d get destroyed. If I tried to share an idea or participate in class, they’d turn it into a joke. Even when I tried to just keep my head down, rumors would spread—lies about me that made everyone avoid me even more.
