I have been where you are...
Krista,
I have SO been where you are. It has been many years ( I sometimes still get it and I’m *Cough*Muffle* 34), but I went through the same thing in school. I grew up in a really small town. I have always been "BIG" and I have always been a Tomboy, so I grew up with people always asking, "Is that a boy or girl?" I know it hurts. Here is how I dealt with it:
There was this one girl who was a year older, her favorite thing to do was walk behind me in the hall between classes with her friends, and make all those rude remarks, “Is that a boy, or girl? I can’t tell. Aren’t those LAST years’ clothes…” Then the giggle, snicker, from all her friends. This went on for quite a while. I had never done or said anything to this girl, or her friends. One day I had enough and as we were walking down the hall and she started in, I spun around on my heels and in front of all her friends, asked her point blank, “What have I ever done to you to make you dislike me? You don’t know me. If making fun of other people in front of your friends is what you ‘think’ makes you look cool then I feel really sad for you. I thought you were better than that.” To make a long story short the fact that I stood up to her in a polite way, and put her on the spot in front of her friends, made her look un-cool. Her friends were embarrassed and left her there by herself to answer my questions. She ended up being a good friend during high school. I didn’t have any problems with her after that.
Hang in there, Krista. When school is over and everyone is out in the real world it will all change... Those who were popular and thought to be the ones to succeed end up not, the ones who picked on everyone who wasn't in their group might end up being the ones picked on, the geeks might turn out to be the next Bill Gates, the stoners might end up being the next Grammy winner, etc… After high school, it won’t mean a thing. The playing field becomes level again. Be and do the best you can now and plan for the future knowing that what your classmates may think about you now will all change over the years. What matters most is what YOU think about you. We here at PetTalk think you are something pretty special! Hang in there, Kiddo… The Best is yet to come!
Katie (LOUD Louie & the Beans)