Asanda started at a new school in Grade 9 and she was scared to face her new classmates. Her classmates started screaming because of her beauty as she walked in the classroom. She was gorgeous, shy and clever.

She started writing her time table and lots of school work that she had missed. Two weeks later, she started being her little bubby self and always smiled. She had a lot of friends. At school she was a well-known new kid on the block.

COVID-19 came and schools were closed for five months. In that period, she cut her hair very short. She thought she wouldn’t return to school because lockdown.

Schools reopened and she was scared that her school mates wouldn’t recognise her.
Her hair was short and she wore a mask, surely no one would know her except for her friends.

She went to a new class with the learners she didn’t know. She walked in and learners started teasing her, saying she should sanitise her hands including her schoolbag and shoes. Because she was a quiet girl, she listened to them. She was angry about that and went to take a chair outside the classroom. She heard learners saying that they would accuse and irritate her. Then they started calling her names.

She couldn’t wait to go tell her friends about what had happened earlier. She started crying as they teased her but no one noticed her. The bell rang she packed her books and one of the learners that was annoying her threw the sanitiser to her face and laughed. Asanda went outside crying then met her best friend Nombuso. She told her everything and Nombuso was overwhelmed with anger. She couldn’t control herself but Asanda told her to relax and that everything was going to be fine. Asanda wanted to beat Zukiswa but she controlled herself.

She did not eat the whole lunch break. She was too busy crying; she didn’t know what to do because she didn’t wear her short pant. If she did she would responded to them after school with a fight.

She was not in the mood. She wanted to hit Zukiswa but she controlled herself.

After the break, Nombuso spoke to Zukiswa about what they had done to her friend. Zukiswa came from outside and told her new classmates that Asanda was crying and they went to apologise to her. She was hurt but accepted their apology. Sometimes being quiet is the best way to avoid drama. Try to stay away from an unnecessary drama.

Tell us: What do you think of kids who bully others?