Breaking Caleb

This is my TAKS essay, but it felt good to get this off my chest, so i decided to share.


When things get rough in gym, people get hurt, maybe not in a physical sense but more in an emotional sense. Emotional wounds cut deep into humans for we are naturally social creatures. We enjoy the company others so much it is close to a necessity for our sanity. We yearn for acceptance and friendship. If that need is rejected by people around us we are left broken. This is not truer with anyone but Caleb.
Caleb was a boy I knew in my P.E. class in seventh grade. The poor kid got the short stick when it comes to the popular view of good looks. He had brown curly hair, wide circular eyes, teeth that poked out of his mouth even when it was closed. He was obese, had a bad back causing him to lean forward, and that gave him a sort of stomping waddle when he walked. That already gave the other guys plenty of opportunities to pick on him. They slipped quick insults at him as they left the locker room. They laughed when he messed up in games. Then he fell asleep in class and everyone had a field day. However, none of that compared to his fierce temper. For the first couple of weeks he blew off the harsh remarks and cruel giggles. But after a while, he started glaring at his attackers which only gave them more ammunition for torture. They would contort their faces and stare back in mockery. Then he started yelling. This only caused them to laugh even harder.
One day it came to a climax. We were playing soccer in the gym. Every time Caleb got the ball, someone would take it, giving his team mates an excuse to ridicule his lack of skill. Soon the other team began to mess with him. One boy would distract him while the other poked his back or head. Soon soccer turned into a game of “see how mad we can make Caleb”. Well, Caleb had had enough. He charged at his aggressors in blind rage. They easily evaded his feeble attempts, and laughed with glee at this new game. Caleb stopped and let out a scream of fury. It resembled the roar of a wounded beast mixed with the wail of a frightened child. There he stood, bawling, staring at the crowd of boys who could not stop laughing hysterically.
Those boys could not see past his outer appearance. They could not see that inside their play toy was a guy just like them, wanting desperately to be accepted. He just wanted to be treated like a human being. Instead, he was beaten down with every cruel word, every look of disgust, and every back that turned to not be included in the torture but was every bit a part of it because they were deaf to his cries for help, for mercy. I was one of them.
I have talked to several people that have seen Caleb since that year. They say no matter how hard they try, and no matter how nice they are; Caleb is mean to them. He shouts and complains to even the kindest words. He has been ruined and embittered by the people who did not accept him. When people seek friendship and acceptance for they are, to scorn them is to scar their soul. People do not have to be friends with everyone, but they must respect everyone. Because if I learned one thing during my time with Caleb it is this: hearts and toys have two things in common. Both were made to be loved and accepted, and both are quite easily broken.

I feel bad for what i did, and i only hope "Caleb" is happy where ever he is.

Have you ever experienced anything like this?