A flood of memories greet me at Lengton Middle School’s rusted gates. It had been some years now, more than I could count on my fingers, but it hits all the same. The creaking sound of the gate swinging open takes me back to my first day of school here, when a big kid pushed me into the door, gifting me a sizable bruise on my right hip. I can still see the look on my moms face when I came home with it. She nearly pulled me out of school right then and there.

The reminiscent pain of the bruise lingers now, but I can’t help but chuckle. I was such a fragile little thing. The open hallways feel much bigger than they used to. I can hear the foot steps of eager students laughing and pushing through hoards of people to get to their class on time. Being tossed around like a rag doll wasn’t fun, but I kept my head down low and minded my business.

The obnoxious ring of the bell bleeds into my ears, causing me to flinch. ‘Lunch’ I mutter to myself. Muscle memory leads me to the cafeteria, with its beige walls and bleached tile floors. To this day I’ve never seen a more depressing sight. It looks all the same as it did before, with a few more chipped tables and unidentifiable stains. I try not to look towards the rooms exit, but I catch it out of the corner of my eye, and a memory fades over my conscious. I see myself on the last table near the exit, eating with my best friend Debby. She always told the funniest jokes, even when the slur of her braces made it difficult to understand them at times. Kevin Breiger walks over to our table, his confidence grabbing our attention immediately. I can’t hear their conversation over the lunch room chatter, but Debby walks away with Kevin, and I’m left utterly alone.

I feel a gross, slimy tension stirring in my chest that only starts to calm when I slam my car door shut. I grip my steering wheel tight causing the blood to drain from my knuckles. Kids don’t always mean to be cruel, but they seem to be the best at it. My only hope is that next week, as I watch my daughter take her first steps into Lengton Middle School, she will make it through those rusted gates free of harm.