Gloria’s mom got her paper and pens for the start of the new year. Gloria was starting Jr. High School and would be riding in a bus. All of this was new to Gloria, she would be meeting new people. She hoped she would make friends easily.
When Gloria caught the bus that morning at six-thirty, there were already students on the bus. Gloria couldn’t see them, because it was dark in the mornings.
Gloria picked the third seat back behind the driver. The bus drivers stopped at three more stops. The bus was full, and the driver took them to school.
Gloria was a very shy girl. She was insecure with herself and everything else in her life. She lived in a small community but didn’t have any friends. Unfortunately, she lived with physical and mental abuse, which caused her insecurities.
Gloria was told she was ugly because she didn’t have blonde hair and blue eyes. Nor did she have red hair and green eyes. She had mousey long brown hair, which didn’t know if it wanted to be curly, fuzzy, or straight. Along with eyes that were like small peppermint patties. Olive complexion which made her look like she had a tan in the winter time.
As Gloria sit there, she listened to the other students. The high school students were talking about getting drunk on the weekend. A set of boys in the middle were talking about what they had done that summer. Gloria was sure she knew one of the boys. She didn't know the other two boys.
Gloria had to do summer school when she was in the third grade. Her mother married, and they moved to a big city. The marriage didn’t work, so when Gloria came back, she had to take classes to get her caught up with the rest of her class.
She was sure the boy in the middle of the bus lived by the school. She can remember him coming over to the school while she was on the teeter totter. The girl she was on the teeter totter with knew the boy and jumped off while Gloria was up in the air.
The teeter totter came down hard and Gloria cracked her head on the pavement of the playground. The school teacher came over and took Gloria in her arms. She told the little girl she shouldn’t have done that. She had told her before not to jump off the teeter totter with the other person in the air.
The little girl with the blonde hair twirled her left foot, with one finger in her hair twirling a curl, and another finger in her mouth. She poked out her bottom lip and said, “I forgot, I didn’t mean too.” As the tears come streaming down her sweet little face.
The teachers heart sank as she looked at the child, and she said, “Go get the nurse, this one is hurt badly.” The little girl took off running to the office to get the nurse. Forgiven by the teacher. While Gloria lay there with the back of her head bleeding. The teacher just knew the little girl had killed this one.
The nurse ran out, she wore white all over. She had a white hat, white eye glasses, a white dress and white panty hose. Even her hair was bleach blonde. The nurse’s eye widen as she looked at Gloria. She took her pulse and breathed a heavy sigh. The teacher looked at her and the nurse said, “Take this towel and get the children inside.”
The nurse didn’t want to frighten the other students. She gave the towel to the teacher and made the motion that the teacher should wrap her hands and arms in it. The teacher did so.
After hearing what had happened the Principal came out. The nurse looked up and said, “Head wounds always bleed worst then any other wound. She has a strong heartbeat, we need to get her on a cot. I will watch her for the rest of the day. You also need to call her parents.”
The Principal looked at her and said, “She has a mother that works all day and night. They live with her grandparents. They don’t have a phone in the house, I have already looked. The number they gave us, no one is answering. We’ll keep trying. The main thing is, well she live?”
The nurse looked up and said, “We’ll see.”
Gloria said, “Hi, who are you?”
Gloria said, “Gloria, do you go to school here.”
Gloria turned around and said, “I have a knot on my head, SEE?”
The teacher came over to them and said, “Don’t touch it, Drew go home.”