A Vote For Leadership

At my high school we had a election held every year for the student body, I was a Junior so I was finally allowed to run. There was this one group that was also running. That particular group bullied me since middle school, they were all the ‘popular’ kids. I am gay and I have been out since I was a kid, so I was a prime target. I started to fight to back when I got into Junior year, which garnered me as a leader to most of the other kids that were also being bullied. So, with some support I ran a campaign. The popular boys ran too and capitalised on the queer community within the school and they demonised us, saying that we would be forced to be straight under their government. There was no teachers stopping them from saying all these things, no one was on our side. Eventually they won the election. I had to last 2 years under these kids who were trying to make everyone like them, it was hell. The bullying got worse, and still no teachers intervened. There was another election held a year later, I ran again. And guess what, they won again so we all had endure another year of their torment. During senior year Jared’s (not his real name) little brother was a Freshmen, he must have kissed a boy or something cause he suddenly was being called gay and getting bullied. I think that was one of the things that made Jared start hanging out with us, I was never going to judge anyone but I was apprehensive at first. He turned out to be really nice. At the end of the year we became really close, then we graduated. We stay in touch as much as possible, he always gives me updates on the school that his brother still goes to. It turns out after all the ‘popular kids’ left, a new group of them sprung up, they still win the election every year, and Jared’s little brother runs against them as well. I just hope one day we will finally win.