School was starting soon, and I was excited. I was going to a brand new school, and wanted to make a lot of friends, especially because I didn’t have any brothers or sisters . I was awake the whole the night before my first day of school. What will people think of me, I thought? Will they like me? Will I have friends? Oh, well, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. Soon it was time to get up, and Mommy came in my room to help me get ready. I wore my beautiful new pink dress and my special necklace that had my name, Amanda, on it. Mommy said I was going to be the prettiest girl in the class, and she drove me to school. Mommy walked me to my classroom, and she said goodbye. After I sat down, the teacher came in and said,” Welcome back, boys and girls. My name is Mrs. Thompson . Now I would like everyone to take turns and tell the class your name.” Oh no, I thought. Now people are going to stare at me when it’s my turn. After the girl in front of me finished saying her name, I felt my face getting red, and I could hardly talk. I told everyone my name, but the teacher said,” Please repeat your name and speak louder so that we can hear you.” I said my name again a little bit louder, but I was soooo embarrassed! When I got home from school, Mommy asked me how my first day was. “It was okay, but I didn’t make any friends today,” I answered. She said, “Don’t worry, Amanda, you will make friends. Some people make them right away, but for other people it takes time. I am sure you will have friends soon .” I showed Mommy a letter that Mrs. Thompson gave to everyone in the class. “Here, Mommy, there is an “Ice Cream Social” at our school on Friday night. My teacher is going to be there and the people in my class. Everyone gets to eat ice cream and meet new friends. Parents can go too, and it sounds like fun. Do you want to go?” I asked. “Sure, Amanda , it’s always nice to meet new people,” she answered. “I’ll ask your father if he wants to come too.”
All three of us went to the “Ice Cream Social,” on Friday night. It was very crowded, and it seemed like everyone was talking at the same time. I just stood next to Mommy and Daddy while they met some of the other parents and my teacher. I was so happy because they had my favorite ice cream- chocolate chip, and you could have as much as you wanted! We had a good time, but I didn’t talk to anyone. I got used to the new school, and I was learning a lot, but I wasn’t making any friends. It seemed like no one wanted to talk to me. When I went to the cafeteria to eat my lunch, I always sat next to a group of girls from my class. They would all talk and laugh with each other, but no one would say anything to me. Sometimes, when I came to the table, they would all stop talking and just stare at me for a while. I became so sad. Why didn’t anyone like me, I thought? One day, when I came home from school , I asked Mommy, “Am I ugly? What’s wrong with me?“ She said , “Of course you’re not ugly, Amanda. Why would you ever think something like that?” I answered, “No one ever talks to me at school. It seems like everyone knows somebody, except me. Maybe there is something about the way I look that makes people not want to be my friend.” She answered, “Amanda, don’t forget that you are new to the school. It may take time for people to get know you. Are you talking to anyone first, or are you waiting for someone to speak to you? “ “It’s very hard for me to talk to people who I don’t know. If they don’t talk back, I will feel so embarrassed,” I said. Mommy said, “I know it’s difficult for you, but how can you make friends with people if you don’t talk to them? Maybe you can tell someone your name and the things you like to do. Just give it a try!” “Okay, Mommy , that sounds like a good idea. I’ll try that tomorrow,” I said.
The next day at recess, I saw two girls playing on the swings. I started to walk over to them, but I felt scared to say anything, so I just stood there for a while and watched. They’re probably wondering why I’m looking at them, I thought. Maybe they won’t want to play with me, but then I remembered what Mommy told me yesterday. I said to them, “Hi, my name is Amanda. I can swing really high. Can I play too?” I don’t know if they heard me because they just stared at me. Then one of the girls came up to me and said, ”Are you talking to us? We can’t hear what you are saying.” I told them my name again, and talked louder, “Can I play with you? I can swing all the way up to the tree over there!” “No, we don’t need anybody else,” she answered. I didn’t know what to do and got so upset that I ran far away so that they couldn’t see me, and I started to cry. When I came home, I told Mommy , “I did what you told me to do and asked a girl at recess if I could play with her and her friend on the swings today, but she said no!” She said,” Try not to be so upset, Amanda. Don’t give up just because no one was friendly to you today.”
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