Sophie

• Nicole Liu, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2022

But I want to read!” Sophie complained.
Sophie read until she was almost late for school. “Hurry up!” called her dad. She hopped into the battered Toyota with her school bag and a hard-back edition of Harry Potter and read on the drive to school.
As soon as she opened the door to her classroom, a dreadful greeting awaited her. “Oh my gosh, girls, look who’s here! The ugly, good-for-nothing girl who can’t even speak!” laughed Amanda, with a mocking look on her sneering face. Sophie looked down, knowing that Amanda would stop if she didn’t do anything.
Sophie was the type of girl who was shy and hated when all the attention was on her. She was always told since kindergarten that good grades meant good money, so boy did she work hard. All her subjects were excellent except for public speaking. She just couldn’t do it.
Sophie acted like she didn’t care, but inside she did. Why couldn’t she fit in? Her dad was always sympathetic, but he couldn’t stop it. The teachers didn’t even care. Sophie could always be found burying her head into a book in the library at lunchtime.
When the bell signalling the end of the school day rang, Sophie couldn’t be more grateful. She rushed to the field where she could think and read and study all she liked. She had built a tyre swing to play on when she didn’t feel like doing anything.
Every moment of the day, Sophie wished she had a mother. Hers had died when she was two. All Sophie had of her was a photo. She didn’t remember her voice or her personality at all. But sometimes, Sophie wished she hadn’t been born.
Every day Sophie entered the classroom to a commotion of snickering and whispering. She was picked on for everything - her hair, her clothes, her financial situation, everything. Sophie hoped that university would come soon so she could escape these horrible people and make friends.
One day, she entered the cafeteria to get her lunch - mashed potatoes, peas, carrots and corn. It was the only thing she could afford with her lunch money; she couldn’t even buy a sandwich.
She sat down at the library and started on a physics book. Suddenly, her phone rang loudly. She knew it was her dad - he was her only contact.
She answered. “Sweetie, I’ve had an amazing idea for a business! Don’t worry if I’m not home when you arrive!” was all he said. Then he hung up the phone.
Several late shifts later, his business was small but successful.
Her dad earned money bit by bit, and soon, it was one of the biggest companies. When she was the school queen and had all she could ever want, everyone wanted to be her friend, even Miranda. To think, be friends with a bully! Sophie thought.
On a Monday morning, she came into school to see Miranda torturing another girl. “Hey, stop that!” she shouted. Sophie knew her mother would've been proud.