The English Rose

(Trigger warning: Mentions of suicide, abuse, bullying, and death.)

George Rachel's Auditory English Assignment on Bullying and Abuse

Clicking sound and tape recording.

"Hello, I am George Haley Rachel. This is my assignment for Mrs. Peyton's English class. It is a report on Bullying and Abuse."

Pause.

Nobody ever liked Ellie. She was small, skinny, almost invisible. She was smart, annoying, and always part of some dumb club. Nobody cared about her. Even the people in the chess club ignored her because she was weird.

At the same time, everybody loved Megan. She was full, tall, and beautiful. She was smart, kind, and inclusive. She was a cheerleader. Everybody cared. Even the nerds watched her during football games because she was pretty.

Ellie had brown, ratty hair. Her eyes were a weird green and seemed to linger in some other world.

Megan had blonde, smooth hair. Her eyes were a deep, beautiful brown and seemed to love everyone and everything.

Ellie was the butt of many mean jokes. They threw trash at her and called her bad things. Despite this, she always had a strong expression planted on her face.

Megan made others feel special. If she saw you cry, she would hug you. She would help you. She was like a high school therapist.

Ellie was weird.

Megan wasn't.

Very contrasting.

So, when Megan didn't show up to school one day, everyone noticed. Everyone got worried. Everyone thought she was sick. Everyone cared.

But when Ellie didn't show up to school, nobody paid any mind to it. She wasn't important. Nobody cared.

;

The only person that ever talked to Ellie was herself. Everyone noticed that, but nobody noticed the smile on her face or the knowledge that had been planted from many years of working alone.

Everyone would talk to Megan but Ellie. Ellie noticed that. Nobody noticed the scratches and bumps on Megan's body or her tired and scared expression that she hid so well. Ellie did.

Nobody ever went to Ellie's house. She truly wanted them to, but they didn't. They expected her house to be like a pig sty. They expected her parents to look and act like prehistoric humans. In reality, Ellie's parents were very nice people.

Nobody ever went to Megan's house. Megan wouldn't let them. Everyone bet that her house was like a mansion, and her parents were shiny and clean. Truthfully, Megan's mom was a quiet bystander. Megan's dad was a heavy drinker. Their 'house' was a trailer.

Ellie lived in a regular house. It had a backyard and a dog house. Her parents worked regular jobs. One was a teacher; one was a nurse.

Megan's house is an old, rusty trailer. It barely has running water, so she sleeps over at other houses most of the time. Her dad drinks and hits her. Her mother is silent. She doesn't intervene, but when she did she usually got a fair beating herself. Her mom washed the laundry for a living. Her dad just sat on the couch and watched TV.

Ellie was happy and never felt lonely or unloved.

Megan was unhappy and relied on her friends for help.

Very contrasting.

So, when Megan came to school in tears, everyone just suspected she was happy crying or a dog had died. Nobody paid much attention to that. She was always happy, always smiling. So what if a few tears were shed?

But when Ellie came to school with a smile, everybody wondered why. She didn't have any friends, why was she happy?

;

When Ellie finally made a friend, everyone was surprised. Nobody knew who it was, but they had heard that she had met someone.

When Megan made a friend, nobody cared. She already was friends with the whole school, save Ellie. What was so special about one person if she already had some sort of butler?

As the word spread, Ellie smiled to herself. Maybe having a friend was a good thing. Especially with who she was friends with now. But, everyone was still puzzled over it.

But when Megan didn't sit with her normal group of friends at lunch, they brushed it off as being friends with more people. It was usual and regular, but they didn't know where she actually was.

When the school found Ellie talking to the most beautiful girl in school with a worried expression on her face, it was all anyone talked about. It was news. It was strange. It was crazy.

When they found Megan crying next to the weirdo, everyone got worried. What could she be crying about? She had everything. She didn't need Ellie.

Ellie was happy with her life.

Megan wasn't.

Very contrasting.

So, when Megan was found crying in the bathroom, everyone thought that maybe she was tortured from being friends with Ellie. After all, Ellie was weird.

But when Ellie was sitting right next to Megan, rubbing her back and making her feel better, everyone was confused.

;

Ellie and Megan became friends.

Needless to say, it helped.

Now, we all wonder: Did it help enough?

;

When Ellie didn't come to school, everyone thought she was dead. She had become quite popular, and everyone liked her now. Even the boys. She had become beautiful and nice, so she was cool now.

When Megan was left alone at the lunch table, waiting for her best friend to show up, everyone didn't pay much mind. Besides, she had other friends. Right?

When the school found out that Ellie had moved, everyone cried. But they moved on. She was cool, but she wasn't the cool person.

When Megan found out, she skipped classes and cried in the bathroom. Nobody minded. She had other friends. Everyone reminded themselves of that if they saw her. Megan had other friends.

When Ellie came back to school after what was actually a vacation, everyone said sorry to her. They all looked sad. Why? Why were kids crying? Why was everyone sad and sorry and singling Ellie out.

When Ellie went looking for Megan, she couldn't find her. Where could she be? Was she skipping class? So many questions, so little answers.

Ellie was back.

Megan would never be.

Very contrasting.

;

All English roses have thorns.

"Thank you for listening to my assignment."

Click of recording turning off.