I can vividly recall my first encounter with Jenna; we met in preschool. She was the tallest girl in class, and was always called names because of her behaviour, but I never saw her cry, or even report those other mean kids to the teacher.
Well, she always paid them back with a beating or two after school. She was tagged the class bully for no reason, and she had no friends either. She was always alone. I minded my own business, because there was nothing I could do for her.
My life wasn't so grand either. I was also bullied in school, because I looked really weak, and small. I never participated in any social activities either, because my body wouldn't let me. And since my father explianed my situation to the teachers, they wouldn't let me, even if I begged them to. So everyone thought I was being unfair, and that's how it all started.
"That's so unfair! How do we get to do tideous tasks, and all she does is seat there and do nothing?"
'Weakling, was my middle name' because I couldn't even kick a ball to save my life. I was treated in that manner at home too, so it robbed off on me. The doctor said I wasn't long for this world, and since I killed my mother while she brought me into it... father refused to care for me.
My uncle, was the one who raised me. I never told anyone at school because I had no friends either, and that was the secret I would take to the grave, even though I love my uncle more than my own father. I didn't know how the rumors about me having a weak heart spread in our class, but everyone believed it.
So one day, some girls cornered me during recess, picking on me, as usual.
"Seriously weakling, how weak can you get?"
"Look at her, its like the wind might blow her away. What a loser!" They laughed, tossing me around, like I was some ball. I couldn't fight them back, because uncle made me promise him that I wouldn't get into trouble with my classmates. So I endured, as they suddenly grabbed my head to shove it to the floor.
"No, please! Let me go. Stop! Someone help!" It seemed like my cry of plea was heard, because the next minute, someone came to my aid.
I turned to thank my savior as my bullies scurried off, only to be surprised by the face that met my view- Jenna, was standing there in her tall glory; looking down at me.
"Are you alright?" She asked; surprising me even more.
'Jenna spoke- she spoke to me.' I stared at her, as I kept on getting confused by her actions. She extended her hand for me to grab hold of, I hesitated for some reason, but still grabbed hold of it.
"Yes. Thank you for saving me." I thanked her. And that was the day things started to change for the both of us- for the better, actually. We were henceforth, entirely avoided in class. 'The weakling and the ruthless gorilla' was what we were called.
Our situation was no different from each other. The tall girl and the weak girl duo. What a pair we were. Not long after those gossips spread, I found out that we lived in the same neighborhood- practically neighbors. Our houses faced each other, across the street, and I had never noticed such prolific discovery.
We started making small conversations, not because I wanted to, but because she was always the one to approach me. Then one day, my patience just snapped, I couldn't wait any longer; the suspense was killing me.
Jenna got into a really huge fight with a boy who made fun of me with my illness. She ended up knocking his tooth out, and it was so bad that she was sent to the detention room. I felt really guilty, because if only I had stood up for myself, none of this would've happened.
I lied to have been involved in the fight that broke loose when I approached our teacher, she didn't believe at first until I threw a tantrum for the first time in my life. She had no other option than to send me over to the detention room.
Right there, I saw Jenna sitting beside the window, looking unbothered by the whole incident that took place. Usually, when a kid gets sent to detention, they would plead and wail, until they might be pardoned, but Jenna was an exception, she was her own person.
I took a seat right beside her, yet she didn't even notice.
'She must be filled with so many regrets as to why she even helped me.' The teacher wasn't in the room, and it was just the two of us.
'Why did she save me, again? I'm so pathetic, I can't even defend myself. What more can I do for her? So why?...'
"Why?" I whispered, that seemed to have been when she finally acknowledged my presence.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice came out startled, then it got replaced with panic. "The teacher will be here soon, go." Her worry for me, made me feel bad.
"Why did you do it?" I refused to look up at her frame. She was still standing in her paused state of panic.
"What?"
"Why do you always help me? Why do you defend me? Why...just why are you doing this? I can't do anything for you, I can't defend you, so why..." I trailed off, feeling so worthless.