Anna sunk her head into her arms. She could hear the applause from Olivia Blackburn's' classroom from hers, two doors down, and across the hall. 

She knew that some of the kids in there were only clapping to avoid Olivia's wrath, but it still hurt. 

Anna had made the Girls Basketball team and was elected president of the student council, but no matter what she did, the school's 8th grade alpha was always one step ahead. 

During the morning announcements, she'd heard of Olivia's success of 1st place in the cross country race. That was a round of applause from Olivia's classroom with a  handful of followers in Anna's classroom. 

Then, Olivia was announced as student of the month for September. Just like she was for August. 

And for Anna? The announcements person wishing good luck to the basketball team, hoping they could recover from their loss in Union. 

Anna sighed as she lifted her head up to look up at her teacher, droning on and on about climate change whatsit. 

Suddenly, the bell rang. A kid jumped up, slamming into Anna's chromebook. There was a sickening crack, and Anna looked down in horror at what was now her chromebook. 

The class went silent, and stared straight at her. 

She felt like crying. Her parents didn't but full insurance on her chromebook. Her parent's couldn't afford the chromebook price. Her sister was in some after school club that was $30 bucks a week, sapping up their energy. 

Her mom had $250 in her bank account. And a $900 car payment coming out in a week. 

The damage would require a full chromebook replacement, averaging. That was their last months rent payment. 

Tears slowly crept down her face as the kid shrugged, grabbed his bag and took off out the door.

The teacher called after him, to no avail. Mr. Martin turned to face Anna, but she was already out of her seat, up and running to the bathrooms to hide and cry in the stalls.

It was going to be a long day.