“You’re so weird, Amelia,” Phoebe Stern snarled. “You actually like reading!” She snatched the thick book out of Amelia’s hands and threw it across the hall. “And you like vegetables!” Phoebe smirked. “Why don’t you wear cool clothes like everyone else and do normal stuff?” She grabbed Amelia’s wrist.
    
The look on Amelia’s pale face was enough to show me that she felt the same way I would if I were in her position.
    
Phoebe Stern is the meanest girl in the grade. One look at her menacing face can make you want to stay home from school. I think she thinks she’s queen of the world. She thinks we’re all terrified of her, and we all pretty much are.
    
I was so sick and tired of Phoebe terrorizing everyone. I wished she would just be nice! I had seen this happening to other kids before, but I had been too scared to stand up for the person being bullied. What if I became Phoebe’s next target?
    
But this couldn’t go on any longer. I took a deep breath and yelled, “Phoebe, stop!”
    
Phoebe let go of Amelia’s wrist and stared at me. “Stop what?”
    
“Stop everything! Stop being mean to everyone! Amelia is perfectly normal. You’re the one who isn’t normal! Nobody likes the way you’re acting, Phoebe. You’re being a bully. And I wish you would just STOP!” I winced as soon as I stopped talking. I was afraid of what would happen next.
    
There was a long silence. Phoebe’s eyes narrowed. “Well, fine then,” Phoebe replied sarcastically. She sauntered off to her next class.
    
Amelia came running over. “Thank you so much, Claire!” she whispered. Tears of gratitude were welling in her eyes. “That was really brave of you.”