“Whoever is a retard … circle her name in orange during our yearbook signing,” whispers Girl C. to another friend in my daughter’s class. It was the last day of school and . . . low and behold, Girl C. puts a big orange circle around my daughter’s name.

How dare she, when we had just invited Girl C. to my daughter’s birthday party this past weekend! It makes me want to strangle Girl C. and then tell her where she can go. Of course, my daughter, saddened and hurt by the whole experience, shrugs it off as just another mean trick played on her this past year.

And then I begin to cry.