Chapter 7

One afternoon, Lila and I were both assigned to clean the gym after school.
For a long time, we worked in silence.
Then she said:
"That day… when you slapped me… I hated you. Now I realize… you woke me up."
She swept slowly.
"I thought being powerful meant making people afraid of you. You showed me it means making people trust you."
May you like
I stopped sweeping.
"Power isn't about dragging people down," I said. "It’s about lifting yourself up. And sometimes… you have to stand up tall so everyone can see the truth."