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Earth was all well and good until school complicated the picture and in just a matter of weeks Katima had come to one very sharp understanding and conviction: Earth school was a protracted Hell. For the first time since leaving Okara she found herself longing for the harsh, brutal world there and would have gladly spent days without rest bandaging and fighting and cooking and learning than the few hours she spent each day at the high school. There was a reason for this hatred, one that even her boys didn't know: Katima was being ruthlessly bullied by the other girls. It had started with verbal taunts, then outright cruelty, horrible pranks, and other such nonsense. Katima endured it by simply retreating into herself, taking the torment without complaint because that was what she did. She had been taught to just absorb, though it was admittedly growing difficult and every night that she did not spend tucked with her boys she spent face down on her bed, crying without making a sound, shielding her feelings so that none would be the wiser.

Today was different, though. Ava and Henry were going flying. She hadn't touched base with Josh, but knew he had some other plans. Katima was alone, slowly leaving school after a brief meeting with her physics teacher. She dreaded this, the walk across school grounds alone. She always hurried to meet Henry and ride home with him. She felt protected. Today she was exposed.

As soon as she was halfway across the game field, one of the girls who had been the worst to her spotted her and came up to her. The usual slew of insults commenced: you're a slut, you're ugly, etc. Katima ignored them as she always did but this time that wouldn't work. Grabbing her by her long black hair, the bully girl (her name was Amy) yanked Katima back and then shoved her, face-first, into the ground.