At school, Yueyue was slumped over her desk, staring blankly at the blackboard with lifeless eyes, almost as if she were in a daze.
Her best friend, Xixi, looked at her with concern. Yueyue had been like this for quite some time—not just for a day or two, but for a while now!
In the past, Yueyue would always drag Xixi along during recess, pretending they needed to go to the bathroom, even though the real reason was just to chat on the way.
But now, Yueyue just sat there, not moving from her chair, not even during recess! Even during class, she seemed lost in thought, getting called out by the teacher more than once lately.
"Yueyue, what's wrong with you these days?" Xixi couldn't hold back any longer and nudged her friend, worried. "You've been so down... Are you feeling sick?"
"..." Yueyue didn't respond.
But Xixi didn't give up. She kept trying to cheer her up. "If you keep getting called out by the teacher, she might tell your parents! Then you'll be in big trouble!"
As she said this, Xixi shivered a bit, clearly recalling her own experiences.
It seemed that the threat of getting in trouble with her parents or facing some discipline was enough to finally get Yueyue's attention. Her ears twitched, and she slowly turned her stiff neck toward Xixi like a robot.
Her lifeless eyes gradually regained some sparkle, and her mouth moved slightly before she suddenly threw herself into Xixi's arms.
"Alright, alright, don't be upset~" Xixi, trying to act like a little adult, patted Yueyue's back just like her mom did when comforting her. "If you tell me what's bothering you, you'll feel better~"
She then saw Yueyue lift her head, her mouth moving as if she was whispering something.
Xixi felt proud of herself for being so clever. Her mom's method really worked! But... what was Yueyue saying?
"Yueyue, speak up a bit louder, I can't hear you," Xixi said, leaning in closer to hear her better.
"I said, don't hit my back so hard!!!!"
Yueyue's sudden yell was like a lion's roar, making Xixi jump back and cover her ears.
"Geez..." Yueyue grumbled as she climbed out of Xixi's arms, "You almost knocked me out with your heavy-handed pats."
"Wah… Yueyue, you're mean!!" Xixi pouted, still rubbing her ears, feeling a bit wronged.
She thought maybe she shouldn't have tried to help her friend. Yueyue was like a black-hearted worm! Xixi was just trying to comfort her, but Yueyue ended up yelling at her!
"Okay, okay, don't be mad~" Yueyue leaned closer, apologizing.
"Hmph…" Xixi pouted, "If you want me to stop being mad, you have to tell me why you've been so down!"
Little kids don't hold grudges for long, and Xixi wasn't truly upset. She just really wanted to know what was bothering her best friend.
"Hmm…" Hearing Xixi's question, Yueyue's head drooped, and she started tracing circles on her desk with her finger. "It's just... I think my mom and dad don't like me anymore."
Her voice was full of sadness. "Lately, it's all about my little brother, my little brother, my little brother! Even my dad doesn't try to steal my snacks anymore!"
People are funny like that. Before, Yueyue used to hate it when her dad would try to steal her snacks, but now that he didn't do it anymore, she felt lonely.
It wasn't just about the snacks—her parents often seemed to forget about her in their daily lives too!
As Yueyue talked, Xixi's face lit up with understanding.
"So that's it…" Xixi nodded.
"Yeah! It's always about my brother now, they don't care about me anymore!" Yueyue was clearly upset. "When I was little, they didn't pay that much attention to me!"
It wasn't just the recent neglect; Yueyue felt it was unfair. Even though she didn't remember much from when she was younger, she knew that her mom had raised her mostly on her own, often not even coming home!
But now, her little brother had both their mom and dad taking care of him together. It didn't seem fair! They were both their parents' children, so why did her brother get all the attention?
Of course, Yueyue wasn't being unreasonable. She understood that her brother was still a baby, like a little porcelain doll that needed extra care. But still!!! Couldn't things be a bit more fair?
"So, is there anything I can do to make mom and dad pay attention to me?" Yueyue asked Xixi, looking at her with hopeful eyes.
"Hmm…" Xixi thought hard after hearing Yueyue's question.
Just then, their homeroom teacher walked in, holding a stack of papers. "Your gym teacher isn't feeling well today, so I'll be taking over this period. We'll use the time to go over your recent test scores."
"Sigh~~~"
The whole class groaned in disappointment, but the teacher quickly quieted them down with a sharp cough.
At that moment, Xixi's eyes brightened. "I've got it!"
"What? What?" Yueyue asked eagerly.
"Tests!" Xixi whispered with a mysterious smile. "Your parents always care about our tests. If you score 100 on a test, then go home and show it to them while being all cute, they definitely won't ignore you. Parents love good kids the most!"
Xixi added, "You could also help out with chores at home! I'm sure your parents would praise you for that too!"
"That's it!" Yueyue's eyes widened in realization. "Thanks, Xixi!" She was so excited that she reached out to hug her friend.
But then she noticed a shadow fall over them. Looking up, she saw the stern face of their homeroom teacher, whose glasses glinted ominously in the light.
"Yueyue, it's time for your test!" the teacher said, pushing up her glasses. "You've been getting called out by a lot of teachers lately! If you don't do well on this test, I'll have to call your parents!"
"Oh…" Yueyue's head drooped as she nodded, then she made a silly face at Xixi behind the teacher's back, sticking out her tongue playfully.
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