As a kid, I never thought about whether or not the other kids liked me. I honestly never cared. I was naive and didn’t notice that some people bullied others. I never stuck around long enough for them to insult me.

When I got into the fourth grade, I started to become a little insecure. My friends from the years before didn’t want to hang out with me anymore. They had bigger, better friends. They were all maturing while I was still the size of a regular third grader.

Making new friends wasn’t hard for me, until I made friends with the wrong people. The friends I chose were the group of kids who others mocked and tormented. That’s when I realized how mean people could be. Kids would call me names and judged me solely by my playmates.  None of them took the time to even ask my name.

To avoid the bullies, I learned to camouflage myself. I became invisible. Unfortunately, being invisible meant being slightly anti-social. It meant less friends and more alone time. From then on out, I was known as the quiet girl in the corner. I rarely had more than two, maybe three friends at a time and I read a lot to look too busy to talk.

It didn’t seem so bad. My aunt and uncle pushed hard when it came to academics. Without distractions, such as friends, I never had reason to disappoint. But that was before I met Serenity.

I watched the people walk past the doorway of my sixth grade math class. I noticed a thin brunette walk back and forth several times. She had her schedule at hand and was clearly lost, judging by her fixed facial expression and ever-present frown.

I still haven’t figured out where that small burst of confidence came from, but before I knew what I was doing, I got up and walked straight toward her.

“Can I help you find something? You look a little lost.”

That one small action changed my life. I met a new friend, but not just anyone. I met Serenity Bryant. She was so confident in everything she did. It never mattered who she was with; she never hesitated to be herself. Serenity showed me how fun it was to be myself. Even though it’s taken a lot of getting used to, I’ve learned how to be comfortable in my own skin. I’ve learned that no matter what people do or say, they can never really hurt you without your consent.

Serenity has been my best friend ever since that day. For five years now, she has kept me from letting chances pass me by or from losing any of my bravery. I still don’t talk much to people I don’t know, but in the end, I don’t care what they think about me. Everyone has his insecurities, but we have to embrace them. And above all, I had to have the courage to be myself and the strength to keep it.