Tumbling Down

Growing up and still now, I have alot to live up to in my family. My brother graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and went on to Cal State Fullerton to major in business and finance all while working full time. I come from a family of 5 with a brother and a sister. I am the youngest. Obviously I'm not the smartest of the bunch but I was always teased by my family that I wasn't going to graduate. For a long time I didn't want to nor did I ever dream of attending college. Until my sister and her husband were thinking about moving to Washington and asked if I would move out there with them. I had told her not until after high school and she agreed.  She asked if I wanted to go to college and I told her no. She told me if I was going to live with her that I had to attend college and it got me thinking about what I want to do and where I want to go with my life. This was a brighter look at life for me. 
       The begining of my freshman year in high school I was living an ideal teenage life.  I had a loving family at home, I was on the cheer squad at school, and I had all the friends I needed. Of course there was a little drama here and there but nothing different from any teenage girl. I then experienced something no one should have to go through... I had a nude picture of me sent around school through text message. Many people recieved it including people from other schools in my city. My perfect little world I thought I was living in came tumbling down fast. I recieved phone calls from many people telling me about it. At one point a random girl called and told me, I said I was already aware and asked her nicely not to forward it to anyone.  She replied with "too late" and she hung up. I kept it from my parents as long as I could but I knew they would find out soon. I was terrified. I went to school everyday hoping people wouldn"t recognize me and hoping they wouldnt mention it. I stopped eating lunch out side because I was scared to be seen and I lost so many friends because they didn't want to be seen with me. My family did find out and as did my cheer squad, my coach, and the athletic director. I was extreamly embaressed of myself. I didnt want to be alive at that point but I still went to school everyday and heard people talking about me in the halls. Thanks to my best friend and my family I got through it.  I couldn't have done it without them.  Yes, they were disappointed at the stupid choice I had made but they were by my side the whole time. I learned from my mistake. Come to find out the worst part was I had known the girl who started it since I was 9 and I had a class with her during all this. I am still asked about it all the time and I do tell the story because I am not trying to hide it from anyone. It was a stupid choice I made that is now in the past.  If anyone doesnt want to be my friend because of it then i dont need them. 
     Today I am a strong confident girl on her way to graduating and planing to attend Citurs Community College then transfering either to an all arts school or Cal State Fullerton! <3  


Written By: Rebecca Madrigal, Age 16