The narrator, Maya, shares her painful childhood experiences of being constantly belittled and bullied by her two older sisters, Layla and Selma, who are blonde-haired and blue-eyed, while Maya has dark hair and eyes. Her sisters make her feel ugly and worthless. Maya's father is also emotionally abusive and favors her sisters. Despite her mother's efforts to make her feel better, Maya struggles with low self-esteem.
When Maya starts at a new school, she faces similar bullying from a girl named Noor, who is popular and beautiful. Maya's sisters join forces with Noor, making Maya's life even more miserable. However, in a surprising turn of events, Selma stands up for Maya and apologizes for her past behavior. Maya forgives her, and the two sisters begin to bond.
Meanwhile, Layla and Noor continue to bully Maya, but their behavior eventually catches up with them. During a school presentation, Noor's mean-spirited slideshow about Maya is exposed, and both Layla and Noor are expelled from school.
In the end, Maya finds closure and self-acceptance, realizing that she is beautiful and strong just the way she is. Her mother's unwavering support and Selma's change of heart also contribute to Maya's healing and growth.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Maya is from Jordan.
2. Maya has two sisters, Layla and Selma, who are a couple of years older than her.
3. Maya's sisters have blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin.
4. Maya has black eyes and curly hair.
5. Maya's family moved to the capital city when she was in the seventh grade.
6. Maya's parents got divorced.
7. Maya's father thought she was ugly.
8. Maya had a big closet full of clothes and makeup brands.
9. Maya wanted to join an international school in the capital city.
10. Maya's sisters threw a tantrum when they found out about the move.
11. Maya met a girl named Noor on her first day at the new school.
12. Noor made fun of Maya's appearance.
13. Maya stood up to Noor and her friends.
14. Maya's sisters told Noor about Maya's burn scars.
15. Noor exposed Maya's scars in front of the school.
16. Maya fought with Noor and was taken to the principal's office.
17. Maya's mom came to the school to defend her.
18. Selma defended Maya and their mom against Layla and Noor.
19. Layla and Noor were suspended from school for two weeks.
20. Selma apologized to Maya for being mean and jealous.
21. Layla still thought Maya was ugly and didn't regret telling Noor about her scars.
22. Layla moved to the attic after arguing with Selma and Maya.
23. Layla made a presentation on Earth Day that included pictures of Maya with mean comments.
24. Noor was responsible for the mean slideshow.
25. Layla and Noor were expelled from school.
26. The minister of education announced that Layla and Noor would be enrolled in a strict Catholic school.
27. Layla moved back in with their father after being expelled.
28. Maya realized she was beautiful and strong just the way she was.