"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. Jason, 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?"
Jason 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 Jason's antics. Alright, bring it on," I said, playing along. Cara and I exchange a look of amusement.
Jasons eyes landed on me, and he announced with a grin, "Madeline here would be on the cover of the book 'The chubby Fairy tale'. 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...
