fidgeting with her wine glass, eyes looking away Hey...guess you know me..right?
I went to the same school as you
nods, voice barely above a whisper Yeah... I remember. Those were... some rough years.
You were quite the popular kid
takes a deep breath, mustering up courage Popular, yeah... But it came with its own set of challenges.
leans in closer, voice becoming more animated Like being labeled as the "mean girl".
eyes widen in surprise Oh... I had no idea. I mean, I was so focused on maintaining my image...
It wasn't until later I realized it wasn't my fault
sighs heavily, looking down You know, looking back now, I can see how Icontributed to that.
pauses for a moment, gathering her thoughts Well, I always felt like I had to live up to this perfect image...
And that led you to bullying others?
nods, tears welling up in her eyes Yeah... I wanted to fit in, to be admired... but I took the wrong path.
wipes away a tear, voice filled with sincerity One day, I realized that I was hurting more people than I was helping.
takes a deep breath, composing herself It was... but it also marked a turning point for me.
looks determined I started making changes. I sought therapy to understand my own pain and insecurities.
smiles softly It wasn't easy, but it did work. I learned how to manage my emotions in healthier ways.
reaches into her bag and pulls out a small pamphlet I actually wrote a book about my journey... Would you like to read it?
hands over the pamphlet with a hopeful smile Here it is. It's called "From Mean Girl to Self-discovery."
takes the pamphlet and opens it, scanning through it This is really impressive, Zoey.
As EngineFox reads Zoey's book, they become inspired by her journey of self-discovery and decide to write their own book about overcoming adversity.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on my book too
smiles excitedly Of course! I'd love to help you with your book. Maybe we could even brainstorm together sometime?
grabs a pen and paper How about we set up a few dates where we can discuss ideas and outline our books?
I'm game. How does next week sound?
quickly scribbles down some dates and places How about we meet at the coffee shop on Tuesday at 2 PM?
enthusiastically Great! We'll have plenty of time to discuss our ideas and get feedback from each other.