585: BECAUSE OF THE RAGE

ARIEL'S POV Cherry stepped down from the stage, and the room erupted in thunderous applause. Students and parents alike were moved by her words, and the atmosphere was charged with a sense of hope and possibility. Cherry caught sight of me, and she approached with a smile. "Did you like my speech, Ms. Ariel?" she asked. "I worked really hard on it." "It was wonderful, Cherry," I said, beaming back at her. "Thanks, Janice and I are good friends. She has told me a lot about you." "Oh really?" I raised an eyebrow, still smiling at her. "Yes." Her smile widened. "Janice is amazing! She's so smart and funny. And she has such a good heart. You must be very proud of her." I nodded. "I am. She's my little ray of sunshine. And I was so impressed with her speech this morning." "She's a wonderful person. And her speech was really powerful. But I think she got it from her mom." Cherry grinned and I laughed softly. "You know, Ms. Ariel," she continued, a thoughtful look crossing her face,