Letters to the Editor
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I feel your pain
When I was in high school, a clique of girls I thought were at least semi-nice sent me a note saying basically that I was a huge loser. Were the things they said true? Yeah, but they said them with an astounding lack of tact. Today, I'm an adult. I have good friends, but if I live to be a hundred, I'll remember every word of that note.
Because of that unpleasant experience, I was shyer when I got to college. Something like that happens, and you start looking over your shoulder and double checking every time a new person is kind to you. It sucks, but it's a normal and unavoidable reaction.
Fortunately, when I was in high school, Facebook did not exist. I can't imagine how painful it would be to be bullied via the Internet. But there's a flip side: you can use it to find support and sympathy. Would that a forum like Salon was available when I was a high school freshman.
Time does heal wounds, but the scars usually remain in our psyches. But everyone has been betrayed at some point or another. You're hardly alone, although I'm sure it must feel that way.