Wanda had not been attending school since Monday. Peggy and Maddie notice her absence on Wednesday because they want to make fun of her and they enjoy doing that. They got late to school that day waiting for Wanda outside the school. 

Wanda didn’t have any friends. She came to school alone and went home alone. She always wore a faded blue dress that didn’t fit her right. Thought it used to be clean, it seemed that it had never been ironed properly.

Wanda lived in Boggin heights. The poor plight of Wanda's feet make it clear that it must be an undeveloped locality where Wanda lived.

Peggy, Maddie and the other girls wanted to have fun ridiculing Wanda's poor clothes and shoes. They knew that she was very poor and didn't belong to their community. They always teased her by asking the number of dresses that she had.