She was always seen with a book. No matter where she went, Lucy always had a book of some sort in her hand. Whether it was a novel, a nonfiction book, or even a comic book, Lucy was always reading something. She'd go to the mall and have a small paperback book in her bag. At lunch, she'd sit in solitude and read until it was time for class. Every free period she had, Lucy would get a pass and go to the school library, her wonderland. She'd browse the shelves, in search of her newest challenge. Then, after finding a book that seemed pleasing to her, Lucy would take a seat at one of the desks, and dig in.

Many people didn't understand her fascination with reading. They'd try to avoid her, really. Nobody wanted to talk about books nowadays; everyone wanted to talk about things like shopping and music and what everyone's doing this Friday. Lucy never took part in such conversations. Every now and then, she'd make small talk with someone, or give a simple 'Hello' to a passing classmate in the halls, but any other time, her nose was in a book. Since she spent a large amount of time in the school library, Lucy became friends with the school library, something the other girls would joke and poke fun at behind her back. Lucy never took notice. She was too engrossed in her books to notice.

It was senior year. Lucy still hadn't left her bookworm ways. She'd nearly read every book in the school library, something no other student in the history of her school ever had before. She had only made one friend in her entire high school experience, yet that one friend, named Abby, left quiet little Lucy for the popular crowd. Lucy really didn't take it too personal; without Abby around, it was easier to concentrate on her reading, which was her main focus.

One day in late May, Lucy was walking down the hallway, her nose in a book as usual. As she steadily progressed towards her next class, a strong hand grabbed her shoulder and forced her against a locker. Lucy lost her grip on her book, and dropped it to the floor, watching as it fell text-down, losing her spot. She looked up to see Piper Donahue's face uncomfortably close to hers. 'What's the deal, Davis?' Piper asked, 'Ever since freshman year, you've always been reading books. You stay quiet, and instead of socializing like normal teenagers, you read all the time. You even drove Abby away.' Piper stared harshly at Lucy, who remained quiet. All the noise caused the students in the hallway to gather around Lucy and Piper. 'Hello? Earth to bookworm?' Piper pushed on. Lucy gulped. She was nervous and a little frightened. All eyes were on her. 'Of course, play it off as a totally innocent girl. News flash Davis, you don't look innocent. You look like a freak. It's like your books are a part of your body or something. Freak.' By now there was a low murmur among the crowd of students. Lucy scanned the crowd, only looking at each student for a few seconds. She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. 'I'm not a freak for reading,' she said quietly. Piper let out a roar of laughter. 'Sure you're not!' she said sarcastically between laughs as everyone else joined in. Lucy looked out at everyone else again, tears beginning to form. 'Awwh is the big baby going to cry now?' Piper said mockingly, making crying gestures. Lucy wiped away a tear that rolled down her cheek and looked down at her book, then back up at Piper. 'Books are the only thing that I have left of my mother.' She looked up at the crowd. Everyone was dead silent. Piper's face went from red with laughter to pale white. 'My mom always read to me as a child. It was our favorite thing to do together. We'd read a book together, then reflect on it. It helped us bond. My mom always told me that no matter what, I should always read. I should never stop. My mom was killed right before my freshman year started in a deadly car crash that took two other lives. We didn't have much. We lived with my grandmother, since my father walked out on us when I was two. So reading is the only thing that I have to remember my mother. It makes me feel comforted. It helps me cope.' Lucy looked around at the crowd, then began sobbing. She reached down and grabbed her book off the ground, and ran away. Everyone else stayed glued to where they stood. Each of their faces were filled with remorse, even some with tears. All these years, they'd secretly made fun of a girl who was simply trying to remember her mother. A girl who simply needed to grieve.

After that incident, people stopped making fun of Lucy. Lucy kept to herself, still reading as much as possible. She graduated with the rest of her class, and was voted valedictorian. Years later, Lucy resurfaced as a #1 Bestselling Author. She dedicated her first published book to her mother, saying 'My mother always said to never stop reading no matter what. I'm where I am today thanks to her. Thank you mom for being here for me throughout the years, even though you aren't here physically, thank you for being here in my books.'