"Hi, I'm Ella. I'm fifteen years old and I am pretty, well at least that's what my parents say I am. The basic thing you should know about me is that I don't like to associate with people. Well, people call it social awkwardness but I call it protection. I used to love people around me a lot but something happened and I don't like to talk about it"

It was four o'clock in the evening, I woke up from napping and stood up from bed. It was Sunday and normally on Sunday evenings by 4:00, my fitness teacher would be waiting for me downstairs to give me fitness training.

I rushed to my wardrobe and took out my fitness clothes to change into them. I changed and quickly went downstairs with the thought of seeing my fitness tutor but instead, my annoying parents bestowed me with their weird smiling.

"Where is she!?, she always scolds me for getting down late but now she's not even here yet" I exclaimed, as I snooped around every corner of the room, in search for her existence.

"No baby, she isn't going to be coming today, in fact, she isn't going to be teaching you anymore," mom replied warmly as she moved closer to me.

Looking confused I asked "Did she quit? Mom, I promise I didn't do anything to her"

"She didn't quit her job"

I looked at dad and mom with eyes narrowed, something felt off.

"what's going on?" I asked, hoping to get an answer to set me free.

"I and your dad have decided to enrol you in a real school where you can meet people of your age." mom said.

it took a minute for it to settle in my head before I finally replied.

"Is this a joke because haha, very funny" I asked letting out a fake laugh.

"No it's not" she replied immediately crushing all my hopes.

At that moment, I felt like my world was going to collapse.

My worst fear has finally caught up with me. I pretended not to understand and went ahead to play the i-am-so-dumb card

"what do you mean?"

Mom gave me that warm smile "Don't worry Ella, everything will be fine and it will be good for you to socialize. Tomorrow will be a new dawn for you"

"You enrolled me into a school without my consent and you're saying everything will be fine? and what do you mean tomorrow?" I shouted out.

This is my worst nightmare, I have to stop it at once. The only option now is to talk dad out of it.

I put on a pity face, looked to my dad.

"Da..d, are you really in on this? You know i'm not ready to face the world yet, please dad"

He held my hand unto his and said, "You need to do this now, you have been away from everyone for too long, but don't you worry because everything will just be fine."

Tears covered my eyes and rolled my cheeks. I ran upstairs to my room and banged the door. I locked my room to prevent anyone from coming in. I cried and cried until I got weak and I slept off.

Half deep into sleep, I heard a knock at my door. I opened my eyes but I didn't get up.

"Ella, open up" It was mom.

I closed my eyes and just ignored her. She opened the door and jiggled the spare keys she had. She sat beside my bed quietly as if she didn't have anything to say.

I knew she wanted to say something to me so I broke the silence "just say whatever you came here for" she looked at me and said, "why don't you want to attend school, why don't you want to socialize with others?"

"Are you asking because you have forgotten what happened to me in grade six?".

"But that wasn't your fault, you were the victim," mom said,

I looked at her with pitiful eyes "exactly mom exactly, I was the victim but I got kicked out of school right before my graduation"

tears began to roll down my eyes as if it happens just yesterday. The memories were still fresh.

Mom pulled me into her arms and hugged me. She caressed my hair and told me it was all fine. She told me that I should use this as a new opportunity to show the world that you aren't that kind of person.

I hugged my mom tightly and nodded my head. Then she smiled and said, "you missed dinner though, need a late-night snack?", I sighed and said, "I've got things on my mind and food is not even on top three".

She smiled and said, "I guess your top three would be; oh no school! I have annoying parents and I wish tomorrow will never come, right?" I smiled wildly and said

"yep".

"I knew it!" mom said, "yeah, moms know everything"

"so about that, can I trade going to school for a late-night snack?" I tried my luck

mom laughed and said "nice try!"

She tucked me into bed and kissed me goodnight. She turned off the lights and went out of the room.

I couldn't sleep, I continued thinking about what would happen the next day, the D-day. I needed to free my mind so I stood up and turned on the lights. I opened my drawer and brought out my journal. I took out my pen and wrote:

"Hey, I know it's late but I couldn't sleep and I needed to free my mind so am talking to you. I kept thinking of what happened on that day, the day before my graduation, the day before I got expelled.

There I was standing beside my locker, daydreaming about my graduation. I snapped out of it when I received a slap from the person that hates me the most, Linda. She didn't even give me a second to at least feel the pain when she did started lashing me with questions.

She asked why I called her my friend in front of the whole class. I told her that I said that because it was true.

"are you stupid? I bully you a lot but you still call me your friend? just take it back now and tell everyone am not your friend!!"

I didn't want to take it back and I don't know why I did that.

"you don't want to take it back right? You made everyone believe am the friend of dweeb like you right? don't worry, you'll pay for this!."

Then she got her parents to convince the principal to expel me. I wasn't really surprised since her parents basically sponsor the school with everything. Well, it's all my fault, why did I call her my friend?."""

I dropped my diary back into my drawer. I tucked myself back into my bed and slept off.