As I was entering the building, I kept my mother’s encouraging words close to my heart. I was going to make some special friends. All I had to do was believe and try my best, but just barely a few minutes after I entered the school; I heard someone say, “Hey Sophia!”

Though the voice was familiar, it still startled me, and sent a cold chill down my spine. It was Emily, Emily Minster, she was just entering the fifth grade like me, but she was big. I was talking about eight grader big, and she was really scary too but not just because of her height. Her looks made her seem nasty and evil. She had long shaggy hair that was dirty and tangled up. It was starting to turn into dreadlocks. Her nails were just as bad, they were long and nasty with filth underneath. It was like she never washed her hands. What made things worse, was that she would often use them to pick her nose and then fling her boogers at people. Her eyebrows were thick and bushy; it was in need of some serious waxing. And to top it all off, she stunk like warthogs.

I remembered last year. Emily stunk so bad, that my teacher would assign the seat next to her to students who talked a lot. That way they would be busier trying to hold their breath. It may have kept the whole class quiet, but it was a cruel punishment that no one deserved.

“Long time no see girlfriend.” She said while trying to give me a hug, but I quickly avoided it.

“Since when are we ‘girlfriends?’” I said quietly. Luckily she didn’t hear me because she usually got mad when I said stuff like that.

I really didn’t like Emily, and it wasn’t because of her appearance nor how she stunk. It was more because of how she acted towards me. One minute she was so sweet and nice to me. Then the next she hated my guts. I believed there was a word for people like her. I believed it’s called… polar, leaf-roller, pill-roller, or perhaps comptroller? Something like that, and she would always steal my animal crackers too.

“So how was your summer? Was it fun? Did you have a summer fling? I know I had one.” She said acting all nice, but I didn’t say anything though. I was too scared; I knew if I were to even just say one wrong word, she would want to beat me up. So I just looked down and kept listening, and in all honesty, I wish she would just leave me alone. But she didn’t, she kept talking, and going on and on about this boy she had met. She told me how she spent her whole summer with him. They played games, rode bikes together, and even shared Ice cream. It all sounded really fun. I was even kind of jealous, but then she said something that kind of worried me, “Oh Sophia, I think I’m in love.” Love!? Was she serious!? I didn’t know much about love, but my mommy had told me that love was a very serious thing. It happened to everyone at some point in life, but it was more of an adult thing. It could lead you into very serious trouble, if you were to get in involved with it at a young age. Bottom line, it really wasn’t for fifth graders like us, and even though Emily was a high-roller and a big stinky bully to me. I still didn’t want her to get in serious trouble behind love, so I had to say something.

“Um… Emily.” I said nervously while raising my head. “Don’t you think you’re a little too young to be in love?” Just then Emily’s smile turned into a nasty frown.

“Who are you my mother!?” she shouted and snapped at me. “You think you can tell me what I’m too young for!?”

“N-no.” I replied.

“Then shut your stupid mouth!” She started to turn red in the face. “You just think you know everything don’t you!? Just because you’re some pretty little brat, who gets good grades, and listens to their Mommy all the time!”

“That’s not what I think, and you’re pretty too… if you just cleaned up a little.” She then grabbed me by the collar of my dress, and pulled me closer to her face. She smelled even worst up close.

“Oh so now you’re saying that I’m ugly because I’m not some little preppy girl like you!”

“N-no, you’re taking this all the wrong way.” I said as I struggled to breathe. Her stench was starting to make me feel noshes.

“This is why I hate talking to you! You always got something stupid to say!” I didn’t know what I did to make her so upset. I just said she was too young for love.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just trying to help. Honest I was.” I said with my eyes closed. I couldn’t dare look at her face, it was too scary. When she finally released her grip from my collar, it caused me to stumble and fall on my backpack.

“See what happens when I try to be nice?” she said. If this was her being nice, I would really hate to see when she’s angry. She then placed her hand on her forehead as if she was in so much stress. “You know, I was about to cut you a break, and not take your animal crackers. But since you want to be a pain on the first day of school, I changed my mind!”

“I beg your pardon?” I replied. I had heard what she said, but I couldn’t quite believe it. How was I being a pain? I was just trying to help.

“You heard me! Give me your stupid crackers!” she said it with force this time. I was scared out of my wits. I didn’t know what to do.

“Can’t we just share them? Because being mean to each other was so last year. We’re past that now.” I said with a fragile smile, in hopes that she would actually change her mind. But it was too late, she had that devilish look in her eyes. She wasn’t going to stop, not until she got what she wanted.

I knew I could have simply just given them to her and it would’ve made my life a whole lot easier. But I really did want my animal crackers, and they were the new ones too. You know, with frosting and sprinkles, and plus my animal crackers were the only things I looked forward to. It was my highlight of the day. I couldn’t let her have them, not this time, but before I could do anything. She was already on top of me trying to yank off my backpack and get ahold of my animal crackers. I held on to it for as long as I could, but Emily was just too strong for me. She eventually loosened my grip, and succeeded in obtaining my backpack. Then she immediately started to scavenge through it, and not before long she had found my frosted treats.

“Well look what we have here.” Emily said with an ugly smirk.

“Give them back! Please! I really want them!” I begged her, but she wasn’t listening. “Emily please!” I pleaded one last time. I even began to cry, but no matter how much I begged her. She still refused to give them back.

“Gosh, why are you such a baby? You know what? I’m just going to eat them in front of your face. Maybe then you’ll shut up.” I couldn’t believe her. She was actually going to eat them, and there was nothing I could do to stop her. I couldn’t even move because she was on top of me. All I could do was cry as she began to open the box.

But in that moment, I felt something inside me. Something different, I felt as if a chain that was holding me back had broken loose. My heart began to race. All the fear that I once felt had vanished. Strength was surging through my body. It wasn’t like anything I ever felt before. It felt as if my soul wanted peace and righteousness. I didn’t care about anything. All I wanted was for Emily not to lay one filthy finger on my animal crackers! With ease, I slipped my right arm free, and grabbed my backpack that Emily tossed aside. Once I had a firm grip, I then swung my backpack across her face with great force and caused her to drop my animal crackers, and this ended up putting her in a light daze from the blow. But Emily still was on top of me, so I got my right leg free from underneath her. I felt bad that Emily wasn’t going to have any snacks, so I decide to let her snack on the sole of my boot! With every ounce of strength, I spring Emily off of me, and sent her airborne across the hallway where she landed flat on her back.

Once it was all done. I came back to my normal senses. What did I just do? Where did that power come from? And was Emily okay? I then looked over in her direction. She didn’t seem hurt. She was just lying there and wasn’t moving at all. “Emily? Are you okay?” I said. Hopefully she would answer me, but she kept quiet. I wanted to go and check on her, but the fear of her trying to hurt me, made me kept my distance. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t just leave her there. Could I?