“This doesn’t make any sense. Where’s the money going? No diamond start.” “Hi, Eva.” “Was that your friend? I thought she was.”
“What’s the matter, Box Boy? Still got no friends? Better get used to it, loser, because you won’t be making any at this school. If we’ve got anything to say about it.” “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s okay, Kev. We just need to be strong, just like our plushies.” “You two all right?” “Yeah. Just a rough start to the day is all.” “Okay, well. Remember, honey, if you feel overwhelmed, I’m right here in the building.”
“What’s that boy carrying? That’s not allowed in school.” “But it’s Foxy.” “It’s banned is what it is.” “I’m sorry, but I don’t recall anything about that in the rule book.” “You want to know what’s in the rule book? Whatever is in my head, ’cause I’m the one in charge, remember?”
“Your fluffy little monstrosity is a distraction to you and your classmates. Get it out of here.” “What? Mom, do something.” “Come on, sir. Don’t take it away from him. He needs it. My son has crippling anxiety.” “Well, he better learn to shake it off. Society’s not going to coddle him forever. So tell him to ditch the doll or else.”
“I’m sorry, honey, but you’ll have to put Boxy in your locker.” “But—” “You heard the principal. There’s nothing we can do.” “Vice Principal Hughes, come on. We got a staff meeting.” “Be strong, honey.”
“It’s about time that stupid plushy got banned. He went easy on you. He should have got detention for being so cringe.” “Everything’s going to be okay, Kev. I promise.”
“You going my way?” “Oh. Yeah. I was hoping I could walk you to first period.” “Oh. Are you sure? I don’t want to make Macy mad considering she’s your girlfriend and all.” “We’re not dating. She just goes around telling everybody that we are.”
“Oh. Head cheerleader wants to be your girlfriend or guy.” “We go?” “Yeah.”
“What’s the matter? Lost your derpy little friends?” “Hayley. Can I see you up front?” “Coming, Ms. Carter.” “That’s—that’s she deserves being so mean.”
“I love LankyBox, too. I keep my plushies at home. But I’m glad I found another fan here at school.” “I’m glad, too. And I’m sorry I ignored you earlier. Macy and Haley were watching, and I overheard them saying whoever’s nice to you and your sister is going to get in big trouble with their dad. It’s messed up.”
“Well, I don’t want you to get in trouble.” “Don’t worry. We can still be friends. We just got to be careful.”
“There is something going on here.” “What are you doing? Didn’t I specifically tell you I was handling the finances?” “But it’s my job to help the school. It’s why I’m here.” “You’re here to do what I say. And I’m not going to remind you again.”
“Hello. Hi, Jan. It’s Lauren. I was wondering if you could do me a favor.” “Got room for one more?” “Yeah, sure.” “What’s he doing with her? I’m surprised he hasn’t lost his appetite. Gross.”
“Hey. Just wanted to see if you made a decision about trying out for the team.” “Oh. Well, I’m not too sure. I didn’t really want to cause any problems.” “Believe me, you’ll be solving problems if you join the team. Between us, Macy isn’t exactly the best leader. We’ve had a lot of complaints by everyone, including me. It would mean the world to me if you gave it a shot.”
“Okay, well, sure. I’ll try out.” “Wonderful. I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Okay.”
“So, did your second day go any better?” “Actually, it did. I thought my friend Ava was just ignoring me, but it turns out she was just afraid of Macy and Hayley.” “Really? Why would that be?”