Mia

Benjamin Kelly was the bane of my existence.

His teasing was relentless, always making sure to point out each and every one of my insecurities whenever I was around him. And because I was best friends with his sister Tessa, I was around him all the time.

"You have food stuck in your braces. That's so disgusting. Maybe you should just stop eating since you're so fat anyway."

"Gross. What is that on your face? It looks like a second head."

"God, can you even see anything out of those glasses, nerd? How many times are you going to run into things?"

"Mia Corelli is the ugliest girl I've ever seen. Oh sorry, Mia. I didn't see you sitting right next to me."

I hated him with a fury. I was convinced that his sole purpose in life was to break me down to nothing.

And he succeeded on more than one occasion.

I never cried in front of him, though. I never gave him that satisfaction. I just stood there and took it, saving my tears for when I was alone.

Tessa was always standing up for me, throwing every insult she could think of at him. And I was grateful for that, because I didn't have it in me to give him what he deserved.

My bank of comebacks were pathetic compared to Tessa's. So I'd just sit back and let her handle it.

"You're just jealous that Mia's teeth are going to be straighter than yours, loser. Why don't you go get that giant gap fixed before someone kicks a field goal through it?"

"What's that on your face, Ben? God, it's hideous. Oh, never mind. There's nothing on your face. That's just how you look."

"At least Mia isn't stupid like you, Ben. If you make it out of eighth grade, it'll be a miracle."

"Ben Kelly has the smallest penis in the world. He has to hold it with a pair of tweezers when he pees."

Her comebacks would shut him up temporarily, but when he found his voice again, it was frequently used to take a shot at me.

I was his sister's nerdy, awkward best friend who became his favorite punching bag for five grueling years. I grew some thick skin and became used to the torment, but my insecurities were always there. He'd never let me forget about them.

He was the spawn of Satan, the biggest jerk on the planet, and I'd hate him for the rest of my life.

Benjamin Kelly was the worst thing to come out of Alabama. And if I never saw him again, that would be fine by me.