Nine-year-old, Tesia Lenore McLean sat in class again later that day, after having had been lectured by the Principal on fighting and name-calling. What he didn’t care to know, was that – technically – she hadn’t started the whole thing to begin with. Instead, he had yelled at her and stated that he would phone home, but not send her home. Which only made her partly relieved, as she knew she’d get it once she did finally get home.

She sat there quietly, doodling on her piece of paper that had been given to each child for the spelling test. She had tried to spell some of the words, but they were too long and hard – and no matter how hard she studied, she never understood nor could she spell these words. She didn’t have what everyone else in the class had – Parental help. Her parents had never helped her with her schoolwork and never would. Ever.

She continued to work on her drawling long into the next lesson, as she was bored and didn’t understand what the teacher had explained. And, normally, when one does not understand, they would ask for - but she couldn’t. If she did, it wouldn’t do her any good, nor get her ahead of where she was at the moment. The teacher never helped her when she asked of it – the teacher didn’t care nor like her. And don’t think she hadn’t told her parents of the principal this, as she had, but – they too had not cared to look into the matter. She knew that if her brother were there, he’d be telling people off for nothelping her when she needed them too. Her brother was just like that.

She smiled to herself slightly, as she thought of her brother, and how cool and funny it’d be if he were to barge into the classroom and tell everyone off for her. She could so picture him screaming at the teacher for not doing her job properly and helping out all the students, like she was paid to do. The thought of this, soon made her giggle. She couldn’t help it – she’d tried not to giggle aloud, but it just could not be helped right then.

It was then, that the girl next to her – the one she’d decked out on the playground – peeked over to see what she was doing. When it was discovered that no work had been done, the mean girl decided to attack her prey.

”Give me that!”

Tesia looked over at the girl confused, then realized what she was talking about.

”No! It’s mine!”

The extra sheet was not for you to doodle on! It was in case you write big and needed an extra sheet! I’ll tell!”

The paper was grabbed then, and the two fought over it – one it belonged too, and the other just being plain old mean – again. Soon, the paper tore in half, and the one it belonged too looked ready to cry. What had been ripped had been worked on long and hard – and was very special as it was for someone very special and very much loved by the one who had drawn it.

“You – You – Bitch!” Tesia cried, but not loud enough that the whole class would her. “You ruined it!”

“Not like it matters anyway. You don’t have anyone to give it too!” The girl snapped.

“I do so!” She insisted. “It was for A.J.!”

“Ha! A.J.! There’s a laugh!” The girl snorted. “How many times do we hafta tell you! A.J. is not your brother!”

“How would you know!” She snarled some, with venom in her voice. “You don’t even know him!”

“And neither do you!” The girl growled back.

“Whatever!” She retorted snottily, turning away from the mean girl that the teacher had sat next to her. She hated the fact that the teacher was stupid and had stuck her archenemy next to her. Oh, sure, she had other problems with other children in the school, but the girl sitting next to her especially.

“Do not look away from me!” The girl hissed. “Your gonna get beat up after school!”

“Yeah. And your ass is grass!” She answered.

“No. That would be yours!” The girl snapped. “ Everybody knows why you come here not being able to sit some mornings. You’re a bitch, who gets what they deserve to get. No one loves you, and they never will!”

“There are people who love me!” She rejoined, getting angrier now.

“Oh, yeah. Ri-ight. The Backstreet Boys really love you!” The girl said haughtily. “I’ll believe it when I see it. Which is never!” She paused, then added, “And if A.J. really was your brother – which he’s not - he’d probably beat the crap out of you too!”

“He would not!” Tesia yelled finally. “You don’t know him! So don’t say shit ‘bout him that’s not true!”

“Ladies, what’s going on back there?” The teacher demanded.

“She’s gone thinking she’s related to a Backstreet Boy again!” The girl immediately told the teacher. “And she’s being mean and hurting me feelings!”

“Liar!” Tesia screamed. “You’re treating me like shit an’ tellin’ me who my brother is, when you don’t know him or believe who he really is!”

“Tesia! There’ll be no foul language in my classroom!” The teacher snapped. “Now, sit down and shut-up or you can go back to the Office and stay there for the remainder of the day!”

“NO!” Tesia cried. “Why won’t you believe me! I’m telling the truth!”

The teacher had had enough then, and strode to the back of the room, where the two girls stood. Once there, she grabbed Tesia by the ear, and began to drag her to the front of the room.

Tesia screamed and cried hysterically as the teacher dragged her out of the classroom by her ear. She was upset and just wanted to go home – home to her brother in Malibu, California – the one place she was forbidden to go more than anything else. The only place where she truly felt safe.