How does she just ignore it? Krystal marveled, watching Amber walk down the hallway with her head up despite the whispers.

A girl who regularly attended church and Bible study with Krystal dropped her book. Amber stopped and picked it up for her and the girl didn’t even bother to thank her, just scowled before walking away. Amber didn’t even seem surprised.

Krystal quickly turned and fumbled around in her locker so Amber wouldn’t notice her looking.

Who had been right? Who had been wrong? The girl should have thanked Amber, but Amber knew the girl didn’t want her touching her things…but she’d just been being nice.

Krystal shook her head. She knew who was right. And it’s certainly wasn’t them.

“W-what are you working on?” She asked quietly, not trying to draw attention to the fact she was talking to Amber.

When there was no answer, she glanced over to find Amber squinting at the side of her head.

“I’m trying to create patterns,” Krystal volunteered, tilting her paper toward Amber. “But I can’t seem to work out exactly what I want to do. I kind of like this octopus.”

Amber tilted her head at it, nodded, then went back to her own work.

Krystal’s shoulders slumped and she tried to focus on sketching again, but she kept thinking about Amber. She was scared of how much she thought and worried about Amber. It was wrong to have your mind so occupied with another person.

I just want to make sure she’s okay, she reasoned. She should feel welcomed here, not outcast.

“Uhm, my bike has a flat. Do you mind giving me a ride home?”

She flicked her eyes at Amber who was looking at her again.

“What are you going to do about your bike?”

“I’ll get my dad to pick it up on his way home.”

Amber just studied her for a moment, then finally nodded.

Krystal’s heart thudded in her chest, wondering if she were doing the right thing.

When class ended, she kind of wished she’d asked Amber to head out to her car first and wait for her. She felt conspicuous with the eyes of the student body and the teachers on her as she walked beside Amber through the halls and out the door of the school. She couldn’t help but keep her eyes down, her face pale.

Once she was inside Amber’s car, she gasped a breath of relief.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing. Just drive, okay?”

She twisted the strap of her backpack in her hands, her nerves on edge. She was glad Amber didn’t talk more on their way to the outskirts of town where their houses were, but when Amber pulled to a little side road and stopped she started questioning the sanity of what she’d done.

“Okay, what’s going on? Is this some kind of prank?” Amber asked, shutting off the engine. “When I get to your house am I gonna get pulled out of the car and beat up or something?”

Krystal turned to her, shocked. “No. I promise. No.”

“Then why are you being so weird? Why did you ask for a ride? I saw your bike on the way out of school, the tires were fine.”

Krystal flushed at being caught in her lie. Seemed that since Amber had come to Green Valley, she’d experienced more shame than she’d ever felt in her entire life.

“So?”

Krystal clasped her backpack to her chest. “I don’t like the way people are treating you. You don’t deserve it.”

Amber’s brows rose. “And the little stunt you pulled today is going to somehow make it better? Everyone seemed even more upset to see me with you than to see me by myself.”

Krystal blinked, knowing that Amber was right. She hoped she hadn’t made things worse for her.

“I don’t mind if people ignore me,” Amber continued. “I'm just scared somethin