When the bullying was worst, she would turn to her favorite day dream. She could fly, and the clouds were made of cotton candy. She would take an empty coffee can up into the sky, and fill it full of cotton candy clouds, which were the most fantastic treat imaginable; better than chocolate or bubble gum even. She would swoop back down to the play ground with the can full of clouds and all the children would run to her cheering and begging for even a tiny bite of celestial cotton candy. She was never selfish or cruel with the treat, either, but handed it out as if it were nothing, and all the children loved her for doing something no one else could do for them. But then the dream was shattered by the next shove or being tripped in the hallway or finding that awful nickname scrawled on her notebook, and the cloud dream evaporated like a rain drop on the summer side walk.
