When I Needed A Friend


Sophomore year and the first semester of Junior year were hard for me. Besides the hard school work and overwhelming amount of homework, I was having serious social issues. Through all of my good days and bad days, there was always one teacher I could depend on.

I had Ms. Hodge as my teacher for my American Literature class sophomore year. To be honest, I was scared of her. When I met her for the first time, it was obvious she wouldn’t accept any foolishness on my part. She was very composed, and she stood with perfect posture. The way she spoke was intimidating in itself. It was obvious that she was incredibly smart. She held herself high and spoke as if she had rehearsed. She acted as a college professor. I was not excited for her class.

Throughout my sophomore year, I pushed her to see how much I could get away with. I was, after all, the class clown. I thought that a young woman teacher would have no tolerance for a girl like myself. But, I discovered that she had a great sense of humor.

When I said a smart aleck comment, she would banter right back with some playful teasing! I loved that class from that day on! I was excited to go to her class, unless, I didn’t do my homework.

The end of the year was when I hit my low socially. There were rumors and awful things said about me. I had never experienced that before, and I was unsure about what to do. I just let it happen. I didn’t tell Ms. Hodge what happened, but she definitely noticed that I was not my usual self. I was ready to leave. I drove home every day, crying as I sped. I waited for finals and wanted the year to be over.

My parents and I discussed transferring. I said no, thinking that over the summer people would forget the rumors about me. The week of our culminating tests was devastating. I sat waiting for my teacher to hand out the eight page Spanish final. I held back tears as I watched and heard some of the other girls talk about me right in front of the class. I took the final, not caring what grade I got, and I left the building without saying goodbye to anyone.

Summer passed, and I was happy for a while. I was sure everyone had forgotten about what people had said about me. The first day of school started, and I was excited. I walked in the building and without warning, my eyes started watering. The lockers, the faces, and the hallways brought unwanted memories to my mind. Everything I saw reminded me of sophomore year. People may have forgotten about my sophomore year, but I didn’t. I rushed into my fourth hour class to find Ms. Hodge sitting at her desk.

Electronic Media Arts immediately became my favorite class. I was the only junior among all Seniors. I was happy that I was with people who didn’t know what happened the year before. The best part was, when all the seniors went to their lunch, I had study hall. So, I just stayed in the classroom with Ms Hodge to do homework.

We had long talks in between her work and mine. I told her everything about my sophomore year. I spilled completely, who did it, what I thought of them, everything. She sat there and listened. And I needed that.

After a few months of school, another mean rumor was spread about me. From that day on, I wouldn’t go to lunch. This worried Ms. Hodge. She sometimes persuaded me to go, but I just wanted to be alone. I wouldn’t eat at all. I would just sit in the room doing homework. She knew what was going on, and she helped me through it all. If I didn’t bring a lunch, she would pull a fruit and nut health bar out of her desk for me to eat.

I confided in her often. I considered her a best friend. She was exactly what a friend should be. She always knew how I was feeling as soon as I walked in the classroom.

I was in the school play, and I would usually go without eating all day until I got home at seven. I told her about this, and she gave me her number just in case I needed food. She would go get me some if I needed it. I never used her number, but that meant a lot to me. I was so glad that I had someone at school to look out for me when I needed it most.

I am now at a new high school, and I am very happy. I have great new friends and I have never felt bad since I arrived. I know that when I graduate, it won’t be the rumors or the transfer I will remember most. It will be Ms. Hodge. Ms. Hodge is my role model, and I know that I am blessed to have a friend like her.