MAYA
After the cafeteria mess, I tried to stay low. Someone filmed me fighting back, and the clip spread fast on our group chats. I felt bad inside.
I only wanted the bullying to stop. I didn’t mean to turn into them.
I kept my head down in the halls, avoided eyes, and spoke only when needed. The whispers followed me, but I ignored them. When the last bell rang, I ran out of school. Some kids shouted, offering rides, but I kept walking fast. Being noticed felt strange and scary. I was used to being invisible, not the center of talk.
My head was full of the day. What is happening to me? But I had no time to think deeply. My shift at Coffee Nook waited, and I needed the calm it gave me.
The small coffee shop sat on a quiet street in our little village. I called it a village because mo
