Huaijin didn't deny it. "A little," she murmured.
He smiled gently. "That's normal. But you'll be fine. Everyone likes you, Huaijin."
She hesitated. 'Not everyone,' she thought quietly.
'Not the ones who were born to shine. Not the ones who made my life a joke in the story I once read.'
Still, she said nothing. She didn't want to worry him.
Besides, more than being nervous, Huaijin was afraid of feeling bored. No one could say what she might do if she felt bored in a classroom full of chicks!
When the car finally pulled up in front of the kindergarten, Huaijin felt her heart sink. The school looked exactly as she remembered, large, colorful, cheerful.
There were flowers by the gate and murals painted with smiling suns and animals. Children were streaming in with their parents, laughter echoing in the air.
But all she could think was how many of these children would one day become people with stories powerful enough to crush her own.
