Chapter 1: The Hallway
The sound of a marker against skin is something that stays with you.
Sharp. Dry. Unforgiving.
I stood pressed against the lockers at Northwood High School, trying to make myself smaller, invisible. My body was still recovering from months of treatment. My head was bare where hair used to be.
All I wanted was to get through the day quietly.
That didn’t happen.
Tyler and his friends had already decided how the moment would go. Laughter echoed. Phones came out. Words were thrown around like they meant nothing.
I noticed an administrator nearby. He saw what was happening. He understood it.
And then he walked away.
That hurt more than anything else.