ra's

ntic. The cruel laughter, the whispers, the looks-it was all too much. My chest tightened with a sens

g in my ears and my breath, shallow and uneven. I stumbled to one of the stalls, slamming the door

of everyone just for an accident. And then, she had the nerve to demand twenty thousand d

eak I sounded, hated how I was letting them see me like this. But the

nd my meals. A hundred and seventy-four dollars a week-hardly enough to keep us going, let alone repay anyone. And I wasn't blind to the fact that, w

the consequences. Beaten. Locked up. I'd learned th

from the hunger gnawing at me-it was the constant, suffocating pressure of living a life where nothing ever seemed to be

ively curling in on myself. I froze, not sure whether I should even answer. Who else would be here? Anothe

she come back to fin

d helpless as I looked around for a way to escape. Could I c

wearier. I stayed quiet, hoping to god that they

It sounded like someone I know. "It's Caroline."

all her other friends? Will she show her true co

I didn't respond. "I know you'r

f all people? Was it because she saved me?

hat did I ge

ise you're safe. Just o

ning the lock and pushing the door open. I walked out hesitantly, half expecting the hit to come as

p at her i

that your lunch got ruined too, and you weren't a

hed hand, unsure if I was being pranked or not. She decided to tak

she said. "

atitude welling up inside me un

as ever gone out of their way to make sure I w

ow? W

f asking. "Why are you

o the side, confused. "Wha

well. "I mean... everyone hates me. No one has ev

und of footsteps approaching the bathroo

utside, even though I couldn't see that person. "

w that voice ev

ile as she said, "Well, I don't know what you're going through, but you should hang

what her cryptic message even meant. Everything was g

leb leaning against the doorjamb, his presenc

asn't sure what had just happened, but by the time I looked back at him once again, Caleb had already turn

ensity, his natural confidence. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, but at the same time, I felt a strange sense of relief. Caroline

as Caleb's hand on her waist as he steered her away from me, t