The next morning, Mrs. Bennett asked Amira to stay after English class.
"Your essay on Macbeth was exceptional," the teacher said when they were alone. "Your understanding of power dynamics and psychological manipulation is remarkably sophisticated."
Amira looked down, uncomfortable with praise. "Thank you."
Mrs. Bennett hesitated. "I also noticed what happened during your presentation yesterday. I should have intervened, and I apologize for that."
Looking up in surprise, Amira found genuine regret in the teacher's eyes. For a brief moment, she considered confiding in her, explaining the daily torment she endured. But then her grandfather's words echoed in her mind: Once the wolf shows its teeth, the sheep never see it the same way again.
"It's fine," she said quietly. "I'm used to it."
That evening, her grandfather found her staring out the kitchen window, lost in thought.
"Why do I have to keep hiding?" she asked suddenly.
William joined her at the table, his weathered face serious. "Your mother asked me the same question when she was your age. I told her what I'll tell you: there's power in being underestimated."
"It feels more like weakness," Amira countered.
"That's the illusion," he replied. "But remember, once you show them who you really are, there's no going back. If you fight back, be prepared for the consequences."
Amira held his gaze, something resolute forming in her expression. "Maybe I'm ready for those consequences."
The next day at school, whispers followed Amira through the halls. She caught Madison and Bridget watching her in the cafeteria, their heads bent together in conversation. Veronica was notably absent, which was unusual. In sixth period, a folded note passed across several desks reached Amira. She opened it cautiously to find an invitation:
Party at Veronica's this Saturday, 8:00 p.m. Everyone's invited, even you. Time to bury the hatchet.
Suspicion immediately flared in Amira's mind. After years of torment, this sudden olive branch made no sense. Still, a small part of her—the part that remembered having friends before her parents died—wanted to believe it could be genuine.
When the bell rang, Madison approached her in the hallway. "So, you coming Saturday?"