Class Party

I didn't take French class, but I used to talk to the French teacher at my school because we both were French. When couple of kids told me that the teacher invited me to a French class party before winter break, I followed them to the classroom and began grabbing food from the buffet.

I went up to thank the teacher for inviting me to the party, but she just gave me one of the dirtiest looks ever and said, "Take your plate and leave the classroom."
 
It turns out she never invited me, and that a bunch of kids decided to pull a prank on me. I never talked to the teacher again.

And that's what stuck with me, even 12 years later.
 

Dunce Voice

I was never the best at math, and I didn't quite have a loving home environment (I still don't). 

On day, I brought home an "F" from math class. I already felt low about it; who feels good about failing? My parents (predictably) got upset, but what really stuck with me was my father mocking me. He followed me around the house, into my room, saying in a "dunce" voice, "Duuuuhhh. I'm (my name), I'm smart enough to get Fs. Duuuuuuuuhhh." 

I had already been in tears, but that pushed me over. 

Sadly, that wasn't the first time that my father verbally abused me, and it still happens to this day. But that time really stuck, and it still pierces my heart.
 

"You definitely look sick."

A few years ago I developed a crush on this guy in my acting class. I never cared about how I looked in class before the crush, but one day I decided to wear makeup and dress up a little. It was early summer, and I guess the foundation shade I'd had all year was now a little lighter than my newly tanned skin tone. 

I got to class with my makeup on and I mentioned that I was feeling tired that day. My crush looked at my face and said, "Yeah, you definitely look sick. You're paler than usual."

He absolutely wasn't trying to be mean. It just made me sad.

"You're not dainty enough."

I was preparing to do a skit with some friends, and when I told them which part I wanted to play, the girl who I looked up to the most said, "You can't, because you're not dainty enough." 

She didn't mean for it to sound mean, but her comment has stuck with me, and I can barely eat more than a sandwich anymore.

"It's such a funny image..."

In seventh grade, my four best friends and I were decorating my friend's Christmas tree. At one point we were all keeling on the couch, leaning against the back of it, looking at the tree, while my friend decorated it. 

Then she switched her glance from the tree to us, and laughed and said to me, "It's such a funny image to see everyone with normal butts, and then you with absolutely no butt!"

Everyone laughed, and I did too, but I felt mortified and horrible. I wasn't even aware at that point that I had no butt, or that having no butt was such a funny sight. 

After her comment, I ordered padded underwear off the internet. Now as an adult, I no longer wear the padded underwear, but I am still very much aware of my butt at all times.

"You could do so much better!"

I was sitting in my math class in front of my boyfriend when his friend asked if we were dating. 

My boyfriend said yes, and his friend told him, "You could do so much better!"

I was right there. 
 

Fat Cat

One time in third grade, a girl spat gum on me at recess and said, "No boy will ever like you because you look like a fat cat!"

This has never left me, and I have never liked cats since.
 

"You ain't worth a quarter."

My dad and I get into arguments all the time. He'll get mad at the littlest things and explode. 

His favorite sayings are, "You're worthless" and "You ain't worth a quarter."

Sometimes I start to believe him.
 

"Fat girls don't get boyfriends."

When I was in middle school, my mom told me that I was "a fat girl" and that "fat girls don't have friends, and they certainly don't get boyfriends." 

Small 12 year old me truly took her words to heart and developed a severe case of anorexia due to what she said. I'm now 23, and I have been battling the eating disorder ever since. I also have an intense fear of gaining weight and suffer from extreme depression if I do gain any weight. 
 

"You'll be a starving artist all your life."

I am very insecure about my art.

My mom has always encouraged me to do my best, and I know she would support me no matter what. My dad, on the other hand, is a "realist." 

"Your art style is too anime." 

"You have to draw more realistically." 

"No one would want to buy something like that." 

"You'll be a starving artist all your life." 

I just want to be me. Why did you have to put me down?