I walked through the halls with my head bowed. From the corners of my eyes I can see students glance at me as they laughed and pointed. I don't understand what's so different about me. Why am I the one to be teased and joked with?

I try to ignore their words, but they still hurt.

Words like

Freak

Loser

Ugly

Stupid

Enough

Talentless

I look just like them. I act just like them. Yet I'm excluded. I'm the target. Knifes and words hit the target. It hurts though I should just ignore it. They're just words.

Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.

That's a lie. Words still hurt. They plague my mind, consuming me in darkness. Is there truth in their words? Should I just give up? So long have I've been a target that I no longer try and fight. I let their words consume like a torrent of water. It hurts. It hurts so much that I just want to give up. To finally get rid of the pain.

But what's the point of that. That'll just give them the satisfaction. To see me hurt. To see my pain. That's why I keep my head bowed. So they can't see my pain. So they won't get the satisfaction that they want.

Stick and stones may break my bones, but words are a knife to the heart.

They say they can't hurt you...

But words still hurt me.