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As I mature and grow, I learn a lot of life lessons. Like never letting your friends take advantage of you.

I moved down here in Kentucky, in 2000, from Ohio. I was just starting middle school, my brother was starting high school, and we had no friends here. We were both scared. When I got to my new school, people started judging me by the way that I dressed, acted, and because I was "the new girl". Right then, I knew I couldn't be friends with those people. So at lunch I ate alone, and when we were in class, I was the "non-social" one. Every day I would come home from school, lock myself in my room, throw my face into my pillow and start crying, because people were making fun of me and I had no friends. I always thought about what other people thought of me.

In 7th grade, I met a few peers and we started hanging out together. Next thing you know, I was in really big trouble for shoplifting. I did this because the peers that I met also did this. They were my influence. I found out after my "immaturity", that my supposedly "friends" judged me more than anyone that I knew. They would tell me to break school rules, and go skip class with them. So I did, but I never got caught, and they did. They would also "ask" me for help with their homework or a project. So I helped them, and ended up doing it for them. Plus, they would ask me every day if they could have a buck or two to go get some lunch. So I lent it to them and asked them to pay it back to me asap. They never did. Later, I found out that the money that I lent them was used to buy cigarettes.

In 8th grade, this year, it finally came to me that I have to stop listening to them and listen to myself, or next thing you know I'll be in jail. I didn't want to be taken advantage of anymore. I wanted to live my life, the way I dreamed. I want to be able to get straight A's and not having "friends" ignore me because I "brag" about my good grades. (Hey, if they want good grades, they have to earn it themselves!) I want to talk to any type of person, either a "prep", "nerd", or anyone else, and not having friends judge me all the time for who I talk to. I WANT TO BE FREE!

The lesson that I learned is listen to yourself and not other people. Also, I've learned that if your friends take advantage of you, like my friends did with me, they are not really your friends. Now that I have "preppy" friends, "nerdy" friends, etc., I'm happier and the "most social" one. But it took me a while to actually get my confidence up and talk to people. I found out, too, that they weren't as bad as I thought they were. Now, I have over 200 friends that care for me and never take advantage of me. And my "old friends" that were once my influence, are always in trouble, and some even got suspended or expelled from school. Hopefully, they've learned a few lessons themselves, because I would really like to help them get on the right track again.

My last thought for the day is, "Be yourself and know that people really do care for you, even if you don't see it. It's staring you straight in the face."