“Ew, Cordelia, why don’t you go back to that swamp where you came from!” Iris says, glaring down at me. As my face goes red, I look away, not wanting the three girls to see tears in my eyes. “Have fun with your toads and moths, Swamp Monster!” Iris giggles, an evil grin on her face. With that, she and her two minions, Rose and Marguerite, walk away holding their heads high, as if they own the school.

Why can’t I just be normal? I think. Why do I have to have moths in my hair? Why can’t I grow beautiful flowers like all the other people? WHY?! I’ve spent my whole life in Swallowtail, but I’ve never fit in. Here, everyone has a butterfly spirit… except me. I was born with a moth spirit, and in my 11 years of living, it’s brought me nothing but trouble.

As I walk home from school, I can’t help but notice how parents pull their children away and whisper to each other. Even though I get the same treatment every day, It still pierces my heart. “I heard she lives in a swamp, and that’s why she’s so ugly,” a woman whispers to her friend. “My poor daughter goes to school with her. I hope she doesn’t catch her disease,” her friend whispers back. I feel something tugging at my hair. “There’s a moth nest in her hair!” a boy screams. Unable to take the embarrassment, I duck into a nearby alley and start to cry.

I don’t know how long I’ve been crying when someone says: “Are you alright?” I look next to me, and Marguerite is sitting there. She holds out a tissue, and I wipe my tears. “W-why are you here?” I ask. “I heard what the kids were doing, and I felt terrible, so I followed you,” she says. “Thanks,” I respond, not knowing what to say. “You’re welcome,” she says. “I should go,” I say, and quickly run home.

Once home, I go straight to homework, not wanting to think about the strange encounter. However, my strategy does not work. My mind races. Could I finally, after all these years of hoping, get an actual friend? I know not to get my hopes up, but when your whole life is bad luck, one moment can mean the whole world. That night, I fall asleep with a smile for the first time in forever.

The next day at school, I try to talk to Marguerite. I make eye contact, but she looks away every time. “Ugh, why is the Swamp Monster obsessed with you?” Iris asks Marguerite. “Uh– I guess I felt bad and helped her yesterday…,” Marguerite responds. “You better not do that again or you might as well move into the swamp with her,” Iris fumes. Disappointed, I walk to my next class, Butterfly Biology. Everything is going fine until Rose yells: “Can we use Cordelia as an experiment?” The teacher starts laughing, but manages to say “No!” yet the class starts chanting, “EXPERIMENT! EXPERIMENT! EXPERIMENT!” I can’t deal with this anymore! I run out of the classroom, out of the school, and into the streets. I run so fast that nobody has time to whisper and make fun of me. I run past my house and into the woods. I just want to get out of this stupid place with its stupid expectations and beliefs. My pace starts slowing, and I eventually come to a stop in a mossy clearing. I sit down and relax. Before I know it, I fall asleep.

I dream of a fox trapped in a circle of fire. She starts to speak, and I realize that I understand her. “If you want them to stop treating you like dirt, help them from the fire,” she says. “Who’s them? What fire?” I exclaim, but get no answer. The scene shifts and suddenly there is a burning house in front of me. I hear screams and recognize Marguerite’s voice. On the porch, I see a girl holding a flaming torch. As I come closer, I realize the girl is Iris and she is setting Marguerite’s house on fire. “IRIS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” I shout, but she doesn’t hear me. The fox appears next to me, and asks “Well?”

I awake with a jolt, still smelling smoke. I need to save Marguerite! I get up quickly and start running through the dark forest. “Just keep running,” I hear the fox say when I slow down. I get a surge of energy and start sprinting. My only thought is to stop Iris and to save Marguerite. I smell smoke, and know I’m headed in the right direction. The smell intensifies when I’m in front of Marguerite’s house. By now the entire home is burning, and Marguerite’s family is screaming for help. “Serves you right for betraying me with the Swamp Monster!” yells Iris, who is standing in front of the house, holding the torch. Not wanting to lose any time, I run onto the porch and open the door. Inside, almost everything is on fire. Marguerite and her family are trapped upstairs. I race up the stairs and see them caught in a circle of fire. “I’m coming!” I yell. I run straight into the circle of fire. In an instant, the fire incinerates me. The last thing I see are the flames receding.

I wake up slowly, stirring but not opening my eyes. “She’s awake!” cries Marguerite, who pulls me into a tight hug. “You saved us! I’m sorry for how I treated you in school. I know how much I hurt you.” I remain silent, enjoying the peaceful moment. Suddenly, I hear a loud screaming voice: “I didn’t start the fire! Cordelia did it! She’s a monster!” Iris desperately tries to accuse me. “Iris did it. I saw it with my own eyes.” I speak calmly. “I could use a new friend,” Marguerite says. I sit up and extend my hand. Deal.