"Madeline, can you come up and share your summary of the book?" Mrs. Lewis's voice pulled me out of my daydream, I snapped back to attention, smiling confidently at the rest of the class as I walked to the front of the room.
It was just another day in the school library, which was also our classroom for the week. I sat with Clara, my best friend, flipping through the pages of a new book, already mentally preparing for the presentation.
Suddenly a group of boys from our class- who have been goofing off in the back- moved closer, their laughter growing louder. Jaden, the ringleader, threw me a grin. "Hey Madeline, how about we do a little game?" He called out.
I raised an eyebrow, amused. "Sure, what's up?"
Jaden smirked and gestured at me. "Let's compare everyone to book covers. You know, which book cover each of us would be."
I chuckled, used to Jaden's antics. Alright, bring it on," I said, playing along. Clara and I exchange a look of amusement.
Jadens eyes landed on me, and he announced with a grin, "Madeline here would be on the cover of the book 'The chubby Fairy'. You know, the one with the girl who loves to eat."
The room erupted in laughter and I couldn't help but join in, shrugging off the comment with a smile. "Yeah, yeah, very funny ," I said making a show of pretending to be offended. "I guess I'll just have to eat all the criticism too."
That day, though I laughed it off, a seed of doubt was planted. The comment lingered in the back of my mind, nudging me in ways I hadn't expected. It was the start of a shift, where I began to question how I saw myself and how i fit into the world around me.
YOU ARE READING
New beginnings
Teen FictionMadeline Hayes is the girl everyone admires-confident, driven, and seemingly unshakable. But beneath the polished exterior, she hides struggles no one ever sees. When Ryker Fords, the school's golden boy agrees to accompany Madeline, to a wedding a...
