Chapter 1

The trip home from school was a tiring one for Folashade Adetokun, the traffic jam,the unpaved
road filled with potholes made her feel queasy, it gets worse when she was upset and unsettled.
'Go,wash up and come get your dinner',her mom, Adebimpe shouted after her. As she
entered her room,she dumped her bag on the bed and crawled into the small space between
her bed and the wall, bowed her head and cried profusely, She wondered why everything was
so overwhelming in her life.
Shade,as she was fondly called by her parents and neighbors,as she has had no
friends.She wondered why her classmates had no other job in school than to bully her, call her
names, and taunt her for their own amusement.
She laid with her chest to the cold floor and thought maybe if she stopped eating, she
would loose some weight but she had tried that before and she ended up in the hospital and her
parents had spent a whopping sum on her hospital bills. As she lay there, tears streaming down
her face, a soft tapping on her window caught her attention. She wiped her tears and sat up,
peering through the glass. Outside, perched on her windowsill, was a small bird, its feathers
ruffled and wet from the rain.
Shade was surprised. She had never seen a bird so close to her window, let alone one
that looked like it needed help. Slowly, she got up from the floor and approached the window,
careful not to startle the bird. As she got closer, she noticed that its left wing was injured, and it
was struggling to fly.Without hesitation, Shade opened the window and reached out to the bird.
At first, it flinched, but then it seemed to understand that she was there to help. She carefully
picked it up and brought it inside, placing it gently on her bed.
As she tended to the bird's wounds, she felt a sense of calm wash over her. She had
always felt alone, but now she had someone, even if it was just a little bird. She cleaned its
wounds and made a small bed for it out of a shoebox and some old fabric. Shade decided to
name the bird Blue, after the color of its feathers.
The bird was jolted into a flight stance when they heard a loud sound from downstairs,it
was Adebimpe and Adebayo again, Shade tried to calm the bird down,as she was already used
to their occasional heated and sometimes,violent exchange. Shade's father, Adebayo always
comes home drunk and was either upset from losing money on gambling or was upset dinner
was not ready, they fought like a cat and dog would and by the next morning,they were back to
being lovebirds.
Over the next few days, Shade spent all of her free time caring for Blue. She researched
online how to heal a bird's injured wing and made sure to give it plenty of water and food. As
she watched Blue grow stronger each day, she felt a sense of pride that she never felt before.
One day, Shade decided it was time to try to release Blue back into the wild. She opened her
window and held out her hand, hoping that Blue would fly away. But instead, Blue hopped onto
her hand and looked up at her with its beady eyes.
Shade felt a sudden bond with Blue, and she knew that it would be hard to let go. But she also
knew that Blue belonged in the wild and deserved the chance to fly free. So, with a heavy heart,
Shade gently lifted Blue off her hand and placed it on the windowsill. Blue looked at her for a
moment before spreading its wings and taking off into the sky.
Shade watched Blue fly away until it was just a small dot in the distance. A sense of loss
washed over her, but she also felt a sense of hope. If Blue, a small injured bird, could find the
strength to fly again, then maybe she could find the strength to face her own challenges.

From that day forward, Shade made a promise to herself. She would no longer let the bullies at
school get to her, and she would no longer let her parents' fights bring her down. She would find
the strength to overcome her obstacles and spread her own wings, just like Blue.

With a new sense of determination, Shade went to bed that night feeling hopeful for the first
time in a long time.

Chapter 2

She wiped her tears and stared at the wall, lost in thought. Suddenly, she heard a soft tap on
her window. Startled, she wiped her face and peered through the glass. She saw a figure
standing outside her window. It was a boy, about her age, with tousled brown hair and a warm
smile. She recognized him as the new neighbor who had recently moved in next door. She had
seen him a few times, but they had never spoken.
He gestured for her to come outside, and she hesitated. But something in his eyes made her
feel safe. She opened the window and climbed out, following him to the side of the house,
where they sat on a bench.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," he said, his voice soft and reassuring. "I just wanted to check on you.
I saw you crying through the window."

Shade's heart skipped a beat. No one had ever shown her this kind of kindness before. She felt

Chapter 6
As she lay there, tears streaming down her face, Shade made a decision. She was tired of
feeling like a victim and being powerless. She was going to take control of her life and make
some changes, starting with her appearance.

The next day, Shade woke up early and spent extra time getting ready for school. She put on a
new outfit she had bought the weekend before, one that made her feel confident and beautiful.
She styled her hair in a different way and even put on a bit of makeup.

As she walked into class, the usual snickers and whispers started. But this time, something was
different. Shade held her head high and walked to her desk with a confidence she had never felt
before. And to her surprise, she noticed a few curious glances from her classmates.
As she lay there, tears streaming down her face, a sudden thought entered Shade's mind. She
had always been told that she was special and that great things awaited her in the future. But
being constantly bullied and having no friends had made her doubt her own worth.
She wiped the tears from her face and sat up, determined to no longer let anyone make her feel
inferior. She was going to be strong and confident, no matter what anyone said or did to her.
She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror, taking in her reflection.
"You are beautiful, you are smart, and you are strong," she whispered to herself.
With newfound determination, Shade washed up and headed to the dining table to eat her
dinner. As she sat down, her parents exchanged a worried glance but said nothing. They had
seen their daughter's pain and knew that it was something that only she could overcome.
After dinner, Shade went to her room and pulled out her journal. She

During lunch break, Shade decided to take a chance and sit with a group of girls she had
always admired from a distance. They welcomed her with open arms, and for the first time