Hurting mom

EVA'S POV

"Hey, Eva," Livia called out, her voice laced with mock sweetness. "What are you doing all alone? Don't you have any friends?"

I felt my face flush, but I didn’t respond. Ignoring her was often the best strategy, though it rarely worked.

"Aw, look at her," one of Livia’s friends sneered. "Such a little nerd, always with her nose in a book."

Livia strutted over to my table, picking up my notebook and flipping through it. "Wow, you really think you're so smart, don’t you? How pathetic."

"Give it back, Livia," I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Oh, look, she's talking back," Livia said with a laugh, tossing my notebook back onto the table, but not before tearing out a few pages. "Oops. My bad."

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "Just leave me alone," I muttered, gathering my things.

"Why should we?" Livia taunted. "It's so much fun watching you squirm."

Another memory hit me, this one from gym class. We were playing volleyball, and Livia was on