Capítulo 183: No such thing as 'Friend'
Gigi and Giselle were close until Gigi came to know about Giselle's secret.
***
That time, Giselle was in middle school while Gigi was already a high school senior.
Gigi visited Giselle almost every day after school, walking home back together. At first, Gigi did not notice it, but little by little, she found that Giselle was always alone.
Gigi correctly remembered one incident that made everyone notice what Giselle went through.
...
Surprisingly, Giselle found a girl in her class who was willing to befriend her. The girl approached the ever-alone Giselle multiple times, trying to persuade her. She wanted Giselle to invite her home so that they can play together. Initially, Giselle felt her privacy getting invaded. However, seeing the girl trying so hard, every single day, Giselle's heart changed.
For the first time, she felt like someone liked her and wanted to be her friend. Giselle slowly gave in to the girl's wishes one by one. Just like that, Giselle invited the girl over to her house on one weekend.
Giselle's family rejoiced quietly, seeing their youngest bringing a friend. Even Gigi was quite happy. She dragged Melanie and Eric, who were stalking outside Giselle's room.
That evening, Giselle was happy for the first time. She genuinely felt that this girl is her true friend. Giselle kept smiling and out of norms she wanted to be close with her as a natural friend. The minute Giselle went to show her friendly affection to the girl, everything changed.
The girl winced from Giselle's touch. Giselle was only trying to reach her hand, but the girl reacted terribly. It hurt Giselle at first because for a second she felt the girl posses the same eyes that everyone gives her at school.
Nonetheless, Giselle did not want to lose this new friend. She tried once again to please the girl. She gave her dolls to this girl as they both played. Even though the two were playing, Giselle did not feel any engagement from this girl. The girl often kept glancing at Giselle and would smirk to herself. Plus, the girl chose to sit facing Giselle and had never let Giselle stay by her side.
All of her actions with Giselle in her home seemed different from the number of times when she tried to approach Giselle.
...
Somehow the evening passed, and the girl said goodbye to Giselle's family and left the place.
The minute she left, Gigi went to Giselle's room and hugged her tightly.
She praised Giselle for successfully calling her friend over. Gigi also advised Giselle to invite her friend often so that they can play together.
Gigi gave all of her old toys she preserved to Giselle, for her to play when her friends come over. Seeing her family celebrate, Giselle got motivated to nurture this friendship. With all hopes and cheering, she went to sleep that night peacefully.
What was waiting for her the next day is something that Giselle did not even dare to imagine.
...
The next day Giselle went to school happily. She ignored the similar eyes that copied each other, targeting her like a leech. Walking past it, Giselle entered the classroom. Immediately, she searched for her new friend and found the girl sitting with others. The girl did not even notice Giselle and kept busily chattering with others.
Not wanting to interrupt the girl, Giselle walked to her seat.
The rest of the day, she waited eagerly for the girl to approach her like usual, but it didn't happen. Previously, the girl would not leave Giselle alone and kept sticking next to her. Just like flipping a coin, the scene changed today. The girl did not even spare a look at Giselle.
Having been in her presence continually, Giselle thought she could initiate the meeting as a friend.
'She must feel sad about being the only one who always talks to me first.' – Giselle felt.
And so, during lunch, she approached the girl first. To her surprise, When Giselle stood in front of the girl, she did not attend. Giselle sensed that the girl is openly shunning her.
Baffled by the sudden change, Giselle spoke to the girl voluntarily, but no response came from the opposite side.
Giselle stood in the same place and kept asking again and again, and the girl's face slowly changed expression. At one point, she got annoyed that she pushed Giselle harshly.
Giselle fell on the floor.
Soon, the girl's friends surrounded Giselle. They started teasing Giselle for talking to their friend. All of their mockings did not hurt Giselle except for one.
'She only stuck with you to check if you are, really gay.'
Hearing this comment felt like receiving a thousand slaps for Giselle, her teary eyes saw the girl who acted friendly stand behind the line of her usual friends.
Behind the line of barricade What Giselle saw in that girl's eyes was only disgust, she looked at Giselle as if she is a lowly creature.
Giselle knew that moment that there is no meaning to the word 'true friends.'
The only time she opened her heart despite the usual teasing, ended up hurting Giselle.
The girl's friends who surrounded Giselle called her by many offensive names. After finished teasing to their wants, they all walked away. The other kids only watched, no one helped or even wanted to ask for help.
A while later, Giselle supported herself from the floor. She walked out away from the scene.
...
From that day onwards, the bullying increased. The kids called her names and teased her, threw her notebooks away, sticking drawings behind her back, etc.
Giselle accepted it without a complaint. She knew that no matter how hard she tries, no one would trust her. Building a wall around her heart, she digested all the worst incidents.
The girl who tried to befriend Giselle became the root cause for the harsh bullying at school.
***
Noticing that their daughter's friend did not visit for a second time, Melanie and Eric worried. Gigi consoled them by saying that she would talk to her sister.
When Gigi asked, Giselle only replied in a single sentence.
"She only wanted my help in homework."
Hearing this Gigi did not continue to ask, she knew it that the girl was only acting like Giselle's friend for help. Feeling sad for her baby sister, Gigi avoided asking any more questions. Instead, she took her sister out for ice cream, trying to ease the mood.
Melanie and Eric again worried for their daughter being alone with no friends. Nevertheless, they did not pressure Giselle and only kept supporting her, encouraging their daughter to be confident in herself.
…
One day, Gigi clearly, saw her little sister getting ostracized by her classmates when she went to pick her up after school. Shocked by the scene, Gigi went to rescue her sister, and that is when she heard several names that the kids were calling Giselle.
Gigi felt her heart aching hearing it, immediately she grabbed Giselle's hand, yelled back at the kids who called her sister by names, and finally sprinted back home together.
That night, Gigi spoke to Melanie and Eric about Giselle getting shunned by her friends at school and the names they used to tease her. The parents feared for their daughter.
Melanie would often ask Giselle about the school to which Giselle would evade the question with expected responses, but in reality, she never talked about the bullying.
Heartbroken from unable to help their child, the next day Melanie went to pick up Giselle after school.
Poor girl got frightened from seeing her mother witness everyone teasing her.
Melanie did not ask anything at the moment. Both walked back home together in a complete hush. After returning, Melanie tried talking to Giselle, but she never responded or addressed the scene. Instead of pressuring her even at home, the mom and dad decided to give Giselle, time.
Eric requested Gigi to take care of Giselle after school from that day onwards. Hopefully, the incident only took place at the end of her Middle school.
Melanie and Eric decided to change schools for Giselle, not wanting their child to go through such hardships.
That year, for the rest of the days until final exams, Giselle went complete mute. She did not talk to anyone except only during necessity. She focused on studying, scoring good marks, and eventually finish her middle school.
…
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