Short Story Sunday: When the Words Follow You

Marisol learned that words could hurt long before anyone ever touched her.

At first, it was subtle. A comment whispered just loud enough for her to hear. A laugh that lingered a little too long after she walked past. Someone repeating something she said, but twisting it into a joke. Each moment felt small on its own, easy to dismiss if she wanted to.

So she did.

Marisol told herself not to be sensitive. Not to overreact. Everyone dealt with teasing, she thought. That was just part of growing up. But the comments did not stop. They followed her from classroom to hallway, from in person interactions to messages on her phone.

What hurt most was the unpredictability.

She never knew when it would happen or who would be involved. Some days it was a group. Other days it was just one person. Sometimes it came disguised as humor. Other times it arrived as silence, exclusion, or looks meant to remind her she did not belong.

Marisol began changing small things about herself.

She spoke less. She avoided certain spaces. She chose seats where she could blend in. She checked her phone with a tight feeling in her chest, unsure of what message might be waiting.

At home, she said she was fine.

She did not want to worry anyone. She did not want to seem weak. And part of her feared that talking about it would only make things worse. So she carried it alone, letting the words replay in her mind long after they were spoken.

The bullying did something subtle but powerful.

It made Marisol question herself.

She wondered if the comments were true. If she was too much. Or not enough. Or simply different in a way that made her an easy target. Slowly, confidence gave way to self doubt.

The turning point did not come with confrontation.

It came with exhaustion.

One evening, after another message appeared on her phone, Marisol felt tired in a way she had never felt before. Not just sad or angry, but deeply tired of carrying something that was hurting her.

She remembered hearing someone talk about how silence can protect the person doing harm, not the one being harmed.

That idea stayed with her.

The next day, Marisol spoke up.

Her voice shook as she described what had been happening. She did not exaggerate. She did not minimize it. She simply told the truth. Saying it out loud felt terrifying, but also relieving.

For the first time, she was not carrying it alone.

Support did not erase everything overnight. The situation did not magically disappear. But something important changed. Marisol felt seen. She felt believed.

That belief mattered.

Slowly, she began reclaiming pieces of herself. She spoke more freely. She stopped avoiding spaces that mattered to her. She reminded herself that the words used against her were reflections of someone else’s behavior, not her worth.

The bullying became a chapter, not the entire story.

Marisol learned that words can hurt deeply, but they do not get to define who you are. Speaking up did not make her weak.

It made her strong.

⸻

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever experienced bullying or witnessed it happening to someone else?

2. How did it make you feel, even if you did not talk about it?

3. What makes it hard to speak up when something hurts?

4. Who could you reach out to if you needed support?

5. How can you help create a safer environment for others?

Youth are encouraged to share their reflections by emailing MyStory@3JYouth.org