Feeling as if a load is off of me, I tell Benjamin to please not give the new number to anybody. He eyes me suspiciously.
"What's going on, Zuri?" he questions, worried.
"Everything's fine, Benjamin. Now it is."
His face is exasperated. "Why won't you talk to me?"
"Don't worry, Benjamin. Everything's okay."
I still refuse to tell him about the cyberbullying. Why go into it if I just solved it? But how naïve I am because everything's fine for only a few days. Then it happens! Students laugh at me, and I'm certain I'm not being just paranoid. They're pointing at me and chortling. They're loud sneers reverberate from the walls.
They call me ugloid monster.
Ugloid Monster!!!
Of course, students don't call me that name when I'm with Benjamin. They aren't brave enough to face his six feet presence. My stomach starts hurting viciously. I don't know how to handle this.
I find out by accident while I'm passing by some girls that don't see me by them that there is a website dedicated to degrading me. It's called the Ugloid Monster website. When I check it, I freak out. It has a picture of me that someone took with their phone, and has arrows all around it with the ugliest words like fat b****, stupid whore, fu-ugly, and other very degrading things.
I'm absolutely furious. At this point, I'm more on fire than embarrassed! I realize that I can't handle what's happening to me alone. I have to do something, and I have to get other people involved. School has become too tortuous for me, and I'm not going to let the bullies win!
My inner warrior great grandmother and Katniss Everdeen are in full swing!
I put together a website using the Ugloid Monster Speaks heading and tag. At the top, I type in huge red letters: It's easy to insult someone in the dark! SHOW YOUR FACE, YOU COWARDLY BULLY! Then I put a silhouette of a sneaky figure that looks slimy and silly.
Underneath it I write, NO GUTS! Just stupidity and more cowardice than brains.
From: The Ugloid Monster who has the guts not to hide.
Some of the girls who were previously laughing at me give me a thumbs up as I pass by their lockers. "Good web, Zuria," they say.
During World History, I go deep within myself to figure out how to best handle the situation. All I know is that I'm not going to put my face down in shame because some jerk is ridiculing me. I’M NOT! That person isn't getting the best of me, I tell myself.
When Mr. Greydog steps out of the classroom, the class comes alive. The students seem to want to talk to me about my new website.
"I'm glad you put it up," says one student.
"Yeah," says another student.
"Being bullied really sucks," states a boy from the back of the class.
"Zuria asked for it," states Suzy. The whole class grows quiet.
"How can someone ask to be bullied?" I question, spikes in my voice.
"You shouldn't be going out with Benjamin and making a fool out of yourself," Suzy snickers. "He's Chantilly's man."
Lately, I had noticed she's been hanging around Chantilly a lot. She had made the cheerleading squad. Unfortunately, Lorena hadn't. Lorena hangs out with them but looks like a third wheel and uncomfortable most of the time.
My eyes bore into hers. "How can he be Chantilly's man if he wants to be with me and not her? Everyone heard what he said in the cafeteria the other day, right?"
Noises of agreement fill the room.
"He's having a mental breakdown or something," she snaps.
"Really?" I retort sarcastically. "That's original! How convenient for you to make something like that up!"
Snickers echo through the classroom.
Suzy looks around with horror. She's being laughed at. "That website is right! You're an ugloid monster!" she hurls at me.
Lorena pushes to her feet from her chair. "I've had ENOUGH of this! Stop insulting Zuria."
No one is more surprised than I am that she's defending me.
"Lorena, sit down," demands Suzy.
"Stop telling me what to do," Lorena growls.
"Lorena—" starts Suzy with a warning tone.
"It's time the truth comes out," Lorena snarls.
"Lorena, shut up!" demands Suzy, a nervous timbre in her voice.
"Why don't you stop being a coward, Suzy?!"
"SHUT UP!" Suzy blurts, her voice shakier than ever.
Lorena's disgusted eyes bore into Suzy. "Zuria, Suzy is the one who was harassing you on your Facebook and phone and put up the ugloid monster website."
Chapter 27
I'm completely freaked out.
"Don't listen to her," Suzy cries. "She's demented."
"First you say that Benjamin is demented," states Lorena, "Now you say it's me. Do you really think people believe your lies?"
"You'll never be my friend again," Suzy snaps.
"I'm sick and tired of being your friend."
Suzy's eyes widen. "Lorena—"
"You're a snake and a coward!" announces Lorena. "Look at what you did to Zuria after all three of us were friends for so long!"
"Yeah!" I blurt, getting out of my surprised stupor. I really didn't expect Suzy to be the one to do this to me. "What you did to me really sucks after we had been best friends."
"And you didn't even have the guts to put your name on the bullying!" retorts Lorena. "You won't even do it now that I've forced you out of hiding."
"I wasn't hiding," she rushes, her voice small.
Sarcastic guffaws sound throughout the room.
"Zuria," Lorena says quietly, "I hope you know I didn't have anything to do with it. In fact, I refused to participate in it with Chantilly and Suzy. That's why Suzy got in the cheerleading squad and I didn't."
Gasps reverberate from the classroom.
"I hope being a cheerleader was worth selling out your friend, Suzy," Lorena retorts.
But Suzy doesn't get a chance to respond. The door opens, and Mr. Greydog steps in. The classroom normalizes again. Suzy looks enormously relieved. I glare at her. She avoids my stare, but I know she's aware of it because her cheek twitches.
After the explosive day at school, I decide to talk to my Aunt Letty about it to give me perspective on everything. I'm still freaked out about my former best friend being capable of such horrible cruelty.
When had the Suzy I knew died and this monstrous creature emerged?
What's the price of a soul these days?
Had she felt even a little remorse at what she was doing to me?
My favorite aunt is happy to see me. I had been distancing myself even from her when this whole cyberbullying nightmare had begun for fear that she would guess what was happening to me. The entire ugly story comes tumbling out of my mouth without brakes. It feels so good to be telling someone about it after I had kept it such a secret. I hadn't realized that it had started rotting inside of me.
She listens carefully, but her face betrays her feelings. She's pissed—totally furious at what I'm telling her. After I finish, she grabs my arm and pushes herself and me to our feet from the sofa.
"We're talking to your parents about this right now!" she snaps.
"But, Aunt Letty—"
"Don't but me. I don't know why you kept this to yourself so long, young lady! We're doing something about it now."
I have no choice but to do what she says. She gets in my car, and I drive us to my house. She mutters unintelligible words the entire way. I knew that she'd be upset about the bullying, but I didn't think she'd be this furious.
We arrive at my house, and I take a breath. I don't know what's going to happen, but I know that my parents aren't going to take the bullying well. They're overprotective. Aunt Letty storms in the door. The twins and my parents are in the living room watching TV.
"You two," Aunt Letty says, pointing at my sisters, "Out!"
"What?" they ask in unison.
"I have not patien
ce to deal with you right now. Go to your rooms."
I'm relieved. No telling what the terrible thirteen girls are going to say when they find out I've been cyberbullied. Carina and Casandra make faces but leave the room.
"What's this about?" my mother questions, worried.
"Is everything okay?" my father asks me.
"No!" Aunt Letty answers for me. She goes on to tell the story I had just told her. My parents' expressions turn to horror and disgust. When she finishes, my mother rushes to me and throws her arms around me.
"Why didn't you tell us?" she asks, her voice very upset.
"I wanted to see if I could handle it on my own," I explain.
My dad rushes to us and throws his arms around my mom and me. "I wish you had told us, Zuria."
I've got to admit I'm relieved that my parents took the bullying seriously. I had heard of parents taking it as harmless child's play.
Aunt Letty and my parents decide on a strategy while I just listen. They call the Quintanillas, thank goodness Benjamin is with Peebo, and Lorena to come over to the house. From here all of us go to Suzy's house. She looks really freaked out when all of us show up, and my parents demand to speak to her mom and dad. My parents don't hesitate to tell the Smiths about the cyberbullying in full detail.
"This story is ridiculous," states Mr. Smith. "My daughter would never do something like that."
"Of course I wouldn't," blurts Suzy nervously.
"She did," Lorena speaks up with a firm voice. "Check her computer. You'll see."
"You'll find the horrible person she's been to me," I state.
"I'm not putting up with this in my own house," retorts Mr. Smith.
"Ignore it now, Ted," Ms. Quintanilla snaps, "and we'll see you in court."
"For what?" he snorts, "for some girls having a little fight?"
"Believe me, we'll find a reason to take your daughter to court," Mr. Quintanilla menaces.
Mr. Smith eyes him with fear. Everyone in the neighborhood knows that the Quintanillas are brilliant lawyers.
"Wait a minute," he grumbles, "why are we getting involved in a little catfight between girls?"
Aunt Letty wants to explode. Her face is completely enraged. "This isn't a little catfight as you call it. Your daughter has been cyberbullying my niece, and she doesn't even have the guts to admit it!"
"I'm sure it's not as serious as you say it is," Mr. Smith guffaws.
"Yes, it is!" snaps my mother.
"Besides, I believe my daughter when she says she didn't do it," he states.
"Well, I have my doubts!" Mrs. Smith speaks up angrily. "Suzy, you may lie to your father but not to me. Did you do this?!"
Chapter 28
"Mom," Suzy says nervously, "maybe I wrote a little thing or two about her on Facebook but that's all."
"You see, Linda, nothing serious," Mr. Smith states.
"A little thing or two?" I blurt sarcastically.
"Give me a break, Suzy!" Lorena chimes in. "You may lie to everyone here, but I was there, remember? I witnessed all the poison you wrote about her! If you want to close your eyes to your daughter's cruelty, Mr. Smith, then that's your business. But I'll testify in court if I have to about what I saw."
Mrs. Smith steps up to her daughter and eyes her as if dissecting her. "You've been acting strange for a while. Every time I go to your room, you change the screen. You look guilty. You've been hanging out with that Chantilly girl. I don't like her at all. You two speak in whispers. Something's up!"
"Linda—" Mr. Smith starts to say before he's interrupted by Mrs. Smith.
"Don't defend bullying!" Mrs. Smith snaps. "I'm not going to do it even when it comes from my own daughter. I know how it feels! I was bullied in school. You were too, Ted. Don't you remember how awful it felt?"
Mr. Smith hangs his head.
"Please forgive what my daughter has done," Mrs. Smith murmurs.
"Mom—"
"Apologize to Zuria, Suzy! Apologize now!"
"I really don't want a forced apology," I interject.
"I understand, Zuria," Mrs. Smith states gently. "I hope you know how embarrassed and mortified I am over this whole thing. I should've acted on my suspicions earlier. I'm so sorry. I hope you accept my apology."
I nod. "I accept it."
Back at my house, I thank the Quintanillas and Lorena for having joined us. The Quintanillas leave telling my parents and me to call them if they can help with anything. Lorena wants to speak to me in the privacy of my bedroom.
"Zuria, I'm so sorry," she murmurs.
'Don't be sorry about something you didn't do," I say.
"I should've stopped it before it got this far."
"At least you stopped it now," I state.
Lorena sighs. "I'm also sorry for having chosen Suzy over you. What a stupid choice I made."
"We can be friends again," I inform her.
Her eyes light up. "Really?'
"Of course."
She throws her arms around me. "I've missed you, my friend."
"So have I."
When she leaves with both of us grinning from ear to ear at having our special friendship back, my Aunt Letty also asks to speak to me in private. We sit on lawn chairs in the backyard. It's dark out, but the flood lighting is on.
"You've got a big decision to make, young lady," Aunt Letty announces.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean with this cyberbullying business," she states matter-of-factly.
I look at her, puzzled. "Everything's okay now."
"Is it?" she questions with a slightly chiding tone.
"I'm sure that the cyberbullying towards me is over now that everything is out in the open."
"What about what's happening to other students?" she asks, her eyes steadily on me.
I'm struck speechless. I don't know what she's getting at.
"You can help them," she announces.
"I can?"
"You can put a face and a limelight on cyberbullying in your school. I know that you'd love nothing better than to forget this whole episode, but then you wouldn't be my favorite niece—the one I admire the most."
"What can I do?" I ask.
"Do the right thing. This is what's wrong with the world. Too many people knowing what the right thing is and doing nothing—letting the bullies thrive."
"I can't let that happen," I blurt.
She smiles at me. "This world is a mess," she mutters. "A big mess, and it's largely, if not all, due to ugly words. When I was a kid we used to have this rhyme, 'Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.' It was actually a lie because words can hurt a lot. They hurt so much that wars are happening because of them."
"Wars?"
"Wars, explosions, and horrifying abuses."
"Gee, Aunt Letty, I never thought about the power of words."
"Words are the most powerful thing we have on earth. Yes, more powerful than weapons, more powerful than gold, and much more powerful than money."
"Really?" I ask, surprised.
"Yes. Words are everything to human beings. Unfortunately, we often use them to destroy one another instead of to build bridges to each other."
"That's a shame."
"You can help from your little corner of the world."
"Tell me how to help," I state.
"Cyberbullying is an epidemic. There was bullying in my day, but with technology, it's taken a whole new disgusting direction. One that's much bigger. All over the world, kids are being beaten to the ground with it. Some even commit suicide. What a shame that a valuable human life gets rubbed out like that because of cruelty. One of those lives could even be the one that comes up with the cure for cancer, diabetes, or other sicknesses."
"It's so sad for someone to take their lives because of cyberbullying."
"What we can do, especially with your help, is talk to your principal. Your parents w
ill be with us, of course, and we can get the school to do its part to get rid of bullying."
"Count me in," I state.
She smiles again. "Good."
"I'll do whatever it takes to stop bullying at my school," I murmur.
"I'm proud of you, Zuria."
"Hi," a voice sounds from behind us.
It's Benjamin.
Chapter 29
I guess Benjamin's parents already told him about what happened tonight. I was going to call him, so I could be the one to tell him, but I hadn't had a chance to with both Lorena and my Aunt Letty needing to speak to me.
"Hello, Benjamin," Aunt Letty greets, her head turning to him. Then she turns back to me. "I'll go talk to your parents about what we were just talking about," she says, pushing to her feet.
"Hi, Benjamin," I murmur as he sits next to me.
He sighs. "Why didn't you tell me?" he questions, his eyes on me.
I don't know where to begin. “I…I…”
"I thought we trusted each other," he continues, traces of hurt in his voice. "Was I wrong?"
"We do trust each other," I rush.
His hazel eyes are leveled on me. "Then why didn't you trust me with what was happening to you?"
"I was scared?"
His expression turns puzzled. "Scared of what?"
"Scared that all those ugly things being said about me would somehow get you to see me differently," rushes out of my mouth.
He gasps in frustration. "That's pretty silly, Zuri."
"If you had seen all the horrible stuff—"
"I saw it," he states.
"What?"
"My parents made a copy of it before the Smiths had Suzy took the website down. They wanted to keep it as evidence in case you'd need it. I saw it."
I'm devastated. "I wish you wouldn’t have."
"Why not?" he asks gently.
"It's embarrassing."
He snorts furiously. "It shouldn't be embarrassing to you! It's embarrassing for Suzy and Chantilly!"
"I know but still..."
"Still nothing! Are we in this relationship together or not?"
"Of course we are."
"Then we're in it in good and bad, okay?" he challenges me.
I nod.
"Don't keep stuff from me. I don't like to get the news that someone's hurting you from my parents. I should get it from you."
Putting my arms around him, I squeeze tightly. The kiss he gives me makes the whole strange day today seem far away. What an awesome boyfriend I have.