**Alli PoV**
I watched as Sil kept walkin' toward the auditorium, wishin' I could hug my baby brother. He had tear stains on his face. Poor Sil must've been cryin', afraid of the ice storm.
"Hey, Alli!" Mr. Ruan called from the front of the line, his voice firm but kind. "Keep movin'. We need to get everyone settled in the auditorium."
I nodded, reluctantly pullin' my gaze away from Sil. "Okay!" I shouted back, but as I turned, I caught a glimpse of Clara and her friends snickering.
"Look at her, trying to be all heroic for her baby brother," Clara said, her voice dripping with mockery.
"Yeah, maybe if she hugged him tighter, he wouldn't be such a crybaby," one of her friends chimed in, and they all burst into laughter.
My cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment. Clara always had to make everything worse. I frowned, feeling a mix of frustration and sadness. Sil didn't deserve that kind of talk, and neither did I.
