Cassidy walked to the back and sat next to the catgirl. “Hey,” she said, nudging the sobbing feline. “What’s wrong?”

“Hm?” The girl looked up, her teary eyes widening. “O-oh,” she muttered. “It’s just…” She sniffled. “M-my boyfriend d-dumped me, said I w-wasn’t pretty enough…” She began to sob into her hands, getting the breakup note wet.

Cassidy frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that…” she said softly. “Is there anyone you can talk to?”

The girl shook her head. “M-my dad is dead, my mom hates me, and I left all my friends behind when we moved here…”

“Well, look,” Cassidy said, placing her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Why don’t I fix that? My name’s Cassidy East,” she continued, raising her hand.

After a minute, the catgirl shook it. “I’m Ellis,” she said timidly. “Ellis Evergreen.”

“Nice to meet you,” Cassidy answered. “Hey, have you ever heard of a book called Skulduggery Pleasant?…”