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prologue

Room C211 was in silence. The seven teens sat in hard plastic chairs, arranged in a circle. No one dared speak a word.

Sophie tapped her pen against her legal pad.

Lily tugged on the sleeve of her black knit sweater.

Stephan rested his head in his hands.

Haley leaned back in her chair, feet tapping in a rhythm on the tiled floor.

Andrew stuffed his hands into his jean pockets.

Jackson stared off into space.

Crystal scrolled through her Twitter feed.

None knew each other, but in a strange sense, they all felt somewhat connected. They were all here for a reason. They were here because they were different.

Sophie had posted the flyers last week around the halls. It wasn't much, but enough to get her message through. To six students, at least.

But six was all she needed. Sophie felt proud that everyone in the room was here. She felt confident that they would bond, and maybe find a friend. For her last year of high school, Sophie just wanted to make a difference.

And that was going to happen. To these kids, these kids who all felt different for one reason or another. To these kids, who maybe just needed someone to talk to.