There is always something about a new year in school. It’s like getting a fresh start – a new teacher and a chance to make new friends. When we moved I was the new girl in my class. My first new friend was Shirley because our desks were side by side and touching each other. I pulled one of my hairs from out of my head and tickled her hand with it. Shirley would just grin. She was a good friend. A boy wearing blue sneakers liked to chase me around the playground. Sometimes he would sneak up and surprise me. That was fun too.
I learned one lesson early, but not soon enough. My classmates were playing a game where the girls would capture all the boys and put them in “jail” (until a boy tagged the boys in jail and set them free again). When all the boys were in jail it was time for them to capture all the girls. It was a fun game. I wanted to be the best so I thought of a plan. When a boy caught me I would struggle to get away before he put me in jail. Others started doing the same thing. The problem with my plan was that sometimes our clothing got ripped. The teacher told us there was a new rule. We couldn’t try to break away any more. I was sorry I started that idea of breaking away. I was sorry we tore our clothes.
I had a best friend for a while and we played together every recess. But one day for a reason I never knew, she stopped playing with me. After that I was lonely in school. I played with the “left-over” kids because I felt left out. One day I thought of a good thing that was a bad thing at the same time. The good thing was that I was going to think really hard about who would be a good friend for me. I thought of all the girls in my class and decided to try to be friends with two really nice girls who didn’t seem to already have best friends. That was a good idea because we really did become best friends and did a lot of things together for a long time. I am glad I decided to choose good friends for myself.
But the not so good thing about it was that I stopped being friends with the “left-over” kids. That wasn’t right. I should have remembered how lonely I felt before I found my new best friends. I wish I was nicer to my old friends. I have felt sad about that for a long time.
School starts in a few days. I wonder what new friends I will have this year.
Copyright © 2008 by Janice Green
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