The embarrassment was beyond words.
Ainsley had done everything she sought out to do but in the end the plan hadn't been foolproof. What began as what she believed to be an opportunity to fit in and feel welcomed immediately became feed for the wolves otherwise known as Ainsley's preteen classmates. The sudden difference was too noticeable. Ainsley didn't want this. She wanted to fit in with the other girls, not stand out! She had gone bra shopping and maybe she had gotten carried away with her body image.
It was too late to correct though.
Whether the girls in her class really had a chest that fit their bra size or not, they had all picked the appropriate time to make a change. Three months of summer was far superior to a two day weekend. The difference was too much too suddenly. Breasts didn't grow overnight like that and suddenly Ainsley realized the error she'd made in her dire attempt to fit in. It echoed through her mind with the boy's cruel words until homeroom's bell rang and the students were forced to scurry into their feet with the teacher's appearance.
If only that's where the day's horrors would end.
What Ainsley believed to be a peaceful time as the teacher lectured soon became a silent onslaught of teasing. It was a simple tactic and some of the girls in the class joined in with the boys, passing a note across the room until it reached Ainsley. She probably shouldn't have oepned it, and after she did she immediately regretted her decision in doing so.
r u sure ur not a boy?
The words echoed through her mind as she spun her head around to look at the boys who were trying not to laugh out loud. With a red face she immediately turned back around and lowered her head down with hurt feelings and embarrassment, her arms crossed over her chest defensively. She wasn't going to take their notes anymore! If she didn't take them and she didn't read them then they couldn't hurt her like this, right? Sort of. They decided that if she would refuse to take their ridicule then they would throw it at her. The notes they'd written were crumpled into balls and throw at the back of her head.
Closing her eyes, Ainsley pretended she was somewhere else.
She begged for recess and when it finally arrived she slipped out of the classroom before anyone had a chance to stop her. She felt better with that break and when she returned at the end of recess with a soft smile and sat back at her desk her face immediately dropped. There was something sticky all over her chair! Startled, her immediately hands pressed against the top of her desk only to discover that the surface was also covered in something sticky. Honey... maybe... but Ainsley was less concerned with what it was and how quick she could get it off.
After recess she begged for lunch but lunch had brought surprises with it. Her vegetarian lunch had been switched with another student's ham and cheese sandwich. Unsure of where this food came from and unable to eat the meat without throwing it back up with horror and disgust, Ainsley simply pushed it in front of her and walked back to class, hoping that lunch would end and allow her to be one step closer to the end of the school day.
Ainsley had revealed her insecurities to the wolves and they had been relentless. By the end of the day Ainsley felt exhausted but when the bell rang she had no choice but to get out of her chair, grab her stuff and leave as fast she possibly could. She didn't want to linger in the class, she didn't want to linger in the school and she wanted to get as far away as she possibly could before anything else happened.
