The Seat

Prologue

A pair of brown eyes looked into the classroom on the end of the hallway and pushed open the door, hugging a few books to her tiny chest as she walked inside. Several girls snickered at the sight of the petite brunette, but she kept her head high as she chose a seat inside the stuffy classroom, bursting with excitement.

Lillian placed a hand on each of the empty tables as more and more people laughed at her direction. She frowned at that, and she decided to pick the desk smack in the middle facing the screen and the very first row of the room, so she didn't have to see the other children laugh at her for being herself.

She set the books down on the table with a loud 'plank' sound, pulling her pencil case out of her hot pink backpack and placing it on her desk, arranging them to fit her writing posture.

Lillian sat with her back straight and smiled brightly when the teacher came in, heels click clacking on the carpet floor. She was the loudest when the entire class chanted, "Good Morning, Ms. Mcarthy."

A thin smile pulled at Ms. Mcarthy's lips when Lillian chirped, "Here!" excitedly, an arm shooting straight through the air as her name was called. She could hear a girl snickering, and Ms. Mcarthy didn't seem to care. Lillian pursed her lips disapprovingly but her smile didn't fade as she picked up a pen, ready to write.

——

Six hours later, Lillian stood by the metal gates of Janbush, her backpack hanging limply on her hunched back as she watched a bunch of older girls point to her and laugh. She looked down at her petite body and found nothing worth laughing about.

"What's so funny?" Lillian asked, walking up to the girls.

"Darling, we were laughing at the tree behind you." One of them fibbed.

"Sweetie, keep your long nose to yourself." Another one added.

"I'll tell the teacher that you are bullying me!" Lillian threatened angrily. 

"And what good would that do?" The last one sneered. 

"She's not worth our time, come on." The second one said, bumping Lillian on purpose as she passed the petite girl, the other two snickering and trotting after her. Lillian scowled.

So much for loving school.

——

Lillian trekked home feeling lonely, unimpressed at her first day of school had turned out to be. She'd had such high hopes of making friends and being known for being smart in a good way.

However, her day resulted in loneliness and being bullied for being smart. She unlocked the door to her house and entered, shoulders sagging as she dropped her backpack to the floor with a thump.

"How was school, sweetie?" Lucy asked as her daughter came into view.

"It was good," Lillian said, forcing a smile on her face. If there was one thing she hated more than the crushing weight of disappointment, it was talking about that experience with someone else.

"I'm glad it went well. Here, give me a hug." Lucy replied, a genuine smile plastered on her face as she opened her arms for a hug.

Lillian kept her smile on as she hugged her mother half-heartedly, almost sighing with relief as her mother let go of her. She wanted to be alone more than anything at that moment.

She pulled out her little notebook, the one she wrote in every day, and she tore it to bits, tiny pieces that she didn't even bother throwing those pieces in the little bin she had in her room.

How could this day have happened like this, and what could she do to improve it?