So, I can't be touched.

I was in health class, and we were doing a group activity. In my group, there was a girl who had been teasing me the day before. I was weary of her, but decided to give her a second chance. I almost wish I hadn't.

Because we were in a group where we would have to work close to each other, I decided I needed to set an important boundary.

"So, before we start, I just need to say that the condition that causes me to walk with a cane also causes extreme touch sensitivity. So please, don't touch me, because it will cause me a lot of pain."

"But you're touching the cane," the girl said.

"Yes, but-" I started, but she interrupted me.

"You're touching the floor."

"Yes. Those are unavoidable, and I deal with the pain it causes me."

"What if a locker bumped into you?"

"If I bumped into a locker, that would be my fault, and I'd deal with the pain."

"No. What if the locker bumped into you."

"...Lockers can't move."

"But what if they could?" she said smugly.

At this point, I was at my wits end. Between her calling me a drug dealer the day before and now this, I was just done with this girl. Tears filled my eyes.

I started to disassociate, and I recognized the signs of an impending panic attack. The teacher moved me to a different group, and made a report about what the girl had said.

From then on, I tried to avoid the girl as much as possible, but I had four classes with her. She made me realize that I would never fit in, and that I was an outcast. A lot of people don't accept me, but in a weird way, she helped me to understand that. I'm okay with not fitting in, but it is hard sometimes.