The Trials of Friendship
By E. Kay
Isabella was worried. Today was her first day at a new
school. She had just moved to Freedom’s Park a few days ago. Isabella wondered
what the school would be like, and the teachers. But most of all, she wondered
about the kids.
“Bella! Hover bus is here!”
Mom’s voice cut through Isabella’s thoughts like a knife.
She grabbed her stellar pad and ran down the stairs. There she strapped on her jet pack boots and rushed out
the door. She climbed into the hover bus and looked around. All the cool kids up
front didn’t want to sit near her, so she sat in the back with the unpopular
kids.
At school, everyone was flying around with their boots,
except for Isabella. She got many looks, some of which were will-you-look-at-her-clothes,
oh-look-it’s-the-newbie and bubble-gum-on-shoe. She dodged air currents and
feet on her way to class. Isabella arrived just before the tardy bell rang.
More bubble-gum-on-shoe looks. Ms. Starr, the teacher, got everyone’s attention
and class began.
“Class, listen up. We have a new student with us today.
Please try to make her welcome here. Isabella Moon, will you please stand up.”
Isabella stood. All of the students seemed to be judging
her. What would they think of her old red and gray stellar suit? Her ratty
black hair? Her plain brown eyes? Isabella attempted a smile and tried to
appear friendly. The class wasn’t fooled.
“Isabella, would you please tell us what planet or moon
you came from?” Ms. Starr asked. “And the colony, please.”
“Friendship Plaza on Mars.” Isabella whispered.
“Those losers!” hollered one kid near her.
The kids roared with laughter as Isabella sat down. Her face
was a brighter red than her suit.
“Class!” barked Ms. Starr. “Get to your blank screen and
zip it!” There was an audible snap. “Type your name, 2050, and then type a three
page essay about why we don’t tease others at school. I expect it to be turned
in by lunch.”
The students whined and groaned. There was a chorus of
“But Ms. Starr…”
Ms. Starr cut them off. “I don’t want to hear it. Get to
work, all of you. Isabella, you can type a paragraph about yourself.”
The only sound after that was the sound of fingers on stellar-pads. As she typed, she thought of how her day had been. She liked the
teachers. They were nice. She didn’t like the kids who teased her and gave her
mean and weird looks. She realized she was dreading school tomorrow. She shook
her head and got to work.
‘My name is
Isabella Moon and I moved here from Friendship Plaza on Mars. My favorite thing
to do is read and I live with my mom. My mom is an author and she works from
home. My favorite thing to do with her is go to the movies. My favorite movie
is Earthbound, the one about when humans could only live on earth. My best
friend lives in Friendship Plaza. Her name is Kelly and we used to tinker and
improve our stellar wear. I want to make friends here, but everyone is so mean
and I’m too shy.’
Isabella sent her teacher the paragraph and lined up for
lunch. At lunch, Isabella tried to sit with the other kids, but they would move
whenever she sat at their table. At recess she played alone. The whole school
seemed to have something against her. On the hover bus she sat alone. Even the
unpopular kids didn’t want to risk being caught with her.
At last she stepped off the bus and trudged into her
house. She tried to avoid her mother and crept into her room. She dropped her
stuff and crawled into bed. Her mother knocked on the door and came in. The bed
creaked as she sat on it. Isabella felt her hand running along her back. They
sat there for half an hour like that. Finally Mom spoke.
“How was school sugarcane?”
Those gentle words were all it took. Isabella broke into
tears and her whole story came out between sobs. Mom sat and listened to the
whole thing. When Isabella was done, she sat and held her for another ten
minutes. Finally, when Isabella stopped crying, Mom spoke.
“Bella, honey, don’t worry about what they think. Just do
your best to make friends. You’re you, not them. You can’t make them like you,
you can’t make them be your friends. But you have someone you can always count
on. God is always going to be your friend. Others will fail you, but He will
never fail you. You can rely on Him.”
Isabella nodded and rolled over. Mom left her room and
she went to sleep. The next day, she got on the hoverbus and everyone avoided
her like they did the day before. The only thing that had changed was
Isabella’s attitude. She smiled at everyone and ignored their jibes. She went
through the day with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She did the
same the day after that and the day after that. Slowly, the kids warmed up to
her. First, the unpopular kids became her friends. Then, the popular kids.
By the end of the year, Isabella had broken through the
walls that had separated outcast, unpopular, and popular kids. And in
everything, she always turned people to God, not herself. She is a godly
example to us all. Our trials may be different. Our trials may take longer. But
in our trials we too can lead others to God.
