Songie/Fae, Man, that infuriates me. I am sorry you are going through that.
My first thought as I read that was to post exactly what cyesis did. People test you. They go for easy pickings. Of course we know it is their own insecurities that causes them to be so mean, and ugly, and nasty. Creeps.
Then I thought back when that happened to my sibling constantly. Way back in grade school. Once they found out it was my brother they backed off, but it boggled my mind why he would not fight back. Because he was highly intelligent is the reason he got called names like ******, and queer, and flamer. Who the heck even knows what flamer means in grade school?
Those creeps want to throw you off balance. They want to see you break down. Heck, my brother is not gay, but because he chose to study instead of sneaking ciggie's he got labeled.
If I heard through the grapevine someone pestered him, and called him names I was right on that. I always wound up fistfighting boys. Meanwhile he would tell me that was not how a proper lady behaves. He predicted ten years out of school he's BE SOMEBODY, and the cretins would end up lower middle class with a blow up pool on their front lawn and five kids.
Hey, he was right, but no way was anyone calling my brother names. I was blessed in that I had a good personality, and was popular. BIG WHOOP. LOL
That got me real far. LOL It did however stop people in their tracks as they prepared to tease him. Only because he was my sibling.
People want to see how much heart you have. Maybe not conciously, but if you allow someone to hit you with a ball, and then yell those words they figure you'll take it. Then of course word will travel, and all the other knit-wits follow.
Definately tell someone. Tell an adult. It's my experience that a Principal will brush it under the rug. Now that is only my experience though. Maybe yours will take action. That was assault. You could go to the cops and report it. Bullies are more apt to straighten out if the police are involved.
I am so, so sorry that happened to you. Actually this is the THIRD time I heard of this in the past few days. I'll look for the link someone sent me. It is a plea from a mom whose daughter is a lesbian. I had tears in my eyes.
Otherwise now my honest opinion is to wait for the creep off school grounds and bum rush him. Kick his butt. You may lose the fight, or you may actually whoop the dude. Either way he'll leave you alone for now on. People say violence begets violence. Well, maybe but get hit hard like that on purpose with a ball and then have a creep yell he hit "THE LESBIAN" I think would be remedied by cold cocking him. Best to do it when he don't know it's coming.
Good luck, sweetie and again I am sorry. Man, it is 2006. Y'ad think people wouldn't be harrassing you for your sexual orientation. Then again there's a ton of idiots out there.