┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ 🔮⛓🪩 ༉‧₊˚✧ ꒰ 𝓓ancing 𝓠ueen ꒱

𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗎𝖾 ⎯⎯ 𝗌𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖽 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝖽𝖾

VENUS TORRES sat humming a tune as she helped her teacher organize papers. An everyday activity for the seven-year-old. Every day she would ask if her teacher needed any help during recess. Unlike the other kids, Venus didn't stay because she had to do work; she just didn't like going out to play, for she had no one to play with.

"Venus, sweetie, why don't you go out today?" Miss Lily would always try to get her to go outside. She was worried for the young girl. The teacher noticed that Venus sat quietly while the other kids would talk with each other during class. No matter how hard she tried to get the girl to talk to people her age, Venus always ended up alone.

"I don't want to," Venus mumbled, putting her head on her palm.

"Why not? I'm sure you'll have fun." Miss Lily smiled encouragingly at her.

"I don't have any friends to play with." She stared down at the table.

"You could make some! How about you talk to Eli and Demetri? Maybe they want a new friend!" Miss Lily pointed at a boy with dirty blonde hair and dark hair who sat talking to each other.

"I don't want to. It's scary." Venus looked at the boys and frowned.

"Why is it scary, sweetie?" Miss Lily grabbed a pen and a piece of scrap paper.

"What if they don't like me?" She told the older woman.

"Venus, you're a very nice girl. I'd think they like you very much. Is that the only thing?"

"What if they laugh at me. They did before." Venus sighed.

"Demetri and Eli?"

"No, the other kids. They laughed at my shoes." Venus sighed. Her shoes had been a bit too big for the girl and had a few rips. She would always trip over them.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The teacher furrowed her eyebrows, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it." Venus starred up at her teacher and shrugged.

Miss Lily sighed, "You can tell me when those kids start being mean to you. It won't be a big deal. But for right now, you should go try to talk to Eli and Demetri."

"Do I have to?"

"Venus, I promise you that they will be nice! Just try your best, and if you get too scared, you can come back over to me." Miss Lily assured her.

Venus heaved a sigh and stood up, beginning to make her way to the pair. When she reached the table, the boys starred up at her curiously. The one with the light brown hair held a hand up to his lip.

Glancing over at Miss Lily, who smiled at her in encouragement, the girl tightly held her hands together behind her backs and shyly mumbled out, "Um- Hi, my name is Venus."

They turned to look at each other for a second, having a conversation with their eyes. Then they turned back to the girl.

The dark-haired boy smiled before sputtering out, "Hi Venus, my name is Demetri, and this is Eli."

Taking in a deep breath, the girl loosened the grip on her hands and gave a small smile, "Can I sit here?"

Demetri nodded quickly; the boy was quite excited to make a new possible friend. He knew that Eli was too.

Venus sat in the chair next to the boy, who now removed the hand from blocking his face but kept his head downwards as he continued sorting pieces into piles.

"You could help us with our puzzle." Demetri told the girl, "Miss Lily said if we could finish it, we could get candy! If you help, we could get it done faster."

"I like puzzles." Venus hummed, beginning to help Eli sort the pieces out.

"Me too. Why aren't you playing today?" Demetri asked.

"I don't like to go play. The other kids are mean to me sometimes."

"They're mean to us too. It's mostly the third graders. But they haven't done it recently, isn't that right, Eli" He nudged the boy in his side.

Venus could almost see a slight smile on the boy's face as he nodded.

Demetri began asking the girl question after question, and she slowly grew more comfortable as they progressed on the puzzle. Even Eli chimed in on a rare occasion. When the bell rang for the kids to come back inside, the two boys and Venus separated, but when it was recess time the next day, they met again, finished their puzzle, and received the candy reward as promised before finding a new game to play. They even went out to play! It took the trio a few days before asking if Venus could move her seat between the two boys. With a bright grin, Miss Lily assured the three that she'd switch around the seats the next day. Since then, the trio has been stuck together.

001. 𝑨𝑼𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑹'𝑺 𝑵𝑶𝑻𝑬.      edited june 9 , 2022.
posted june 20 , 2022.