Moving up to high school was a big step, I felt so grown up, but I was so small! A small handful of my middle school friends had moved up with me, but not many, as I had moved away from the catchment area for the school they were all going to. I made a few new friends, but found it difficult to fit in, as a lot of people already knew each other from their previous schools. A lot of the Newport bullies had moved up too. I was already aware of who they were, as their names were a present story in later years of middle school. When all the bullies from all the schools met up, there was a huge bullying ring & I was the target… Great!
At first they didn’t do anything in particular, just name calling and giggling as I walked past. I tried to brush it off.
One day, Mum cut my hair, and cut my fringe SO short! I have a cowlick on my forehead, which meant my fringe stuck out at a right angle, because it was so short. This was the target for the next few weeks! I even had whiteboard cleaner sprayed in my eyes one day. I was followed home one evening, to the end of my road & they all circled me… I was so scared! Two of them kept saying they were going to punch me in a minuet, over and over… So I told them to get on with it, as I was bored of waiting. Not sure they knew what to do with that response! One of my friends had walked past, Claire, who phoned my Dad to tell him what was happening. Dad came rushing out of the house, but by this time, they had all started to run away. Thankfully.
My form tutor at the time, Mrs Hodgkinson, she was lovely! She had decided, enough was enough & got me and the bullies together. We all had a chat, with her & they agreed to lay off me. Unfortunately they soon moved on to someone else, & dragged me in with them. I thought, the best way to not be bullied, was to be friends with the bullies. Not my best move, but I had to do what I could to protect myself.
Emma, one of the bullies, then became my best friend. But she led me astray. I started skipping school, going down to Victoria Rec & started smoking. Quite a few of us would go. Making sure to sign into first register, and lunch register. Emma bunked one day, but it was actually a teacher training day, so she had no need to 😂 Sat up the rec all day in her school uniform, when she could have been at home!
Erin, another one of the bullies, lived in Rookley, but she turned out to be quite nice. She had a slightly older friend Stewart, who wanted a girlfriend! She tried to introduce us together, but I wasn’t interested. Boy’s weren’t my thing at that point. But I would exchange texts with him to be polite, & we became friends (even though I had never met him) He would write me letters & give them to Erin to pass to me at school. He always sprayed the paper with CKone, I LOVE that perfume! He was quite sweet.
Another of Erin’s friends, Paul, also from Rookley, but still at our school, a year or two above us, told Erin he liked me. I still wasn’t interested in boys & I had two after me! 🫣
Stewart kept on and on about meeting me, so we tried to arrange it. Me, Mum, Dad, Aunty Judy & Uncle Eric went to Rookley country Park one evening. I had arranged to meet Erin there too, in the games room & she was going to introduce me to Stew. But she brought Paul along with her… Disaster!
Stewart and his family were banned from the county park for some reason & still to this day, I have no idea why? So he couldn’t come in. Erin took me to the front gate to see him, but Dad saw me leaving and called me back… No Stewart meeting!
We all went back to the games room, played pool & darts, then Paul put his arm around me and looked smug that I wasn’t allowed to go out and meet Stew.
Paul & I decided to become a couple, we only really saw each other at school, as Dad wasn’t keen on him & he lived so far away in Rookley. But when we did meet up, a friend of his – Barry, would drop him to me, or or take me to him.
One day, Barry brought me £30 phone credit, as I had ran out & couldn’t text Paul. Because he had got me this, he expected a reply to every text he sent me, all hours of the day. I was 14 & he was in his 40’s. I had no interest in texting an older man… But he didn’t stop. He drove me home one day & was being really inappropriate. Saying suggestive things & making comments about the two of us being together.
Somehow, thankfully, Dad found out & put a stop to the communications, but this meant I couldn’t see Paul as often & we eventually split up after 4 months. I was devastated, he was my first love…!
I believe Barry did a stretch inside, what for, I don’t know, he’s probably on the sex register now! Dirty perv!! But I was glad to see the back of him.
I had by this time started to become a horrible, hormonal, teenager & started to rebel against anything & everything!
My life! 