BEACON

o was brimming with anger. I was spared physical punishment, but only just. How could this have transpired? I hadn't even been in proximity when the incident unfolded. I had fled long before they'd

evening, I'd return home, tears my only solace. At school, I'd make attempts to bridge the gap, but my efforts fell on deaf ears. It seemed everyone had made up their minds about me, and their judgment formed a barrier no words could penetrate. The days stretched on, aching with the weight of their silent rejection. But then, something shifted. Slowly, tentatively, we began to talk again. The ice began to thaw, and I could sense a change in the air. 'Oh wow, a thorn in their side,' I thought to myself, gazing at the other girls. Their faces held a mix of discomfort and resignation. At that moment, the