A girl from Boston shares her animated story about her life struggles and triumphs. Born to a couple who had trouble conceiving, she was a welcome addition to the family. However, her life took a difficult turn due to her unusually small stature, which made her a target for bullies. Her father couldn't handle the fact that she was different and eventually left the family.
The girl's mother stood by her and supported her throughout her struggles. In school, she was constantly bullied, especially by a girl named Brenda. However, with her mother's help, she learned to stand up for herself and eventually sued the school for not protecting her from bullying.
Things took a turn for the better when a handsome exchange student named Andrew moved in with her family. He posed as her boyfriend to help her gain popularity in school, but eventually, he developed real feelings for her. As their relationship blossomed, the girl finally found happiness and acceptance. In the end, Andrew confessed his love for her, and she happily accepted.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator is from Boston.
2. The narrator's father and mother were initially delighted to have a child.
3. A nurse commented that the narrator was ugly when they were born.
4. The narrator's mother defended them against the nurse's comment.
5. The narrator's father was horrified by their appearance.
6. The narrator's progress was monitored by doctors due to their slower growth rate.
7. The narrator was diagnosed with slower growth than most people.
8. The narrator's mother didn't care about their height, but their father couldn't stand it.
9. The narrator's father left the family when they were young.
10. The narrator's mother took them to a birthday party when they were six.
11. The narrator was bullied at the party by a girl named Brenda.
12. The narrator got into a fight with Brenda at the party.
13. The narrator's mother was furious and threw a piece of cake at Brenda's mother.
14. The narrator's mother quit her job after the incident.
15. The narrator's mother enrolled them in the best school in the area.
16. The narrator was nearly hit by a limousine on their first day of school.
17. The narrator was bullied by Brenda at school.
18. The narrator's mother sued the school for not protecting them from bullying.
19. The school board reached a settlement, and the principal was fired.
20. Brenda was expelled for a month, and the narrator's mother received $100,000 in compensation.
21. The narrator and their mother took a trip to Europe during summer vacation.
22. A boy named Andrew, an exchange student from France, stayed with the narrator's family.
23. Andrew was very tall and handsome.
24. The narrator and Andrew pretended to be a couple to impress their classmates.
25. The narrator's popularity rose rapidly after pretending to be Andrew's girlfriend.
26. Brenda was furious when she saw the narrator and Andrew together.
27. Andrew gave the narrator a heart-shaped box of chocolates on Valentine's Day.
28. The narrator felt a pang of jealousy when Brenda showed them a photo of Andrew with another girl.
29. Brenda was expelled from school after attacking the narrator.
30. Andrew confessed his feelings to the narrator and asked them to be his girlfriend.
31. The narrator accepted Andrew's proposal and they shared a kiss.