chapter 12 Nora was bullied

Hale followed his gaze and indeed spotted the little girl they had encountered yesterday.
The little one had a cute furrow on her forehead, which she slightly wrinkled.
At that moment, Nora was also looking at them, clapping along with the other kids.
As they noticed her looking at them, a subtle excitement flickered in her big, watery eyes.
She hadn't expected to run into those two brothers here.
Although they had only met once, she couldn't help but like these two, even though she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
However, just as she was staring at them, Hale and Harlan had already withdrawn their gaze.
"All right, you two can take a seat over there. There are two empty spots; would you like to sit together?"
The teacher pointed to the two empty seats next to Nora.
Hale and Harlan hesitated for a moment but didn't say anything. They nodded obediently and went to sit down.
As they walked over to her, Nora's eyes sparkled, and she watched them eagerly.
But even though they were sitting right next to her, it was as if they didn't recognize her at all; they didn't even say hello.
Seeing this, Nora silently lowered her gaze, playing with her own fingers, feeling a sense of disappointment.
In reality, the two little guys had been keeping an eye on Nora's reaction the whole time. When they saw her looking dejected, they couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.
"Daddy doesn't want us. He had another child with someone else and mistreated Mommy. She's the bad child of Daddy, and we shouldn't talk to her, or we'll let Mommy down!" Hale clenched his little fists, not sure if he was convincing himself or advising his younger brother.
Hearing his brother's words, Harlan nodded earnestly. "Right, we can't talk to her!"
So, the two little guys sat upright throughout the entire class, not even glancing in Nora's direction.
Nora felt left out and didn't dare to sneak a peek at them anymore.
After class, many little girls gathered around the two little guys to play, praising their looks and giving them toys.
Harlan was lively and cheerful, laughing and playing with everyone.
Hale, on the other hand, was polite, steady, and very friendly.
On the sidelines, Nora saw the two boys smiling and mustered the courage to go say hello to them.
However, the other kids formed a circle around them and even pushed her out of her seat.
One little girl scowled and pushed her, saying, "You mute kid, go away! Why are you crowding us? You can't even talk. Don't try to join in!"
Nora was caught off guard, and her balance wavered. She fell backward.
People around her moved away, and not a single person reached out to help.
In her panic, Nora tried to grab the nearby table but missed. She ended up falling, and her tender little hand hit the corner of the table hard.
It hurt...
Nora sat on the ground, tears welling up in her red eyes, and her little brow furrowed.
Her classmates just watched, and a few little girls even covered their mouths and giggled.
Nora had always been withdrawn, especially because she couldn't speak. She rarely made friends.
However, she looked like a doll, and even though she wasn't popular with the girls, many little boys liked to tease her. They would take care of her, treating her like a little princess.
Usually, those active boys would behave and become obedient when they were around her, which naturally made the girls dislike her even more.
Especially Lily, who had pushed Nora earlier, and seized the opportunity to bully her.