Grade 8,

People hated me. I'm too loud, too frank, too odd with my Vietnamese accent. I made snarky, weird remarks, with my nose stuck up in the air. I used bangs that covered my big glasses. They hated me for uprooting the whole class with my stubborn challenge attitude and outbursts.

Grade 9,

People like me. A hard-worker, timid, always smiling and laughing and be positive. Always rushing, scuttling to give others a hand. Always be there when they need me.

Grade 10,

People hate me. Hate my arrogant, attention-seeking nature. Hate my complain-filled days. Hate my depression and anxieties, hate my tiring bossiness. Hate my aloofness.

Grade 11,

People like me again. People like me because I radiant maturity, because I'm there and right things again, because I'm together with them through the storms, because I share a mockery attitude to the Student Council and the teachers.

Tell me to be myself and hate me for being so?

Isn't society the greatest liar?