1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Hello, Happy birthday, birthday girl. Are you going out for 2 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: dinner tonight with Rick or anything? 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 2: What? 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,320 Speaker 3: It's not my birthday for another seven months? 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: You hang on a second, hang on, I'm. 6 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 4: Hanging I'm hanging out in traffic, so it's. 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 3: Perfect for you. 8 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: According to my calendar alert, it is your birthday, are. 9 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:26,479 Speaker 4: You Because I don't know how many times I'm gonna 10 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 4: say it's not my birthday, and how many times you're 11 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 4: going to repeat that it is my birthday. 12 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 5: This year you. 13 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 4: Didn't Actually, this year, you forgot to call me on 14 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 4: my birthday, not even an email nothing. 15 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, what about that time you got me an 16 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: ice cream cake for my birthday knowing I'm lactose sensitive. 17 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: Do you remember the man at the roller ring kept 18 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: on knocking on the bathroom door? 19 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: Oh good? 20 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 3: Are you kidding me? 21 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: From Gimblet Media, I'm Jonathan Goldstein and this is Heavyweight 22 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: today's episode. Julia. Julia is a journalist and she's endlessly 23 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: curious about the world around her. Once on assignment for 24 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 1: The New York Times, she investigated the benefits of bacteria, 25 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,919 Speaker 1: and as a part of her research, she didn't bathe 26 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: for a month. She's done political stories too, where she's 27 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: kept after a source or a story for years, which 28 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: is what makes her reluctance to seek out the answer 29 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: to a question that's been dogging her for over two 30 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: decades all the more curious. 31 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 4: I think the story begins on a Monday. I'm pretty 32 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 4: sure it's a Monday, and I was fourteen years old. 33 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: This is Julia, and the question she can't stop thinking 34 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: about revolves around a moment from her own life. It 35 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: all began twenty one years ago in the eighth grade 36 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: at one of the fanciest all girls schools in Montreal. 37 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 4: I remember wearing my itchy green kilt. 38 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: You have to wear a uniform there, yes, okay. 39 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 4: That's sort of a puke green uniform with a button 40 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 4: down white shirt, and on Mondays we had to wear ties. 41 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 6: We also had bloomers. 42 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: I don't think I ever understood what bloomers were. 43 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 4: It was just sort of like a balloon with holes 44 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 4: in the bottom. 45 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: And were they ruffled? No, cursed with a lifelong inability 46 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: to distinguish between bloomers, couloats, pantelats, pantaloons, drawers, and even knickerbockers. 47 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: I was glad for the opportunity to finally sort it 48 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: all out the shape of it, but that's not why 49 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: we're here. So after a fifteen minutes of inquiry, I 50 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: was ready to move on. Okay, sorry, yes, I'll go 51 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: go on. 52 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 4: As I left morning assembly on Monday and walked into homeroom, 53 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 4: I looked for my desk and I stopped and looked 54 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 4: around and it was missing. My desk was gone, and 55 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 4: that was where it started. 56 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: The desk had been hidden by her classmates, and that 57 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: was just the beginning. Without warning, the girl she'd been 58 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: friends with since third grade completely froze her out, and 59 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: Julia had no clue why. To top it off, her 60 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: best friend was the ringleader, the. 61 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 4: Girl who used to be my best friend. I guess 62 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 4: we can give her a name. Let's call her Jane. 63 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 4: It was just rae. Knowing that she and I had 64 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 4: hung out at my house and all of the secrets 65 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 4: music exchanged and all of the fun we'd had, and 66 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 4: then seeing how she was being now it just it 67 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 4: was a bit surreal. But yeah. 68 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: Then what started happening was every time she walked into 69 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,359 Speaker 1: the classroom, Julia noticed that the girls would drop what 70 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: they were doing and study her. If she so much 71 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: as scratched her nose or sniffled, they'd furiously take notes. 72 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 1: It seemed like everyone was collaborating on some big project 73 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: that she knew nothing about. The notes were collected by Jane, 74 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: who buried them in her desk. The girls kept at 75 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: it day after day until finally Julia reached her breaking point. 76 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: She gathered up her courage, and, like the good reporters 77 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: she'd eventually become, decided to investigate. 78 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 4: I eventually snuck into home room one day during recess. 79 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 4: It was empty, and I searched Jane's desk, and there 80 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 4: at the bottom I found a nicely bound document with 81 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 4: a cover page. And I picked it up and read it, 82 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 4: and it said one hundred reasons why we hate Julia. 83 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 4: In my memory, this document I'm holding is one hundred 84 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 4: pages long, but I'm sure it was only ten. And 85 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 4: I opened it and inside I read about myself. Everything 86 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 4: was something about me that they hated. I hate the 87 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 4: way she walks, I hate the sound of her voice, 88 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 4: I hate her face. 89 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: After that, Julia started skipping school. Eventually, she told her 90 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: parents what was going on, and they contacted the administration, 91 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: but the bullying continued. Ultimately, her parents decided that the 92 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: only solution was to send her to a new school, 93 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: but Julia still had a few weeks left at the 94 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: old one. 95 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 4: I became a double agent. I pretended that I was 96 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 4: coming back the following year, and I didn't tell anyone 97 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 4: I was changing schools because I had no friends left 98 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 4: to tell. 99 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: The school year ended and her new life began, But 100 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: because her new school was so close to the old one, 101 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: Julia lived in constant fear that her old life would 102 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: find her. Every day, she'd map her route to and 103 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 1: from school, carefully avoiding the streets her old friends lived on, 104 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: the coffee shops they hung out at, and for the 105 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: most part, it worked. For those first few weeks at 106 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 1: her new school, she managed to hide in plain sight. 107 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: She was starting to feel like things would be okay. 108 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: But then one day after school, Julia was upstairs in 109 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: the den doing homework and the doorbell rang. She went 110 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: to her parents' bedroom window and looked down at the 111 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: doorstep and saw standing there her former best friend Jane, 112 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: along with a few of her old classmates. 113 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 4: I hit the ground as if someone was shelling the 114 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 4: second floor windows. I was in a state of total panic, 115 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 4: and I saw them in my mind's eye, there on 116 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 4: the front steps, waiting for someone to answer the door, 117 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 4: and I was just on the ground, trying to breathe, 118 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 4: and they rang the doorbell again and I waited. 119 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: Eventually they left. And this is the moment that Julia 120 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: has fixated on for over twenty years. Why had the 121 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: girls shown up at her door? And what did they want? 122 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: Maybe they'd shown up to bully her, but maybe they'd 123 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: had a change of heart, realized how mean they'd been, 124 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: and were there to apologize. Whatever the case, Julia was 125 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: too scared to open the door and find out, and 126 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: that decision to not go downstairs and face the girls 127 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: who tormented her still haunts Julia. Even listening to her 128 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: talk about it all these years later, it still feels raw. 129 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 4: I'm thirty five now, and that day has become one 130 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 4: of my only regrets because the memory of my weakness 131 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 4: sometimes supersedes all of the strong things I've done since then, 132 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 4: and it makes me feel weak. 133 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: Even though you were you were just a child, I 134 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: was fourteen. 135 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 4: I think it's the memory of that fear still somewhere 136 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 4: in my physiology. It makes me fearful when I think 137 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 4: of it. I just wish I'd gone down there. I 138 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 4: wish I'd had the guts. 139 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: What do you think has stopped you up until now 140 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: from just posing the question, you know, like just finding 141 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: the girls and just asking them why they were there 142 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: that day. 143 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 4: I'm afraid to find out what I did to bring 144 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 4: on the bullying, because it's very possible that I was bad. 145 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 4: I think, deep down, I don't really know what was wrong. 146 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 4: I don't know what was wrong with me, and I 147 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 4: don't want to know what was wrong with me. 148 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,559 Speaker 1: I mean, it feels like you're being really hard on yourself, 149 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: or being hard on this little kid basically, you know, like, 150 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: do you look at photographs of yourself at that age 151 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: in try not too well? I think you'd be surprised 152 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: by like I mean, I have memories of being that 153 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 1: age where I thought like I was at weddings and 154 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:17,319 Speaker 1: I thought I was like flirting with adult women and 155 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 1: stuff like that. And I look at pictures of myself 156 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: and I look like a cabbage patched all. 157 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 2: You know. 158 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 4: I think I probably looked like the ten men because 159 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 4: I had a full set of braces, and then after 160 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,079 Speaker 4: I graduated from my braces, I immediately went to headgear 161 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,199 Speaker 4: neck gear combo. I don't know if you've ever had that. 162 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: But I've only seen them on TV sitcoms. 163 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 4: So combine that with my glasses, it was a sad 164 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 4: state of affairs. 165 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: As soon as she graduated high school, Julia left Montreal 166 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 1: for good. 167 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 4: Depending on how you know the outcome of that conversation, 168 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 4: I might have chosen not to leave Montreal. When I'm 169 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 4: in Montreal once a year, I avoid the neighborhood I 170 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 4: grew up in where all of this went down, for 171 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 4: the most part, and those girls are long gone. I mean, 172 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 4: we're all grown ass women now with careers and jobs 173 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 4: and kids. And here I am avoiding friends of friends 174 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 4: on Facebook because I don't want any of those girls 175 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:22,199 Speaker 4: to know what's going on with my life. 176 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: Do you feel like, had you answered the door and 177 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:28,559 Speaker 1: they had apologized to you, that that would have changed 178 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: your life in some way, that it would have changed 179 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:37,559 Speaker 1: your relationship with your past and the city and these friends. 180 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 4: I think it might have, but I'll never know what 181 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 4: they wanted to say to me because I didn't answer 182 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 4: the door. 183 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: It's scary to return to the moment you've spent your 184 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: whole life running from. So when I gently suggest that 185 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: you try to find out why they were at the 186 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,839 Speaker 1: door that day, Julius suggests that maybe the past to 187 00:11:59,080 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: just stay in the past. 188 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 4: You know, we move on with our lives. We you know, 189 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 4: we move on, and it's another thing to open up. 190 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 4: You know that Pandora's Box. 191 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: Again, Even the language that you're using about fear of 192 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: opening up that Pandora's box, it is so similar to 193 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 1: the language that you used in describing like fear of 194 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:23,959 Speaker 1: opening that door. 195 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 4: So what you're saying is I should really just finish 196 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:28,840 Speaker 4: the job. 197 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:56,680 Speaker 1: I think so after the break opening Pandora's Box, in 198 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: spite of her initial trepidation, once Juliet decided to find 199 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: out why the girls came to her door that day, 200 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,359 Speaker 1: she was all in. Watching her take it on was impressive. 201 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: Julia went back to Montreal and reached out to her 202 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 1: former best friend Jane, who agreed to meet with her 203 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: but said she didn't remember anything. And so, for the 204 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: first time since eighth grade, Julia returned to her former 205 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,960 Speaker 1: school to go through the yearbook and find the names 206 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 1: of her old classmates. And then she started searching. 207 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 4: I reached out to probably twelve girls from from my grade. Yeah, 208 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,839 Speaker 4: and in my worst moments, I imagine that none of 209 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:41,560 Speaker 4: them were going to write back, and it was sort 210 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 4: of going to feel like, you know, I was on 211 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 4: the outside of the group again, you know, and that 212 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 4: the social dynamics I remembered from the eighth grade were 213 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 4: still in play and all that. But then the responses 214 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 4: started to trickle in. 215 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 3: Hello, Hello, Hello, Yes, this is Julia. 216 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,479 Speaker 1: Julia logged hours and hours of interviews. 217 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 6: Cool and rang my doorbell. I thought you might have 218 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 6: been one of them. 219 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,320 Speaker 4: I don't think so. Do you remember anything about that? 220 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 5: Was I there? 221 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 2: No? Oh boy, I don't remember much about high school. 222 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 6: I remember one time you were hiding in a bathroom stall. 223 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 1: But just like Jane, not a single person said they 224 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: could remember showing up at her door that day. 225 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 5: Oh yeah, well, I honestly don't remember doing that. 226 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 4: I don't. 227 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: I don't, I don't. 228 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 6: I'm sorry, I don't. 229 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 5: I don't remember anything. 230 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 3: I just don't remember it, promised you. I have no 231 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 3: recollection of this. 232 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 4: I'm sorry. 233 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 2: Sorry. 234 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: Well, what each of them did remember was their own pain. 235 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: There'd been a lot of bullying that year, and no 236 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 1: one felt safe. Julia heard about one girl who had 237 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: found her desk filled with meticulously cut out images from 238 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: porn magazines. Another girl remembered someone spreading rumors that she 239 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: had aids. I hated that place, said one. It's all 240 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: a big fog of chaos, said another, A dark cloud 241 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: over the class. You never knew who you could trust. 242 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: We were awful, awful little girls. The more Julia heard 243 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: about it, it started to sound like a Stephen King novel, 244 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: and not one of those cutesy ones about clowns or 245 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: talking cars. In almost every conversation, one name kept coming 246 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: up as the person who had it the worst. Even 247 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: Julia acknowledged it. The name was Sarah Taba. Sarah had 248 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: the misfortune of being the only eighth grader who was 249 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: slightly overweight, and as such she was always kept at 250 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: a distance in high school. I was also someone who 251 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: existed on the margins, so I understand how oftentimes kids 252 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: like me, kids like Sarah Taba, become the eyes and 253 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: ears of the school, fidgety, uncomfortable witnesses, forced to watch 254 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: from the wings. I'm reminded of this all the time 255 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: with the friends I went to high school with who 256 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: were more popular than me. Remember the time Robert Ciolick 257 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: wore a three piece suit to school. I ask the 258 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: time Madame Rebert slammed the classroom door so hard the 259 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: clock fell off the wall, the day Sharon Wiener got 260 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: suspended for leaving the schoolyard during recess. Of course they 261 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: don't they were living their lives. But I was on 262 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: the sidelines taking it all in, remembering. 263 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 3: Hello, Hi, Sarah, Hi, it's been a really long time. 264 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 6: Yeah it yes, it has. 265 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 1: Having all these conversations made Julia think about Sarah and 266 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: what she might remember. But when she asked her if 267 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: she had any recollection about the day those girls showed 268 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: up at her door, Sarah couldn't remember anything. 269 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 3: The first thing I thought of when he said a 270 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 3: group of girls right in the doorbell, I immediately thought 271 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 3: it would be a bad experience, Like it wasn't people 272 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 3: coming looking for you to be like we miss you? 273 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 5: Where are you? 274 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 4: Yeah? 275 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 3: Grade eight was a bad year at that schirl. Either 276 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 3: you were being bullied and kicked on or you had 277 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 3: to turn around and become the bully. 278 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 6: Yeah, maybe there was something toxic, something dark. 279 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,959 Speaker 3: I think normal bullying. If there's such a thing as 280 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 3: normal bullying, you can identify the perpetrator and the victim 281 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 3: and the like. But it was just so pervasive. 282 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 4: Do you remember the day that you realize that I 283 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 4: was gone. 284 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 3: I don't, actually, no, I remember feeling like you were 285 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 3: just sad all the time. 286 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 4: Remember you being sad too? 287 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,120 Speaker 2: Yeah? 288 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 6: One thing I remember people would call you tubby taba. 289 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 3: Doesn't surprise me. Yeah, I remember a lot of stuff 290 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 3: like that. I can't help but think that our grades 291 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:18,120 Speaker 3: behavior had impacts on the staff. What do you mean, well, 292 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:23,719 Speaker 3: I actually I'm assuming you knew this, but maybe you didn't. 293 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 3: But miss McDonald killed herself the following year. 294 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. 295 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: Miss McDonald was Julia's favorite teacher and Sarah's too. Miss 296 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: McDonald had gone to the school as a student and 297 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: later returned to teach biology. She was the fun teacher 298 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: who wore frog ear rings. 299 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 4: You think that there was something to do with what 300 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:53,200 Speaker 4: was happening in the school that caused her to commit suicide. 301 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 3: I think it had a role in her depression. She 302 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 3: left right in the end of our grade eight year. 303 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 3: Because what I knew of her and with her school, 304 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 3: it was her passion. 305 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 5: She was an old girl. 306 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 3: She was there teaching. She wanted to instill this love 307 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 3: of animals and biology and all of us, and we 308 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 3: were a bunch of brats. I remember there being a 309 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:26,879 Speaker 3: lot of associations between that pig that she had on 310 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,199 Speaker 3: top of her TV and her a lot of comments 311 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 3: about her way. Yeah, had an impact. 312 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: Ms McDonald had been hospitalized over the summer, and when 313 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: she came back in the fall, she was no longer 314 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: the biology teacher, but a substitute. The last period of 315 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,399 Speaker 1: the last day she taught before she killed herself was 316 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: a class called Personal and Religious Education. The students considered 317 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 1: the class a joke. Sarah was there that day and. 318 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 3: The grade was just running around and doing everything they 319 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 3: weren't supposed to do in the classroom. She tried to 320 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:10,719 Speaker 3: get people to calm down and sit down and pay attention, 321 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 3: and like, I wasn't even trying to teach us anything. 322 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 3: I don't even know if there was any material to 323 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 3: cover that day. And then we showed up at school 324 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 3: Monday morning to find out that she killed herself one 325 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:30,360 Speaker 3: for the weekend. Oh my god. She was my. 326 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:32,439 Speaker 5: Role model. 327 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 3: She was the person who survived the school despite not 328 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 3: being the stereotypical prefect or perfect girl. She was just 329 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 3: this wonderful, round woman who rejuvenated life and as an 330 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:55,439 Speaker 3: overweight teenager. For me, that was like, okay, so you 331 00:20:55,520 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 3: don't have to be perfect to achieve anything. Was my 332 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,399 Speaker 3: role model who the next year killed herself and like 333 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 3: shattered all my dreams that you can go about living 334 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 3: your life the way you're living your life in this 335 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:16,959 Speaker 3: environment and succeed, which made me want to completely change 336 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 3: my body. The only way that I was going to 337 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 3: get through this school was to lose a bunch of 338 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 3: weight to gain the respect of these people that have 339 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 3: basically disliked me since I was eleven, and I did it. 340 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, I've been really over the years, I've wondered about you, 341 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 4: and then when I looked you up on Facebook, I 342 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 4: saw pictures of you and I clicked right by them. 343 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 4: I thought, oh, I have the wrong person. Yeah, because 344 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 4: you didn't look like yourself, right, So I mean you 345 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,440 Speaker 4: didn't you just stopped eating it sounds like. 346 00:21:54,880 --> 00:22:03,719 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, in tenth grade, tenth through eleventh grade, and 347 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 5: then basically destroyed myself in the process because it's an 348 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 5: illness that I've been battling for the last twenty years. 349 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 5: It's amazing what your childhood experiences can push you to 350 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 5: do so that I definitely remember because that's how I. 351 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,679 Speaker 3: Ended up in the situation. I am now I'm actually 352 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 3: talking to you from outside of a clinic for treating 353 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 3: eating disorders. 354 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 6: So I'm really sorry, Sarah. 355 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 3: It's not your fault. That's the. 356 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:52,879 Speaker 5: A sad reality of all of this. 357 00:22:53,320 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 7: It's like, yeah, please picture you know, my nerdy looking 358 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 7: fourteen year old self giving you a big hug. 359 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 3: Oh thanks. I actually do have so much to go 360 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 3: because we have to have lunch now, but it was 361 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 3: nice speaking cute and do keep in touch. 362 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 1: The conversation had left Julia feeling devastated. The scale of 363 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: her own pain had been altered in the face of Sarah's. 364 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 1: Later that night, I couldn't stop thinking about Julia and 365 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: Sarah's conversation, and as I turned it around in my head, 366 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,399 Speaker 1: a theory began to form. Mss McDonald had died around 367 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 1: the start of the school year. Wasn't it possible that 368 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: those girls had shown up at Julia's door to let 369 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: her know. Maybe they'd been worried about the way Julia 370 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 1: had just disappeared from their school and feared the worst. 371 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: Wasn't it possible the girls had meant good that day? 372 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,199 Speaker 1: That they came to the door, and if so, wouldn't 373 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: knowing that changed the way Julia felt about the past 374 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 1: twenty years and maybe even changed the way she saw herself. 375 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 1: So I took this last task upon myself. Hey is 376 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 1: this Christine, Hey Jennifer, this is I found up all 377 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 1: the people Julia had already spoken with, and I ran 378 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:38,400 Speaker 1: my theory by them. 379 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 3: To be honest, I would love to believe that's what 380 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 3: their intentions were. 381 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 7: I can't be sure about anything. 382 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 3: I can't say, yeah, sure, that's it, because I don't 383 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 3: have a memory of it. 384 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: Okay, well, thank you, bye, all. 385 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 5: Right, you have a great night. 386 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,440 Speaker 3: Okay, bye bye bye. 387 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, okay, take it easy. 388 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:11,359 Speaker 2: Hi, bye bye. 389 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: There was only one thing left for me to do. 390 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:20,439 Speaker 1: I just feel like I'm at a loss, Like this 391 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 1: whole thing started off as me encouraging you to give 392 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: it a try and that it might be helpful in 393 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 1: some way. And I don't feel like I brought you 394 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: any closer to knowing what happened at the door that day. 395 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 1: And I just if. 396 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 4: There's one of us who's disappointed, it certainly isn't me. 397 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,120 Speaker 4: I don't know whether I was emotionally equipped to open 398 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:50,439 Speaker 4: the door as a fourteen year old. But to me, 399 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 4: the important part is is that I opened the door. Now, 400 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 4: I couldn't have I couldn't have confronted that if I 401 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:11,879 Speaker 4: hadn't literally done what we decided we were going to do, 402 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 4: if I hadn't had these phone calls and asked these 403 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:26,880 Speaker 4: hard questions. And I've forgiven that little girl for being 404 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:29,959 Speaker 4: so frightened. I was so ashamed, I was so regretful, 405 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,959 Speaker 4: And I don't blame myself for being afraid. Then I 406 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 4: had every right to be. It wasn't rational. And so 407 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,199 Speaker 4: I think the biggest challenge for me and all of 408 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 4: this was to allow myself to slip back into that 409 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 4: fourteen year old girl's skin and say, look, you know, 410 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 4: I get it. 411 00:26:52,840 --> 00:27:00,360 Speaker 6: It's okay, you know, it's okay. 412 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 4: I'm proud of who I was. Then It's been a 413 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 4: long time since I could say that. 414 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: And you feel like that's happened like that, that's happened 415 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:15,440 Speaker 1: in this process. 416 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, I do. 417 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:20,159 Speaker 1: Well that makes me feel better. 418 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 6: Well, I'm happy to make you feel better, Jonathan. 419 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 4: I might. 420 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:34,400 Speaker 1: Ding dong, I'm ding dong. 421 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 4: Is this the part where I rewrite history and answer 422 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 4: the door? 423 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: That's right, ding dong, Okay, I'm answering the doorkay open 424 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: the door. What happened to you? 425 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 6: I change schools and you know why. 426 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 4: Now that the fern entures returning to its goodwill home, 427 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 4: now that the last month's rent is scheming with. 428 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: The damaged post, take this moment to dissolve. 429 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 4: If we meant it, if we. 430 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 2: Tied, were felt around for far too. 431 00:28:52,360 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 1: From things that accidentally talked. Heavyweight is hosted and produced 432 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 1: by me Jonathan Goldstein along with Chris Neary and Khalila Holt. 433 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: A senior producer is Wendy Dore, editing by Alex Bloomberg 434 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: and Jorge just special thanks to Emily Condon, Maya Goldberg, Safer, 435 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: Lena Chambers, Emily Kennedy, Laura Scott, and the Birthday Girl 436 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: Jackie Cohen. The show was mixed by Hailey Shaw, music 437 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: by Christine Fellows. Additional music credits for this episode can 438 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 1: be found on our website Gimbletmedia dot com slash Heavyweight. 439 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: Our theme song is by the Weaker Thans courtesy of 440 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: Epitaph Records, and our ad music is by Hailey Shaw. 441 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: Follow us on Twitter at Heavyweight. Next week's episode will 442 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: be our season finale in anticipation of season two. If 443 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: there's a moment from your past where everything changed, send 444 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: us an email to Heavyweight at gimletmedia dot com.