That afternoon, the call came. Diane had disrupted Mrs. Connors’ class again—this time refusing to read aloud when singled out. “She mocks authority,” she said, her tone laced with disdain. Carol apologized quickly, biting back the anger that rose. She knew her voice too well: the bully’s cadence.
When Diane returned home, she was seething. “She doesn’t even try to hide it,” she snapped. “She wanted me embarrassed. She wanted everyone to be laughing at me.” Carol pressed her lips together, listening without interruption. She thought of her own schooldays, when laughter had cut just as deeply as words.