Rejected by “everyone”
"Devastated", "I am nothing", "I want to vanish and die", "I'm cancelled", "I am unwanted", "I have no friends", "Nobody wants to be my friend" - are the phrases that came to mind as I prepared to write this story. I’m aged 12, in year 5. It’s a warm school day at Waramanga Primary School in suburban Canberra. I’m leaving the two story brown brick primary school and it’s well after 3pm. I exit the building and walk on the hot blacktop for a few steps before I get to the grass. The playground is bordered by gum trees. I look across the grass towards the underpass which is my route home (see pic above). Between me and the underpass is a large group of kids gathered in a circle around one boy. It seems like it’s everyone from both year 5 classes – about 50 kids. My stomach tightens as I walk closer. I wonder why they’re all gathering? I realise that they’re all gathered around listening to the leader of the cool at...