THE REVELATION

Someone once told me that most bullies were victims of bullying. Well, this story is about Lexi, a girl who was bullied until high school. Lexi was always bullied because of how small her stature was and how quiet she was. She was someone who didn't like trouble and avoided it in every way she could. She lived with her mother, Rachel, who divorced her father when she was just four years old. Lexi's parents always had fights, and her mom decided that a divorce would be best for her daughter.

The divorce didn't have any effect on Lexi, though. She still saw her father regularly, and there were no fights again between her parents. Lexi's dad always gave her whatever she wanted, which was his own way of trying to make up for not being there permanently for her. Lexi saw her mom as the harsh parent and her dad as the sweet one.

When Lexi got to high school, she developed a love and passion for basketball. She probably would have loved it right from grade 2, but her then school had no facility. And so she turned from being tthe kid who was always being bullied by kids bigger and smaller than her to being the school's superstar. In Chevrol High, Lexi was the best when it came to basketball, but she had just one fault, and that was her sportsmanship - she played the game with a vengeance. Lexi took sports too seriously. Her mother got invited to the school many times to address the issue of fighting or beating someone up. Lexi had few friends, but when it came to sports, she knew no one—everyone was a stranger to her. She pushed herself too hard, making sure she was never bested in her game.

Lexi ran down the stairs for dinner, "Oh my god, finally. I thought I was going to die of hunger."

"Well, if you learned how to cook, maybe you would be able to make something for yourself," Rachel said as she put the last dish on the very wide dining table.

"Why do I need to know how to cook when I have a sweet mom like you?" Lexi said as she opened the enticing dish.

Rachel slapped the hand as her daughter made to scoop a spoonful of the Mac and cheese, "Do I really need to remind you every time to bless the food?"

"I don't know why you have to be so hard. Dad never tells me what to do or even lays his hand on me when I am over at his place," Lexi made a joke which Rachel never saw as funny.

"Well, you can go stay with him and your stepmom so I can have some peace for once," Rachel said with a furrowed brow and narrowed eyes upon a tense jaw

"That reminds me, did you let Dad know about my game for next week Wednesday? I would really love if he could be present," Lexi said with a mouthful.

"I haven't told him yet. It is okay because if he doesn't make it, I will be there."

"You don't get it, he promised me he will be there to watch me play and he'd also gift me a laptop if I win the game," Lexi said as she looked at her mother with fake sad eyes, pouting her lips.

"Okay fine, I will try my best to tell him."

"That is why I love you so much," Lexi said as she went over to her mom and hugged her.

The day of the game arrived. The game hadn't even started, and Lexi was already fuming up with anger. Her dad had promised her he would make it, but he totally forgot about it and didn't put it in his schedule.

The game started, and Lexi couldn't concentrate. Rachel was so sad as she watched Lexi play; she was not sad about Lexi losing the game but was rather emotionally down because her sweet little Lexi had changed to a total stranger. Rachel knew Lexi hadn't played in a while, but this time was different; Lexi cursed at everyone that got on her nerves.

Everything went haywire when Lexi's teammate didn't give Lexi the pass, and so Lexi got angry, walked straight up to her, and punched her in the face. The day was a whole disaster. Lexi was kicked off the team and suspended from school.

Rachel truly didn't know how to go about everything, so she called Lexi's dad over since he was the one who seemed to understand their daughter more. When he got there, it didn't get any better. It even became worse, and Lexi and her dad started having an argument.

After a long day of so many problems and disagreements, Lexi's dad and Rachel decided to withdraw all Lexi's privileges until she was ready to accept her mistakes and wrongs.

Rachel stormed up to Lexi's room to get her tab and any other thing she could take to punish Lexi, while Lexi and her dad were in the living room still going back and forth on human rights.

Rachel opened Lexi's bag to get her tab. "Oh my god," Rachel was shocked by what she found in the bag. Lexi had been using steroid tablets. Rachel sat on the bed for some minutes as it all dawned on her. This, the steroids, was probably why Lexi changed and had a series of mood swings. Rachel was more devastated than ever.

Lexi watched as her mum matched out of her bedroom, her face scrunched up with fury. She wondered what else she had done until her eyes caught sight of the item her mum was holding. Her steroids. At this point, she knew that she was toast.

"Mum!!!," she shrieked.

"Don't say a word, young lady," her mum cut back.

"Christ! Is that what I think it is??" her father questioned.

"You should be asking your daughter that question. So this has been it, right? Why, Lexi? Why?," her mum asked, as she walked in the direction of the kitchen, tears trickling down her face.

"D-dad, I can explain," Lexi, who was sobbing already said.

Her father put up his left hand in manner that said,"save it." He got up ever so slowly, cast a sorrowful look at his daughter and then walked away, in the direction of his bedroom.

For two days, there was total calm in their home. The weight of all what had transpired caught them in their throats. But both parents knew they couldn't stay that way forever. They had to do something to help their child.
When they had calmed a little, about two days afterwards, they took Lexi to a medical professional and signed her up for counseling.

Rachel, especially, wasn't sure where she went wrong but was ready to make things right.

Thanks for stopping by.
SOKA🖤