Molly trudged into school Thursday morning, shoes soggy from yet another night’s rain, and sighed. It was still too early for class, and the courtyard was crowded with groups of kids, hanging out in the few spaces dry enough to sit. She glanced around, and headed toward a corner. No one was going to come relieve her from her isolation this time, not after being kicked out of two groups in as many weeks.
Oh, well, at least she had schoolwork to keep her busy. With a sigh, she settled onto an abandoned bench and dug out her lit book.
“Hey, watcha reading?”
Molly looked up to see Ivy Haley plop into the seat beside her. “It’s okay if I sit here, isn’t it?” she said, but didn’t wait for a response before swinging her ratty bookbag up beside her.