Arush took baby steps to school. He was returning after a month of staying at the hospital, and he had strangely missed everyone—even the sternest of teachers. For Arush, anything was more fun than those white walls and the hard bed at the hospital. He was torn between the feelings of excitement and anxiety. On one hand, Arush was all better now; on the other hand, he had gained a lot of weight because of a long bed rest. He felt like an expansive balloon held to the ground by two fragile strands of threads. The doctors had told him he would be back in shape after exercising and eating better, but he was worried about how his friends would look at him. He had taken half an hour for a 10-minute walk because of his hesitation. Finally, he had arrived. There was no going back. He had seen the crowd. Arush saw the banner, the balloons, and the party hats. His friends had prepared for a celebration to mark his return. The crowd swarmed at him with the speed of bees whose hive had been stoned. They took turns asking him how he felt and saying that he was missed terribly. Nobody mentioned his weight gain or looked at him differently. His friends were genuinely happy to have him back. Gradually, Arush felt comfortable in his own skin. His feet felt more firmly on the ground. The negative ideas he had about himself shattered like pieces of broken glass. His mind was now a mirror that reflected things more clearly. He was indeed back. The author uses the phrase "shattered like pieces of broken glass" to show that A: Arush feels that he misses the stern teachers. B: the negative ideas have lost their grip on Arush. C: Arush understands the eagerness of the crowd. D: what Arush is thinking hurts his friends' feelings.