阅读理解
In my class in middle school, there was
a girl who was considered the outcast of our class. No one actually knows how this
exclusion originated, but we all followed it for no reason at all. One day after
lunch, we girls sat on the track field, talking about little things that happened
in our little lives. Someone brought her up, and soon the topic transformed to mocking
the funny texture of her hair, the awkward way she walked and… I felt extremely
uncomfortable but kept silent, because I didn't want to be the one “supporting”
the common enemy. After all, it's just a mild ranting session among a trusted group
of friends, why should I bring unnecessary tension?
Suddenly, one of my friends pointed her finger
towards somewhere behind me. All of us turned around and saw that exact girl, hand
still in the air, with a twisted look on her face. She lowered her hand in slow
motion, blinked really hard for a few seconds, then turned around and ran off. For
a second I wanted to stand up and chase her down to tell her that no one meant what
they said, and that she is an amazing person being who she is. But my legs felt
so heavy: I didn't want to make a fool out of myself—why bother taking care of the
class clown（小丑）? People would think that I was crazy as well!
No one spoke a word for a long time; we were
all so caught up in our thoughts. I tried opening my mouth but couldn't—no words
were coming out. Then one person started talking about the weather, and all of us
were more than glad to follow this flow.
A few weeks later, the teacher told us that
a classmate dropped out of school—it was that girl. Her parents told the school
that it was the peer pressure that made her want to leave. The teacher wanted to
know who the bully was. Again, no one spoke a word. Perhaps it was exactly this
cold, hard silence that drove her away. I certainly did not raise my hand—I had
never even said anything bad about her; it was my friends who loved to make fun
of her awkwardness every day.
Surely, I didn't bully her physically or with
my language, but I kept silent when others did. By failing to stand up for her and
offering her support, I was giving tacit（心照不宣的）agreement. This agreement made others think that it was okay to mistreat
her, because “no one cares anyways”. Perhaps I did realize I was bullying her—but
by convincing myself that I had nothing to do with her leaving, I wouldn't have
to bear the burden of heavy shame on my shoulders.
Real life is not like a Hollywood movie, and
the protagonists don't always have the courage to compensate for our mistakes.
In that classroom, my feet were glued to the ground once again, thinking of all
the possibilities that could embarrass me in front of the whole class. What if she
doesn't appreciate my effort and just walk off? What if she misunderstands my actions
as sympathy and gets upset? Worst of all, what if my own group mates disapprove
of my decision? Am I really willing to risk my friendship just to help out one girl
that I've seldom spoken to?
To be honest, I still don't have answers to
these questions. I don't know if the answers to those questions even exist. However,
what I do know is that nothing will change if I keep thinking and never take actions.
Talking to someone in need of support would mean the world to them, while it takes
little to none effort for me. So what if those actions are under appreciated? At
least I will be satisfied knowing that I did the right thing.
