You

• Laura De Feyter, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2011

You were the new kid, the outcast, the persona non grata. Hate burned in the eyes of the entirety of the class as the teacher introduced you with a sickly smile.
You didn’t know why.
You went to sit down. Thirty pairs of eyes followed you, their owner’s minds clicking into “criticize mode” and critiquing your every move.
They were thinking, this is war.
And you’re under attack.
It was a week later. You had to perform your speech today. The teacher made you go last, just because you “weren’t used to this yet”.
Everyone completed their speeches. At the end of each speech, the class clapped, whooped and cheered louder than a governmental part on the day of an election win.
Then it was your turn.
When you had finished, guess what happened?
Nothing.
Silence enveloped the room.
And then they just laughed till the ground shook.
You felt like the whole world was against you for no reason whatsoever.
You looked at the teacher. Surely she would understand.
But all you saw was her head bent back in laughter.
You ran out of the classroom and the whole world blurred through your tears. You ran till your legs collapsed underneath you and you fell onto the hard, concrete floor. It wasn’t fair. Why did they hate you so much? You hadn’t done anything to them!
Suddenly you had a terrible thought.
You looked down and stared at yourself.
The body that stared back at you was black.