I’ve been writing this column for around a year and this is the first time that I am going to suggest getting professional help!

Bayla’s take

Hi, my name is Bayla

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Up until last year I was doing very well in school and l had tons of friends. Last year, when I was in seventh grade, I started losing all my friends and feeling very lonely, but since I like to read and draw, I was fine being by myself and busying myself with my hobbies at recess. But when I got home, I had no one to call and schmooze with and no one to invite over after school, and that was very boring and lonely. I was never the most popular girl in my class, but I still always had friends. These new feelings of loneliness and insecurity are very hard for me. At the end of last year my situation got even worse — I went from just being ignored to being actively bullied. Girls would make fun of my shoes and hair and call me names or even sometimes push me or step on my feet. I was never a super-sensitive type of person, so it didn’t really bother me so much. What hurt me the most was that some of the girls who were bullying me used to be very good friends with me and I used to even go to their houses sometimes to play and study with them. That betrayal really hurts and caused me to even cry in the bathroom during recess and feel very depressed.

I’m a very smart girl but now my marks started suffering and my teachers stopped liking me. I’m very confused about why people would want to bully me; I’m always so nice to them! I’m also very nervous about high school since my marks have dropped and I’m not doing so well with the work and I still want to get into a good school. I’m also scared that I might not make a lot of friends in a new school. I spoke to my parents over the summer and they said they will speak with the school and take care of it. This year no one is bullying me, but no one is friends with me either. I don’t see any way to change this whole situation.