Dear Ms. Trifkin,

I have a question for you. I’m not sure if you remember, but there was a young boy named Tyler staying after on Wednesday, December 6 to make up some work while we had photography club. He had on a red sweater, and Anne threatened him several times before and after he left.

I just want you to pass my apology on to him. (Sorry if this doesn’t make sense; I have a headache (I’ve been crying and breathing through my sheets because I don’t want my parents to hear me) and it’s rather late.) Before we started sharing our pictures, I was standing by the desk with the plate of brownies, snacking a bit.

You were at your desk, thumbing through papers and talking to other kids who were making up assignments, so it’s okay if you don’t know about what I’m talking.

Anyway, I was eating a brownie as Tyler walked past me and slapped me on the stomach. (God, this is so humiliating and I’m starting to cry again.) I recall yelling (and this is something I’m not very proud of) “what the hell was that?” Perhaps it was my anger that spurred him to reply. He responded with “you want me to do it again?” I also remember saying “do you even know me? (He broke in, laughing, with a “yes” before I continued) “No!”

I’ll honestly admit that I don’t know if I said anything after that, I was rather shocked. What I do know, however, is that Mary stepped up to defend me (please tell her thank you) and Tyler basically told her to “mind your own business, just shut up and eat.”

That comment made me look down at the brownie I had been eating. Now, I know I’m not exactly skinny and shouldn’t be eating too many sweet, chocolatey things... but what he said to Mary made me wonder if that was why (Christ, I’m tearing up again...) he slapped me. Because he thought I was fat.

Maybe, that’s not right. I mean, I came to the general conclusion that had I not yelled at him, he might’ve forgotten what he had done mere seconds preceding it. Perhaps I had said something mean earlier, even before we were sitting down with our cameras and photos, and I offended him. Either way, please tell him I’m sorry and please tell Mary thank you for sticking up for me. It was very brave of her to do so.

This whole affair is rather silly, and I don’t know why I got so unsettled by it. I am, after all, a sophomore to his freshmen. It doesn’t make sense as to why he would do such a thing. Anyway, I’m sorry for throwing this at you from nowhere, especially with winter midterms coming up. Not to mention, you are moving into a new apartment, right? Congratulations on that, by the way.

Thank you, Ms. Trifkin and happy Christmas.

PS: I’d appreciate it if the counselors were not involved.