Dawn's Story

I was twelve when I got the surprising news that my mum was moving to Mexico and I was supposed to go with her. I was scared and sad. Although my mum is Mexican, I have lived in England all my life, I only speak English and everyone I know and love is from England.

But my mum was getting homesick and wanted to move back for a bit, so I agreed to move with her.

When we arrived it was hard. We both cried for ages, missing everyone we knew back in England. Then she got a job as a teacher and was much happier now she was occupied with something new. Next it was my turn – I was enrolled at the same school where my mum was teaching.

New school

I was really nervous when I arrived and was so scared that everyone wasn't going to like me, but the minute I got there everyone swarmed around me, smiling, introducing themselves to me.

It was a private school and everyone there was super rich and I was instantly popular and liked. At my old school in England, I wasn't popular or noticed by anyone except my group of friends, so this was brilliant.

I started showing off to my friends in England when I phoned them, boasting at how much I was liked and adored by everyone.

I got a boyfriend, Cruz. He was gorgeous, the boy all the girls wanted, and I had managed to get him! I shared my first kiss with him and I really fell for him. Life couldn't get better...I was the girl that everyone envied and wanted to be, the Queen Bee. But then it all slowly went wrong...

Images posed by models. Some names have been changed.

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Where it all went wrong

One day, I came home and went on my MSN. I started talking to this boy who I never really liked, but because he was Cruz's friend I had decided to be nice to him. He started asking me really weird questions about 'what I have done with Cruz'. I got annoyed, blocked him, and talked to other people instead.

But then the next day I came in and Cruz was looking at me all funny and the girls started whispering when I walked past.

I didn't think much of it, but as the days went on everyone started ignoring me and suddenly all of Cruz's friends were being horrible to him.

I had no idea what was going on until I asked him why they were being mean. He sighed and told me, 'My friend told me in England you had no friends, so you used to sleep with people so people would think you're cool'.

I couldn’t believe it!

I was so angry and couldn't stop crying. I told people it wasn't true but they didn't believe me. I grew upset and weak, letting anyone say anything abusive to me.

Eventually, I decided to change.

Something I wasn't

I cut my hair, changed the way I dressed and changed my personality. I became mean and snappy. If someone was in my way, I would make sure they knew. Everyone started steering clear of me and although it wasn't great... it was better.

I was a whole new person. The girl everyone feared. But then to fit my new life I started making up wild lies about my life in England.

It quickly got totally out of hand - I said I had three boyfriends who were all models and lived in the biggest house in my town with many servants. I felt stupid, but I was starting to get popular again, so figured it was all worth it. That is, until the day Cruz talked to my English friend.

She told him the whole truth and he told everyone else. You can imagine how I was treated after that.

I phoned my dad and told him everything. He didn't get mad or disappointed, instead he talked to my mum and they agreed it was time for us to go back to England.

I left without saying goodbye. They didn't want me to. When I arrived back in England I felt instantly happier. I went back to my old self, except I now had increased confidence, and I was able to make new friends. Real friends.

My life is great now. I can't believe I ever lied like that. It wasn't worth it and I've realised now that you should never, ever change who you are for someone else. Ever.

More information:

Problems making friends? Read the Surgery's advice
Slink discusses making friends in a new country

Images posed by models. Some names have been changed.