TRUDY

"Trudy?"

Trudy slightly opened her bedroom door. "Yes, mom?"

"Breakfast is ready, sweetheart"

"Okay mom, I'll be right there"

Trudy's mother retired to the kitchen as she ran over to her closet to choose which cardigan she wanted to wear to school. It was 1979 and it was her 10th birthday. She was excited to see what her parents got her. She really wanted a pair of rollerskates and had been hinting towards this for quite some time. She chose a bright pink cardigan and walked over to her mirror with a big smile on her face, filled with excitement. As she looked into the mirror and put her cardigan on, her smile slowly faded. She looked herself up and down, covering her stomach with her hands, touching her face and grabbing her cheeks and double chin. She hated the way she looked. She hated the way her dad called her mean nicknames, and especially hated how much she got bullied at school for being overweight. She let out a big sigh.

"Happy 10th birthday to me, I guess" she said to herself as she stared in the mirror.

There was a light knock on her door, and she quickly turned around. It was her dad and he was clearly drunk already.

"Come on Trudy, the food is getting cold and I KNOW you're hungry, haha".

Trudy cringed and nodded. She wasn't hungry anymore, but she obliged and put on her shoes as her father walked back to the kitchen. As she was walking down the hallway, she heard her parents arguing. Again. What could they possibly be arguing about? She thought. Its 7 in the morning and they have already started. She got to the doorway of the kitchen and saw her dad throw a plate at her mother. She dodged it, and it smashed on the floor by her feet. Trudy noticed 6 beer cans on the table and they didnt even realize that she was watching them argue.

"I'm tired of your shit and all of your complaining!" Yelled Trudy's mother. "I love it when I'm at work because I don't have to look at you, listen to you or be in the same space as you."

"Fuck you, bitch." He mumbled more slurred words under his breath. "As a matter of fact, I bet you looooove going to work because you're probably fucking your boss you fucking whore".

Trudy ran back to her room, shut the door and got under the covers in her bed, covering her ears with her hands and crying as she heard their argument escalate. She just wanted to have a nice birthday breakfast with her parents before she went to school, but all she was hearing was glass shattering, plates smashing, yelling and screaming. After a few minutes, she was fed up. She got out of her bed and stormed out of her room to go confront her parents and tell them to stop, but her plans changed as she got to the kitchen and everything fell silent. She saw her mother getting up off the floor with a bloody nose and a black eye.

"Trudy, honey!" She panicked. "I hit my face on the cabinet, it's not as bad as it might look!" exclaimed her mother as she was trying to stop her nose from bleeding. She started to walk towards Trudy with her arms out to hug her, but her father interviened.

"Go clean yourself up. You're scaring the girl". He turned to Trudy and hugged her. "Listen, sweetheart, your mom, sh-she's a little clumsy you know. I'd never put my hands on her. You know that, right?"

Trudy reluctantly nodded and moved her head away from her father. Her nose wrinkled up in disgust as she smelled the beer on his breath.

Noticing that Trudy was upset and didn't believe him, he quickly stumbled over to a box that was beautifully gift-wrapped. "Here! We got you something you've been begging us for. We both worked real hard for it, so I hope you like it!".

Trudy unwrapped the box and it was the pair of pink glittery rollerskates that she wanted. However, she couldn't help but feel sad because of the mornings events. Still, she put a smile on her face. Her mother finished washing up and cleaning her face in the sink and turned around, smiling at Trudy. She knew her parents worked a lot of hours to get her the things she wanted. "Thanks mom, thanks dad". She walked over to them both and gave them a hug. "I have to go to school now. I can eat breakfast there".

"I'm sorry, honey" her mother said softly. Trudy loved her mother and how gentle she was and just didn't understand why her father was so mean to her. Maybe it was the alcohol? Maybe he's stressed? She would often think these things. But nonetheless, she put these thoughts in the back of her mind and left for school.

On her walk back home from school, she reminisced on the day. She had a great day at school, nobody bullied her and her math teacher got her a present. She smiled as she was walking home and couldn't wait to get back to tell her parents about her day.

"OW!!!" Trudy exclaimed as she rubbed the back of her head. She turned around and saw three of the most popular girls behind her, throwing rocks at her and calling her names. "Why did you do that?!"

"Haha, because we can and you're not gonna do anything about it" said one of the girls as she threw another rock at her. Her friends laughed and followed suit.

Trudy ran to get away from them and went around the back of her house to her swing set. She sat on the swing and started crying, wondering why everyone hated her. Thinking about how she never did anything to hurt anybody. She just wanted peace, love and happiness. As she was crying, she heard someone saying her name.

"Trudy?".

Trudy looked up and saw a girl who looked her age, slim with long brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. She looked concerned, but Trudy was confused because she had never seen this girl before. "Y-yes?" she asked as she wiped away her tears. "Who are you?"

"My name is Stephanie. I saw those girls throwing things at you. They are the worst. I just wanted to check on you."

"Thank you Stephanie, but how do you know my name? I don't know you and I've never seen you before".

Stephanie pointed at the vacant swing next to Trudy and Trudy nodded at her, letting her know that she can sit down. She walked over to the swing and started swinging. Stephanie looked over at Trudy and said "Do you wanna see who can swing higher?" Trudy smiled and started swinging with Stephanie. They were both swinging at exactly the same height. Trudy looked at Stephanie.

"After three, we jump!"

"OKAY!!!" Stephanie laughed and started focusing on the spot she was going to jump to.

"One...two....THREE!" screamed Trudy. They both jumped and fell on the ground, laughing and rolling around.

Laying on the grass on their backs, looking up at the sky, Trudy looked over at Stephanie and thanked her for cheering her up.

"It's my birthday and it has been the worst day ever."

"No way! It's my birthday, too. How old are you? Lets say it at the same time" exclaimed Stephanie.

"TEN!" they both yelled.

"Well, it looks like we both turned each others birthdays around" Said Stephanie.

"Yea" sighed Trudy. "I just wish I wasnt getting bullied so much."

Stephanie rolled over onto her stomach and looked Trudy in the eyes. "You know, we could make them disappear. The world would be a better place without bullies".

Trudy laughed. "Haha, yeaaaa if only". She looked at Stephanie and realized she wasnt smiling, laughing or joking around. "Wait, you cant be serious??"

"Why not? Fuck those bitches. And honestly, this is a poor area and you know the police don't come 'round here. LETS KILL EM!" She said maniacally, followed by a sinister laugh. Trudy looked at her out of the side of her eye. "Oh Trudy, I'm just joking hahaha".

"Oh! I thought you were serious"

Stephanie looked at Trudy and smiled. "Well, its a beautiful thought". She got up off the ground. "Well, I have to go but I'll see you around".

"Okay Stephanie". Trudy got up and wiped the grass and dirt off of her clothes. "See you later!". They both waved at each other as she walked towards her house.

"Wait! Trudy! Which window is yours? Like...which is your bedroom?"

"Oh, um, this one right here" she pointed to the back window on the right hand side. "Why?"

"If I cant sleep sometime I'll just knock on your window and we can go on adventures or something" Stephanie beamed.

"That sounds awesome! I'm definitely okay with that" Trudy smiled, waved goodbye to Stephanie and went into her house. She had to wait for her parents to get home from work, so she started doing homework and heated up the food her mother left for her in the fridge.

As she was eating, she couldn't help but think about the things Stephanie said and how she thought that she wasn't joking at all. Exhausted by the days events, she went into her bedroom and fell asleep waiting for her parents to get home.

Trudy woke up around 11 o'clock that night to a sound outside her window. It was Stephanie. Trudy opened her window "Oh my God, Stephanie its so late! What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't sleep. Lets go on an adventure like I said we should".

Trudy was tired, but she wanted a friend so badly. "Okay, let me grab a jacket". She put on a green jacket and climbed out her window, but once she got outside, she was stopped in her tracks. "Stephanie...what is she doing here? Did you set me up?". Trudy was so upset and angry, because Stephanie had brought one of the bullies, Tiffany, along. They didn't acknowledge each other, and the bully just looked at Trudy and rolled her eyes.

"Trudy, someone called my house and told me to meet them here and I KNOW it was you. Who else would it be??". Tiffany rolled her eyes again and called Trudy a weirdo.

Trudy looked at Stephanie, who was just smiling and motioned to the girls to follow her. They walked down to the creek together in silence. Stephanie whispered in Trudy's ear to get an apology from Tiffany and ask her why she bullies her.

"Tiffany..." said Trudy reluctantly.

"Yea?? This is weird, I think I'm gonna go home" Said Tiffany.

"No..wait. I um, I just wanted to bring you here to like, just ask you why you're so mean to me. What did I do to make you hate me so much?"

"Listen, Trudy. You didn't do anything, I am just angry all the time and you're an easy target because you don't do anything back." Tiffany went on to explain her home life and revealed some physical and sexual trauma she has endured at the hands of an uncle. They continued to walk along the river and talk, while Stephanie just followed behind. Tiffany and Trudy came to an understanding and all the empathy Trudy harbored started pouring out. She hugged Tiffany, finally understanding the anger. Hurt people hurt people, she thought. She hugged tiffany, but was upset to realize that she did not hug her back. She let her go and stepped back. Tiffany was just staring at her.

"Trudy..." Tiffany slowly fell into Trudy with blood coming out of her mouth. She fell to the ground and Stephanie stood over her with a knife.

"Getting stabbed in the back is so ironic" She said, and kicked her into the river. "I have to go home now. But you're welcome".

Trudy was in shock. "Stephanie! We made friends! She apologized, we talked. Why did you do that? Oh my God you are going to go to jail for life". She grabbed the knife from Stephanie and threw it in the river.

"Oh, that was smart" said stephanie, sarcastically. "Now your fingerprints are all over the knife, too. So if they find it, we are both screwed".

Trudy began to cry.

"Look its going to be okay. Nobody will know. Lets just go. You need to get rid of that jacket, though because it has blood on it".

Trudy saw the blood drops on her jacket and threw up.

Stephanie's tone softened. "Trudy, I'm sorry. I did this for you. You don't deserve any of the shit that girl put you through. And I bet she would have went to school on Monday and told everyone and laughed at you. Let's just go."

They walked back to Trudy's house in silence. Trudy hugged Stephanie and climbed back through her window. She laid in her bed and stared up at the ceiling, anxious and worried about what would come next.