Cass Winfield froze the moment she stepped into the hallway. Her eyes locked onto the walls plastered with her face, bright as day and defaced in red marker. Charity Case. The words leapt out, mocking her. Her stomach lurched, a strange mix of disbelief and anger twisting together.
She blinked, trying to make sense of it. How had someone managed to cover every visible surface with her pictures overnight? Her locker, the bulletin board, even the glass near the cafeteria entrance everywhere, she was humiliated.
Shock hit first. Then heat spread to her cheeks, an almost painful warmth. Her pulse raced. And then, almost unexpectedly, a calm settled over her. She had been through worse. She had been laughed at, ridiculed, ignored but this time she wouldn’t crumble.
Cass inhaled slowly and st
