Chapter 22
inly couldn’t help but feel that Eugene’s approach was missing the print. If people judged her based on her appearance, it was their issue. She thought that instead of just making her feel better, Eugene should be teaching them to be more accepting
But as she was about to say something, she noticed Mandy beside her, wiping her eyes. Mandy was looking down, crying softly, her tears falling in big drops and her body shaking just a bit.
Following Quinlyn’s gaze, Eugene sighed and gently patted Mandy’s head. “Mandy went through some rough times last semester with this kind of stuff, but she made it through. Right, Mandy?”
Mandy sniffled and slowly nodded. “Yeah”
“Good girl.” Eugene smiled softly and reached out, his fingers lightly touching Mandy’s neck.
Her hair was tied in two neat braids, leaving her neck bare. Eugene’s hand lingered there for a moment, and Quinlyn watched, her brow furrowing in confusion
When they reached the classroom door, the bell hadn’t rung yet. Eugene told Mandy to go inside first, then turned to Quinlyn. “Let’s wait and go in when class starts,” he suggested gently.
“It’ll be a fun surprise for everyone. We can hang out in the office for a bit, and I’ll get you some candy,” he added.
Eugene’s voice was smooth and coaxing, but Quinlyn shook her head. She didn’t take candy from strangers–especially not after hearing stories of poisoned treats in the borderlands. She suspected this teacher had something similar in mind.
“Don’t be scared. Your brother asked me to keep an eye on you, remember?” Eugene said, giving her a reassuring smile.
Quinlyn hesitated, then nodded slowly. But as she began to follow Eugene, a kid at the classroom door shouted, “Quinlyn“”
In an instant, kids streamed out from the classroom, rushing to crowd around her.
Is that Quinlyn? The one who stopped the robber?” one kid asked.
“Yeah, she was like a superhero! Like Spider–Man, another kid replied
“No way, she was more like Batman,” a third kid chimed in.
The kids were all hyped up, their eyes wide with excitement, like they were waiting for her to do something amazing
Quinlyn spotted a few familiar faces from the mall and glanced up at Eugene. I know these kids. It won’t be much of a surprise now, will it?” she asked.
Eugene gave a forced smile. “You’ve got some pretty solid connections,” he said, trying to sound friendly. “In that case, why not spend more time with your classmates?”
Harriet strutted into the classroom, all dolled up and ready to turn heads. She was right on time, expecting to be the star of the show. But instead of gawking at her, everyone was crowded around Quinlyn’s desk, laughing and chattering away
et over here!” one of the kids called out “Quinlyn is so clueless. She’s never even seen Batman.”
“Harriet, get
“And she’s never played with Barbie dolls. That’s insane, another girl chimed in.
“Yeah, and I’ll bet she’s never collected trading cards, someone else added.
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Chapter 29
They all turned to Harriet, waiting for her to join in.
But Harriet rolled her eyes and slumped into her seat. “She’s from the sticks. Of course, she’s never heard of that stuff. Guess she’s been playing with sticks and mud her whole life. She’s so out of it. Can’t stand being near her
Usually, kids would make fun of someone from the backwaters, thinking they were unsophisticated. But today, they didn’t
bite.
Quinlyn might not have played with Batman, but she can save people just like he does one kid said
“Yeah, and not playing with Barbie dolls isn’t a big deal. Dolls can’t stop bullets,” another kid chimed in.
While both boys and girls rallied to defend Quinlyn, Harriet was left fuming. She slumped in her seat, too angry to move for the rest of the morning study period.
When the break finally came, Harriet got up to go to the bathroom. As she passed Mandy’s desk, she knocked her pencil case to the floor and stomped on it a few times before storming off.
Quinlyn sat in the back of the classroom, watching Mandy bunch over to gather the pens scattered across the floor.
The other kids, busy laughing and joking, ignored her completely; some even stepped on the pens as they walked by. Mandy just remained quiet, her face expressionless.
Quinlyn found Mandy’s reaction strange and didn’t move to help. She figured Mandy could handle picking up the pens
herself.
On her first day, Quinlyn quickly picked up the basics. She initially struggled with the first chapter, but soon found her rhythm and finished the book before class ended.
In one class, she noticed some familiar letters in the textbook and realized it was Mordorian–the same language from that “Triendly exchange” website she had accessed before.
Eager to communicate, she spent the whole class learning the alphabet and memorizing as many words as she could. By the end of the morning classes, her brain was fried and her stomach was rumbling.
Quinlyn’s deskmate was a chubby boy who had a secret stash of snacks in his desk. He’d sneak bites every now and then, always worried Quinlyn would ask him to share.
Quinlyn didn’t want to be a bother, so she stayed quiet–even though the smell of those chips just made her hungrier.
Suddenly, she felt a tap on her desk. Looking over, she saw a piece of chocolate. She glanced up to see Mandy, with her hair in two pigtails, quickly withdrawing her hand.
Quinlyn hesitated, then picked up the chocolate and took a bite. The rich, sweet taste filled her mouth, and her stomach finally calmed down.
Swinging her legs under the desk. Quinlyn found herself unexpectedly charmed by Mandy’s pigtails.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the morning classes. Kids burst out of the classroom in groups, chatting and laughing as they headed for the door,
“Hey. Quinlyn, let’s head to the cafeteria, a kid called, waving her over.
Quinlyn nodded and started packing up her stuff, but she noticed Mandy still sitting at her desk, staring blankly ahead
Quinlyn was about to ask if Mandy wanted to join them for lunch when a little boy grabbed her sleeve.
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Chapter 22
“Don’t think about hanging out with Mandy. She’s a freak,” the boy said, tugging at her arm. “Nobody likes her. She’s gonna go to the teacher’s office again.
Quinlyn looked at the boy, her expression puzzled. “Why call her a freak? What’s her problem?” Her eyes were so sincere that the boy was taken aback and couldn’t think of a good answer.
Just then, Harriet and a few girls walked over. Hearing the conversation, Harriet rolled her eyes. “She’s not a freak, but she’s definitely annoying. She’s always running to Mr. Lambert after school, begging for homework help and saying bad things
about us
Quinlyn couldn’t understand the sheer animosity her classmates had toward Mandy. She stared at Harriet, frowning. “Did you actually see it?” she asked, her voice steady.
“I…” Harriet shifted uncomfortably. She hadn’t seen a thing–she was just spreading rumors. Who cares?” she snapped. “We just hate anyone who hangs out with her. And if you go to the office, you’ll be just as annoying.
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