p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ake yawned, and heard someone say, "Yeesh, I thought Autumn and Tanya were kidding when they said you were tired."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Taylor's long blonde hair was tangled, and she wore jean shorts, a tee-shirt, and ragged converses./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ake pointed at her tee-shirt. "Is that my shirt?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She coughed into her hand and shifted. "That's not relevant to what I came here to talk to you about. C'mon. Your shift ends in, like, four minutes, let's go get some coffee and talk."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""But-"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Do you have something that needs your immediate attention?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well, no."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She nodded. "I'll be waiting outside."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"They walked to the local Dream Caffeine coffee shop and sat outside with their drinks./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ake stirred his cold frappuccino and avoided Taylor's brilliantly blue eyes./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well?" She asked./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well, what?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Are we just gonna sit here all day, or are we gonna talk about this?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""..."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Ake."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He looked at her./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What's wrong?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I've just been feeling kind of...useless."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Useless?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I can't find where my mother is, I can't protect myself, and I can't even get good grades anymore."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Wait-hold up. First of all, we are happy to teach you more defensive styles to defend yourself. Second, it's not your fault your mom is in hiding and we can't find her. And third, which class are you getting bad grades in?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Math."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""With Mrs. Jane?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yes."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Taylor rubbed her face, exasperated. "I've just about had it with that woman. She used to give me and Tyler bad grades too, unfairly, and she keeps getting away with it. The school board could stand with some new management. Does she ever give any reasons for the marks?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No. She just writes a low grade and she looks at me like she's disgusted."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She's probably just prejudiced against you because of your appearance."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ake nodded. There weren't very many people at Sand Cliff High who didn't judge him for his silvery hair, thin frame, and shy composure. Even the people in town gave him looks and whispered about him behind his back./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Has anyone been bothering you?" Taylor asked, sipping her chocolatey drink./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ake shrugged. "It's not that bad. The other day someone at the store whispered "emo" right in front of me and tried to push me over, but that's as bad as it is right now."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She sighed. "I wish it wasn't this bad at all. You don't deserve this, little brother."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Taylor," His kind eyes were serious. "I don't care about what the people in this town think. You guys are my family, and you accept me, that's all that matters to me."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Taylor smiled and hugged him. "Thanks, Ake. I love you."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;""Love you too, big sister."/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Taylor's long blonde hair was tangled, and she wore jean shorts, a tee-shirt, and ragged converses./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ake pointed at her tee-shirt. "Is that my shirt?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She coughed into her hand and shifted. "That's not relevant to what I came here to talk to you about. C'mon. Your shift ends in, like, four minutes, let's go get some coffee and talk."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""But-"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Do you have something that needs your immediate attention?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well, no."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She nodded. "I'll be waiting outside."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"They walked to the local Dream Caffeine coffee shop and sat outside with their drinks./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ake stirred his cold frappuccino and avoided Taylor's brilliantly blue eyes./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well?" She asked./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well, what?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Are we just gonna sit here all day, or are we gonna talk about this?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""..."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Ake."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He looked at her./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What's wrong?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I've just been feeling kind of...useless."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Useless?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I can't find where my mother is, I can't protect myself, and I can't even get good grades anymore."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Wait-hold up. First of all, we are happy to teach you more defensive styles to defend yourself. Second, it's not your fault your mom is in hiding and we can't find her. And third, which class are you getting bad grades in?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Math."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""With Mrs. Jane?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yes."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Taylor rubbed her face, exasperated. "I've just about had it with that woman. She used to give me and Tyler bad grades too, unfairly, and she keeps getting away with it. The school board could stand with some new management. Does she ever give any reasons for the marks?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""No. She just writes a low grade and she looks at me like she's disgusted."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""She's probably just prejudiced against you because of your appearance."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ake nodded. There weren't very many people at Sand Cliff High who didn't judge him for his silvery hair, thin frame, and shy composure. Even the people in town gave him looks and whispered about him behind his back./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Has anyone been bothering you?" Taylor asked, sipping her chocolatey drink./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ake shrugged. "It's not that bad. The other day someone at the store whispered "emo" right in front of me and tried to push me over, but that's as bad as it is right now."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"She sighed. "I wish it wasn't this bad at all. You don't deserve this, little brother."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Taylor," His kind eyes were serious. "I don't care about what the people in this town think. You guys are my family, and you accept me, that's all that matters to me."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style'; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Taylor smiled and hugged him. "Thanks, Ake. I love you."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: justify;""Love you too, big sister."/p