I don't often share this story as I've always been ashamed. Ashamed why? Because I got my ass whooped, that's why!
Is it possible for a friend to bully a friend? Absolutely!! Here's the story:
Bully: Childhood Best Friend, aka "D" Victim: ME
Cover of My Best Friend
Growing up, I'm talking pre-high school years, I lived on a quiet street with about eighteen (18) total houses on it. At the end of the street, the elementary school. Two (2) houses north of my own house, was my best friend (to be known as "K"). We played a lot pre-junior high. Across the street and one (1) house north, was my other "best friend", "D".We were the same age, well I think "D" was a year older, but none the less...you get what I'm saying. We always played together but sometimes one would get jealous if left out. Sometimes it happened, for whatever reason. Not quite sure why though. Anyway, there were also older brothers involved on both sides. They were all friends as well. These brothers were five (5) years our senior so we didn't really "hang out" much.
I don't know how or why it started but my mother and "D"'s mom were arguing one day. Did "D" and I have a fallen out that I'm not aware of? I truly can't remember as it almost forty (40) years ago. But I do remember, "D" calling me names from the across the street, giving me dirty looks when I'd play outside, and then mom said I couldn't go to her house anymore.
Then one (1) winter came and I remember this as vividly as it happened yesterday, we were outside in the snow at my friend "K"'s house and the brothers were out too. I think we were having a snowball fight or something. Then "D" came over and tackled me, punching me, throwing snow in my face and laying on top of me. Mind you, which I haven't told you, I was a very skinny little girl. All like 50 lbs. of me against "D" who was had, at the minimum, another 50+ lbs. on me. She was a big girl! I don't know how I ever got up, but I do remember crying, being soaking wet, and running home.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I remember mom being furious and then her arguing with "D"'s mom. After that, "D" and I never hung out again. In Junior High, we went to the same school. Yep, same bus ride, in which I got dirty looks from "D" and her "friends" and at school, if we had a class together, same kind of thing. The dirty looks, the ones that could KILL!Then in 7th grade, my mom passed away suddenly. Yes, this was very traumatizing to me. I went into a slight depression. Didn't want to be away from my house or anything. This is when more bullying began.
Now instead of getting beat up or dirty looks, I know get "teased" about my mother being deceased! How cruel! "Oh, she doesn't have her mommy to protect her now. haha Cause she's DEAD!" and horrid stuff like that. She got a few of her "friends" in on it too. We had a class together as well as gym. I managed to get out of the class and become a library aide. Oh great, now I get teased in the library because I'm working as an aide instead of study hall! What the hell? Isn't it bad enough I just lost my mother but now have to deal with this stupid bitch?
Needless to say, it continued through 8th grade. What was I to tell my father? He was still upset over mom's death, he was moving on into another relationship, he had enough on his plate. I didn't want to seem like the "weak" lil girl! Dad never knew about mom and "D"'s mom arguing and such. Mom handled those kind of things. Dad worked.............and drank.
So when Dad remarried right before 9th grade, the truly only good thing that came out of it was...................we moved and I got sent to another school. I never saw my so-called best friend, the Bully, again.
Although the bullying could have been a lot worse, there was always the fear of being caught alone somewhere that "D" would find me and beat my ass again, or she would have one of her friends or several of them, gang up on me. You never knew where you might see her or her friends. The emotional part of the bullying really has no affect on me anymore. I look at it now as she was jealous or just a very disturbed person. Her family was a lil whacko. ALL of them!
Back then....................I wish someone would have taken her away and let me live out my childhood, fearless
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What about you? Were you ever bullied? Or were you THE Bully? (oh, btw, I was never bullied again....BY ANYONE!)
