Partially, I realised that I was genderqueer - but more than this, I felt so angry at everything. I couldn't pay attention. Couldn't sit still. Kept getting in trouble at school. All the while somehow convincing my parents and friends that I was still this perfect kid. That everything was fine.

She would say I wish you weren't at this school, you have no friends, you are the worst kid in this school… Eventually, in term four, I told my teacher that she was doing it and as I was explaining it she didn't understand what I was saying.

I burst out in tears and my entire class stopped what they were doing and were looking at me. I felt so embarrassed.

After that I felt so much better. My teacher gave me a web address to use whenever I need to and that web address was Kids Helpline.

It gave me reasons to hate myself. I thought I was the reason why they divorced. I finished primary school and thought high school would be a blank slate, a fresh page or a new chapter. But in reality it was the catalyst to where I am now. I realised no one else was in charge of my happiness except for me. The catch… I'm bisexual and my mum has traditional views.

I thought that it was a bit weird and I tried to hide it by getting a girlfriend so that none of my friends thought that I was weird. My friends used to make jokes about gay people and I would just go along with them to not act weird.

One year when we were finally in the same class I saw her with two different girls - they were chatting and ignored me as I walked past. I was broken. We got to choose where we sat and she went with another girl. I sat next to the last girl left, Alice. Her best friend was sitting with another girl too. But I was cautious. I was expecting a fight, but it didn't happen. 

I found Kids Helpline through school and started reading other peoples’ stories. It makes me feel better knowing I'm not alone in this stress and depression rollercoaster.