Girl Refuses to Go to Prom Due to Classmates’ Bullying until Teacher Brings Her a Box – Story of the Day
When Viviane entered high school, she encountered a big bully, Sandra, who discovered her family's money troubles. Since then, she was tormented every day, but she pushed through, waiting patiently to graduate. Prom was coming up and she wasn't planning on going until her teacher stepped in with something astonishing.
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Viviane used her long, brown hair to cover her face, her feet moving quickly through the high school halls. The last thing she wanted was another encounter with Sandra. Her time in this horrible place was about to end. She was waiting to hear about a scholarship to the University of South Florida and she would be leaving all the terrible memories behind.
However, over the past few weeks, Sandra had been relentless. Her perpetual bully seemed to want to torment her as much as possible before graduating, which was exhausting. She had no idea what that girl's problem was, but she harped on the fact that Viviane's family was struggling.
Sandra started to bully Vivianne when she saw her socks on the first day of freshman year. | Source: Pexels
During her first day as a freshman, Sandra noticed holes in Viviane's socks after gym class, and the bullying started. A few days later, it seemed Sandra discovered Viviane's mom was a house cleaner and her father was a mechanic, and she enlisted other kids to make fun of this fact.
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"This is the first day of my new life," she uttered silently.
Over the years, some kids stopped paying attention to Sandra and avoided Viviane. Even Sandra's posse seemed to have gotten tired of the bullying, Viviane could tell. But they followed her lead for some reason, and the poor girl suffered.
Fortunately, things were finally coming to an end. A few more weeks and this hell would end for Viviane. The sound of locker doors clashing, the cocky laughs of other girls, and the horrible bell clang haunted her even in her dreams. Viviane was looking forward to never having to walk those hallways ever again.
But nothing was quite as best as the nasal sound of Sandra calling her name. "Vivianeeeee!" she heard the irking noise right behind, and she cursed silently that she hadn't walked faster to English class. She tried to keep going, but Sandra grabbed her arm forcefully and turned her around.
Viviane was walking quickly to English class when she heard Sandra's whiny call. | Source: Pexels
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"I'm talking to you!" Sandra whined again and crossed her arms. Her posse surrounded Viviane so that she couldn't run. "So, are you going to prom? What are you going to wear? A garbage bag?"
The laughs around her were grating on her nerves, but Viviane didn't want to give them the satisfaction of an answer. She was not planning on going to prom. No one had asked her. She didn't have friends anyway, and she would never ask her parents for money for a dress that would be wasted on a horrible night.
"Why aren't you answering? Cat got your tongue? Wait, she probably had to sell her tongue on the black market to get some money," Sandra continued and laughed. The rest of the girls laughed along, although even Viviane could tell they didn't find that joke funny at all.
Viviane attempted to walk past them to get to her class, but Mrs. Gilligan came out. "Miss Evans, is there an issue?" Mrs. Gilligan asked Sandra.
"No, Mrs. Gilligan. We're just talking about plans for prom," Sandra answered with her fake smile that usually tricked all teachers. But Viviane knew that Mrs. Gilligan saw through that façade.
She went into the classroom and focused on the class. | Source: Pexels
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"Ok, then. Talk about that later. Time for class," Mrs. Gilligan scolded gently, and they all scrambled.
Viviane rushed into the classroom with her head still down and hoped to forget all about it quickly. Only a few days left, she thought to herself, sitting down and opening her books. The class passed rapidly, and she sprinted as soon as it ended, but Mrs. Gilligan stopped her.
"So, Viviane, what are your plans for prom?" she asked.
"Mrs. Gilligan, there's no way I'm going to that. I'm just happy that high school is almost over, and I'll get to leave this place," she answered, finally telling someone the truth.
"Are you sure? Prom is a beautiful rite of passage for young people. I wish you could enjoy yourself a little. I know things have been hard for you, especially with that piece of work, Sandra. But you have to rise above her," her teacher advised.
Viviane wanted to rush out of class quickly, but Mrs. Gilligan stopped her and asked about prom.| Source: Pexels
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"Don't worry, Mrs. Gilligan. And either way, my parents don't have the money for a dress right now. Things are tight now, and I have to consider more important expenses. But thank you for your concern. I'll see you tomorrow!" Viviane smiled at one of the only teachers who had encouraged her all these years and left her classroom.
Prom night came, and Viviane was spread out on her couch at home, reading a romance novel and dreaming of better days when her mother entered their home in a rush and asked, "Honey, aren't you getting ready for prom?"
She frowned at her mother, putting the book down. "What are you talking about, Mom? I don't even have a dress."
"Oh my. Why didn't you remind me or your dad to give you some money for it?"
"How could I do that, Mom? You guys are struggling, and anyway, I don't want to go to prom," Viviane replied, and her eyes went back to her book.
She could tell her mother felt awful about it, but she also knew about the bullying. She would understand that going to prom was not that important.
Her father got home a few minutes later, and they had dinner. But suddenly, the doorbell rang, which was odd because no one ever came to their house.
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Mrs. Gilligan was right outside carrying a boxed present. | Source: Pexels
Viviane went to answer it and was shocked to see her teacher. "Mrs. Gilligan! What are you doing here?" she asked and noticed her carrying a huge box with a red ribbon. Her mother approached, recognized the teacher, and invited her inside.
"Here you go, honey," Mrs. Gilligan said, passing the box to her. Viviane was confused, but her mother thanked the teacher.
"What is it?"
"Vivi, don't be rude. Say thank you and open it," her mother chided gently.
She removed the red ribbon and opened the lid only to discover a dark-gray gown. Her wide eyes went back to her teacher, but her mother spoke up before she could say anything.
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"Mrs. Gilligan, this is so generous! Honey, it's a prom dress! Quick, go try it on, and we can do your make-up quickly," she encouraged.
"You're welcome, Viviane. I have a friend who works at a boutique downtown. I had to estimate your measurements, but I think it will fit you," Mrs. Gilligan began, and she noticed that Viviane was going to interrupt. But the kind teacher held out her hand. "I know what you said, and I understand. But part of getting through high school is overcoming these bullies and living your best life. I know you're going to go to college and kill it over there. But you have to start today. You just have to be brave."
Viviane decided that this was the first day of the rest of her life. | Source: Pexels
Viviane was grinning despite her hesitation. Mrs. Gilligan was right. She had lived in fear of these bullies for years and was about to graduate with honors and excel at college. It was time to stop cowering in fear.
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She went up to her room and put on her dress. Mrs. Gilligan and her mother did her hair and make-up as quickly as possible, and the teacher took her to school as the prom was being held at the gym.
Viviane got out of the car and stood at the gym entrance with shaky hands and sweat running down her back. But she decided to take charge of her life right then.
"This is the first day of my new life," she uttered silently and pushed the door to join the prom in her beautiful dress.
What can we learn from this story?
- You have to rise above the bullies in your life. Unfortunately, you'll find bullies almost everywhere, even after high school. But you must be brave, rise above them, and live your best life.
- Some teachers go above and beyond their calling to help their students. Mrs. Gilligan decided to find a dress for Viviane and teach her that she couldn't let bullies control her life and decisions.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a mean girl who bullied the school janitor until she discovered who he was.
This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.
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