As Jessica dragged me along, my heart fluttered with joy. She wanted to be my friend! But that joy was tinged with a small sting of realization—it had only taken one ice cream to earn her friendship, while I had spent three long months trying every trick I could think of to make friends. All my previous efforts seemed pointless in comparison, but at that moment, I didn't care. I was too happy to dwell on the unfairness of it.
When we reached the cafeteria, Jessica stopped abruptly in front of Emerald and Amelia, who were lounging at a table. Their laughter quieted as Jessica chirped, "Emerald, Amelia! Look! Hope gave me her ice cream. Let's make her our friend. She's really nice!"
Emerald raised an eyebrow and studied me for a moment. Then, she smiled. "Really? If Jessica says so, I'd love to have..."
Before she could finish, I interjected, "Hope. My name is Hope Steeve."
"Yeah, Hope," Emerald repeated, her voice as bright as her smile. "You're our friend now." She threw her arms around me in an unexpectedly tight hug, giggling as I struggled to breathe.
"Welcome to our group, Hope Steeve," Amelia added with a sip of her orange juice, her tone casual but kind.
I laughed nervously as I caught my breath. "I'm so happy we can be friends," I said, my voice shaky but sincere.
Emerald clapped her hands. "Come on! Let's go to our spot by the fountain. We'll talk about our hobbies and get to know you better. You can tell us all about your favorite things too, Hope."
Before I could answer, they dragged me outside. I wasn't a big fan of being tugged around like a doll, but their enthusiasm was contagious. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was part of something.
We reached the fountain, a beautiful centerpiece of the schoolyard. Its water sparkled in the sunlight, and the soft splashing sounds felt soothing. A wooden bench stood beside it, and we all sat down.
"Isn't the fountain lovely?" Jessica began, her eyes glimmering. "They say it grants wishes if you throw a coin in it!"
"Really? That's just a silly rumor," Amelia scoffed, though her smile betrayed her amusement.
We all laughed before moving on to another topic—pets.
"I love dogs, especially big ones," Amelia said, spreading her arms to show just how large her dog was. "My pet Rufus is a huge white fluffy dog. He's like a giant teddy bear!"
Jessica gasped. "Wow, you're so brave! I'm terrified of dogs. I know they're supposed to be man's best friend, but I just can't trust them. Oh, but I love birds! I have two budgies at home, and they're the cutest. They even laid an egg recently!"
Emerald chimed in next. "Dogs and birds are fine, but I'm more of a fish person. They're so graceful and beautiful underwater. My pet fish, Goldie, has the prettiest colors you've ever seen. What about you, Hope? What do you like?"
Caught off guard, I stammered. "Uh… well, I don't know much about dogs, birds, or fish. They're all animals, and I love them equally, I guess."
Their faces fell slightly, making me panic. "B-but I do have a favorite!" I blurted. "Cats! I have a small kitten at home. I found her in the park, and she didn't have a home, so I… adopted her. I named her Mr. Whiskers."
Emerald's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh! That's so sweet of you! Taking in a stray and giving it a home. You're such a kind soul, Hope."
Her words warmed my heart. From there, the conversation flowed effortlessly. We shared stories about little acts of kindness we'd done and laughed over random things. Before I knew it, the school day had ended.
Back Home
I was buzzing with excitement when I got home, hopping around the living room and humming a tune. Marie approached me with a curious look.
"How was your day? I thought you'd be gloomy since I wasn't there with you during the break," she teased.
"Why would I be gloomy?" I said, giggling. "I made friends today. Three friends!"
Mom overheard and chimed in, her face lighting up. "Oh, really? That's wonderful! See? I told you to be patient, and eventually, you'd make friends."
"You were right, Mom! We talked about so many things—pets, hobbies, and random fun stuff. They're so nice! I told them about Mr. Whiskers, and Emerald, Jessica, and Amelia told me about their dogs, birds, and fish. It was such a fun day!" I spun around the room, too giddy to sit still.
Marie suddenly froze. "Emerald? You mean Miss Collins's daughter?"
I stopped spinning and nodded eagerly. "Yes! Miss Collins's daughter. She's so pretty, Marie! She has these big green eyes!"
At my words, Marie exchanged a strange look with Mom. A heavy silence fell over the room. Mom's smile wavered, and she seemed lost in thought. Then, she walked over, picked me up, and kissed my forehead.
"That's great, sweetheart," she said softly, setting me back down. "Now go upstairs and help your brother with his homework."
"Okay! But after I'm done, I'll tell you more about my day, Mom!" I chirped as I ran upstairs.
Despite her calm tone, I knew Mom wanted to talk to Marie alone. My curiosity got the better of me, so I sneaked back down and listened from behind the kitchen door.
"Marie, I told you to keep an eye on Hope so she wouldn't get too close to Emerald," Mom said, her voice low but firm.
"I did, Mom!" Marie replied defensively. "But I had an extra math class today. I didn't think Hope could make friends with Emerald in just one break."
"Well, she did," Mom muttered. "Don't you remember? Miss Collins is your Aunt Denise's best friend. Denise has always been petty and vindictive. What if she tries to use Emerald to hurt Hope?"
Marie sighed, crossing her arms. "Mom, Emerald is just a kid. I don't think Aunt Denise would go that far. Besides, Emerald seems nice enough."
Mom's voice rose slightly. "You don't understand. Your aunt is capable of anything. I told your father this school wasn't safe, but he said I was overreacting."
Marie chuckled, shaking her head. "Maybe Dad's right. You are overreacting."
"Don't you dare take his side!" Mom snapped, throwing a wet towel at Marie. Marie dodged it, laughing as she ran to the TV lounge.
"That's right! Laugh now, but you'll see I was right all along!" Mom yelled after her, though a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.