Chapter 504

Baffled, I lowered my head and asked, "What is it?" Penelope bit her lower lip as if mulling over what she was about to tell me. A long pause later, she confessed, "Someone in our class has been picking on Willow. I tried to stop them and tell them bullying was wrong, but they refused to listen to me." She kept her gaze on her feet, looking ashamed. She appeared to be disappointed that she couldn't stand up for Willow. Upon hearing this, I crouched and held Penelope's hand. "You're so brave, Penelope. You spoke up when you saw someone do something wrong." She stared at me in disbelief. "Aren't you upset that I didn't protect Willow?" I chuckled. "You're just a kid, Penelope." She tipped her head to the side as if puzzled at my words. I elaborated, "It's normal for you to feel helpless when facing a tough situation like that, but thank you for telling me about it. If you hadn't told me, I might never know what Willow is dealing with in school." Penelope blinked at me. Relief colo