It was fifth grade. The school bus had just dropped me off, along with all the other kids who lived in the cluster of apartment complexes near mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a painfully<\/strong> shy kid, I hadn’t made any friends who lived nearby. No one to sit next to on the bus. No one to walk home with, chattering about the day. But I didn’t mind because I could get lost in my thoughts. And if I hurried, I might catch The Addams Family<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This day was like every other day, mostly. Stepped off the bus. Kept my head down. Started towards the apartment in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Except<\/strong> that a group of sixth-grade boys got off the bus right behind me. Usually they sat at the back of the bus and took their time getting off, so I was long gone by the time they hit the pavement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That day, they must have been in a hurry to get home. And loud. So loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Ow!” one yelled while another laughed, but I didn’t turn back to see what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I sped up, my shins burning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They all cracked up at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then got quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I willed my legs to move faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn’t sure why<\/em> I was hurrying. Still, adrenaline surged through my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n