Everbody hates me, nobody loves me, might as well go eat worms.

The words of the childish rhyme echo through your mind and you choke, words bubbling up only to be swallowed back down again, and then again until you can almost feel them burning a hole in the pit of your stomach.

You feel nauseous, then, tears stinging at the edges of your eyes as you turn, the bear falling unnoticed from your hands as you run from the room. Your legs feel weak and shaky as you race up the stairs, feet slipping when the soft cotton of your socks slides on the smooth hardwood floor, and though you clutch at the railing as you go, you’re still frightened that you’ll fall.

You stumble into your room, shoving the door shut behind you as you fall to your knees beside your bed. You clutch at your blankets and your pillows, pulling them free before dragging them up and over you as you curl into a ball on the floor.

Love is a double-edged sword, and sometimes, if you’re not careful, it can tear you apart.