Chapter 1: The Girl Stayed Small
In a small town, there lived a high school student named Mia—lovely, intelligent, anxious, and a little clumsy. She tried to stay invisible, walking through hallways with her head slightly lowered, hugging her books close to her chest as if they could shield her from the world. She mastered the art of shrinking herself—soft footsteps, quiet answers, careful smiles. But bullies had a way of finding her anyway. They noticed the tremble in her voice when she was called on. They noticed the way she flinched at sudden laughter. The things they said left marks deeper than bruises, scars that never showed but never faded. Words echoed longer than any shove ever could. Even when she lay in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, their voices replayed in her mind.
