Tomboy's Journal

I seriously feel so happy right now. I was depressed over the summer, frustrated that while other kids were outside with their friends having fun, I was here, in my house on the computer. Where I've been every day, since it's the only place I can talk to people comfortably. Then school started....

I thought it was just going to be a normal year, me not being able to talk at all and feeling scared to death. But I surprised myself by whispering to my brother on the first day! I was happy, and then every day it just got better. I was talking and laughing with my brother, who sits next to me. Then, last week, him and a boy in my class around his age were talking and making so much noise. I was getting so pissed, here I was trying to do my work and go home and they were really distracting me! The teacher told them countless times to be quiet, but they wouldn't listen. Finally, I saw my chance when the boy, Colt, said " I can't understand why..." I can't remember the rest. That's all I needed for a response though. I said "I can't understand why you two can't shut up!" Immediately, the whole class grew silent. I'd yelled it, and everyone heard. The teacher Donna came over yelling at Colt and immediately moved him away from me. I was so happy!! The whole class was so silent you'd probably hear a mouse running. I heard a girl nmed Abby behind me whisper to the girl next to her, "That was Ashley!!" Then a kid in the class way on the other side of the room said "Praise God!"

I'd been at this school for two years and never uttered a word, and now here I am yelling at people! After school that day the teacher came up and told me she was so proud of me. I was proud of myself. I've suffered with this for so long, wanting to talk but not being able to, and now I'm breaking out!

What made me really happy was when the teacher said "They never listen to me when I tell them to be quiet, but they sure listened to you!"