Page 107 of Eleanor & Grey

I combed my hand through my hair and gave her a small smile. “You know, I was around your age when I lost my mother, too. So, I know how hard that can be.”

“Yeah? Did it leave you scarred up like a monster, too?” she asked before glancing my way and shaking her head. “Oh wait, nope. You’re still beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful, too, Karla, and trust me, this is not what I looked like in high school. My nickname was Brace Face.”

“Oh, wow, so I guess you and me are the same!” she exclaimed, her sarcasm loud and clear. “My scars are just like having braces. I can’t wait to grow out of this stage of my life. Oh wait…” She rolled her eyes extra hard.

“Watch where you’re going, freak,” someone muttered as they bumped into Karla, making her stumble backward.

“Hey, watch it!” I barked, though Karla seemed pretty unfazed by it all. Those kinds of things happened to her more often than not, even with me standing right there beside her. I couldn’t imagine the things they were brave enough to say to her when an adult wasn’t around.

“Just let it happen, Eleanor. Muggles are gonna do what muggles are gonna do,” she said matter-of-factly, keeping her head down.

I raised an eyebrow. “Did you just make a Harry Potter reference?”

“Yes, duh.”

“You’re a Harry Potter fan?”

“It’s only the holy grail in today’s world, Eleanor,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

“Um, hi, Hufflepuff here, reporting for duty. I’ll have you know I loved Harry Potter before you were even born. I used to have to wait years for the next book to come out. Years!”

“Congratulations, you’re old as dirt. And you would be a Hufflepuff,” she said with a slight tone to her voice.

Before I could reply, another person bumped into her, and when he turned to look back he said, “Sorry, Hunch,” then hurried off.

“What did he just say to you?”

“Nothing,” she huffed, tugging on the sleeves of her black hoodie. “It’s nothing.”

“It sounds like it’s something.”

She sighed and looked up to me, shrugging her shoulders. “Some people call me Hunch. You know, like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, because of my posture.”

“Okay, that’s where the line is being drawn. I’m going straight to the principal’s office to report this.”

“Don’t waste your breath. What are they gonna do? Kick out half of the student body because they’re making fun of the freak show?”

My heart shattered as she said those words, because she spoke them as if they were so absolutely true. “Karla, you are not a freak show.” She didn’t reply. “Do you hear these things from these people every day?”

She nodded slowly.

I couldn’t even imagine.

“Come on,” I said, grabbing her arm.

She cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

“We’re leaving.”

“What? I can’t. I have science.”

“Not today. Today we’re skipping class.”

“But…my dad…”

“I know, but I’ll deal with your father later. For now, you and I are leaving this building and having a mental health day.”

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