“Mother!” I yell through the screen door.
“In the Kitchen,” she said in a soft voice. Olivia Springfield was a sweet woman, who rarely yelled. Sometimes you had to listen closely if you wanted to understand every word said.
10 year old Alyssa Springfield burst through the kitchen door in such a matter that mother dropped her potato peeler. “ Alyssa, how many times have I told you not to run or slam doors in the house?”
“Bu- but Mama! I stammered. There’s a new -“
“ No buts about it, Alyssa. No excuses! I want you to walk to the porch and come back slowly in a nice manner.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” I said. I turned around and walked to the porch. Once outside I turned around and I opened the door quietly and walked to the kitchen, opening the door as told and shutting it the same.
“Good, and now what did you want to tell me”? she asked.
I was quiet, because I couldn’t remember. “Um um I forgot…" I racked my brain some more. “Oh yeah, there’s this new girl in school by the name of Joy Fisher. She’s really pretty! And well I want to be friends with her, but don’t know if she wants to be friends.”
“Have you asked her”?
“Not yet.”
“Well, why not”? she asked.
“I don’t know. I will yet.” I replied in a whisper.
“Okay Sweetheart, don’t wait to long.”

The next morning, I was excited! This is the day I would become friends with Joy. I was about to run down the stairs when I remembered Mothers words yesterday, and I couldn’t lose precious time so I walked. “Good Morning Mama! Good Morning Daddy!”
“Morning Honey!” they said in astonished. “How are you this morning”?
“Great! I exclaimed. And a little nervous.” ?
“I’ll say!” my older sister Betsy announced. “You were moving and talking so much at night, that I almost fell out of bed. You kept saying “ please or you want to be friends?.”
“Whatever.” I quick ate my breakfast and starting walking to school. We went to Mr Greenly’s Elementary School. It was about a quarter a mile down the block. I saw Joy on the front step talking to Laura White, a really nice girl in the 5th grade. I ran quick to Laura’s side and said “Hi, Laura. Hi Joy, I’m Alyssa Springfield from up yond- , I had barely said the word when Joy bursted out, “I don’t care who you are!”
I was so surprise that I almost fell backwards. “Bu-but” I didn’t finish my sentence in fear that if I would I might plunge backwards all the way. I walked up the steps to room 5, which was the 5th grade. I sat down in my usual spot and stared at the board. I couldn’t believe it. This girl, a pretty girl, was cruel. My morning excitement went down the drain. “Mean.” I whispered quietly. But apparently not quiet enough. My neighbor whispered, “What”? Her name was Dora White. Laura White’s twin sister.
“Nothing, just talking to myself,” I answered softly. Right then Joy walked in and glanced around. She spotted Alissa Dotter, a rich, brown eyed girl who loved pleasant things. Joy picked a seat right next to Alissa and started talking to her as if they had known each other forever. “Hey Alissa!” I heard in the distance. What does Alissa have that I don’t? Everything. Thinking I said again, Everything.
School continued in a blur. Math, LA, and reading was just a bunch of blurry lines, popping off the page saying, I don’t care who you are. I did my best to listen, which wasn’t easy. At recess I sat on the swings alone. Listening to Joy chattering with Alissa. I could hear her saying, “Look, at this necklace my Mother bought me. Isn’t it pretty?” and with Alissa answering, “Wow, I got one just like it, but with a blue diamond!” I walked off not wanting to hear another word.
School ended at 4:00 and I ran home, not even waiting for Betsy. “Alyssa, Alyssa!” I heard Betsy yelling behind me. “Wait for me!”
I ignored her and kept running. “Mother!” I cried. “ She’s rude!” I yelled still not believing it.
“Slow down Alyssa! You’ll fall and break something.” Mother exclaimed as I bursted through the door. “What’s the rush”?
“You know that girl I was talking about yesterday?” I asked in a hurry.
“What about her”? Mama asked.
“Well, she’s the meanest person in the world! I was introducing myself when she interrupted me and said she doesn’t care who I was. I hate her!” I yelled in one breath.
Mother gave me a disappointed look, and when she didn’t say anything I knew I had it coming later. I walked to my room in a depressed mood. All I wanted was a friend, I said in my head. As long as I can remember I had never had a friend I could walk to school with, share secrets, or laugh with. I had never had a best friend. I don’t know what was wrong that everyone hated me.
Maybe it was because I was from a indigent family. We weren’t really poor. But people called us poor. Many times as we walked to the grocery store, we could hear people talking behind our backs saying, Look, there goes the Springfield’s. I wonder if they will be able to pay for what they need or charge it?. And every time we would keep walking like they were talking about someone else. I didn’t know why though. I guess I’ll never understand my family.
“Alyssa!” I heard mother calling. “Come help with supper.”
“Coming!” I yelled back. For I knew if i didn’t help then I wouldn’t eat. That was the number one rule in the Springfield house. No work, No eat. I hurried down the stairs and got a cloth to wipe the table. I knew mother wasn’t happy with me, so I let Betsy rattle on without me interrupting. Pretty soon Daddy and Steve would come in from work. My other brother Tyler was working in California. He should be back in a couple weeks. Our meal consisted of corn on the cob, potatoes, and chicken. Umm my favorite. The men came in and Daddy said the blessing. “Dear heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the meal before us and the warmth of our home. We thank thee for our friends and family. In Jesus name, Amen.” and we started eating. I ate slowly at first and then noticed there was no point in being scared of what was going to happen afterwards. Probably just a speech of some kind. “Alyssa, come into the living room!” Daddy yelled after supper.
I quickly walked into the living room, not wanting Daddy to wait. “Yes”? I ask innocently.
“Mother says, you hate this new girl in school.”
“Well, kinda hard not to since she’s really mean”.
“Well, maybe she has a reason to be.” Daddy said quietly.
“What do you mean?” I asked wondering what he was going to say next. 
“Well, maybe she has an easy life and doesn’t know how to be nice. Maybe her family lets her do whatever she wants and never taught her the way of our Lord.”
“She doesn’t have to be that mean though.” I stated.
“I know. Try at least.”
“I’ll try” I promised.
“ And I never want to hear you say that you hate someone again. Got that”?
“Yes sir.” I trudged away with my head down. Halfway to the stairs, he called to me again.
“Oh, and darling remember something for me. Rich folks have a heart too, you just can’t see it behind their wealth.”
That really got to me. Those few words changed my expression of Joy. Maybe they would change her way of life too.
Morning came before I knew it. I quickly slipped on my dress and went downstairs. Breakfast was eggs and bacon. I devoured mine and started off for school. I didn’t see Joy when I got there, so I had enough time to get myself together. I walked to grade 5 and looked around. Joy was sitting be- side Alissa, talking a mile a minute again. “These socks cost me $20 and this dress came from Paris. Oh and where did you get those shoes?” I walked up to them and said something I thought was nice. “Hi, I really like your outfit!” and I smiled. Joy looked at me and then down at herself. “I know right!” she fluffed her hair and smoothed her dress. “To bad you don’t have a nice dress.”
I smiled and walked to my desk. She didn’t know how much those words had stabbed me. Who cares that I don’t have a nice dress. I say something nice and get something nice back in her mean way. I remembered Daddy’s words. And decided to try again later.
Lunch came and I took my tuna sandwich to where Joy was eating a hamburger. “Hi, mind if I sit here”?
She looked at me and said, “You just don’t get it, do you”?
I ignored her remark and sat down, trying to make conversation. “Where do you buy all your clothes”?
She ignored me and so I tried again. After I had repeated the question, she looked at me and answered, “Paris.”
“Wow, that’s far away!” I exclaimed in a sweet voice.
She looked down at me and asked the question I had been waiting for. “Why are you still talking to me like I never said anything mean to you”?
I looked into her eyes and said, “The first day I saw you I wanted to be friends. You don’t know how much you hurt me that first day. I went home in a depressed mood. I told my mom I hated you. Daddy had a talk with me once he got home and told me to try to be nice and then he said something else. He said for me to remember that rich folks have hearts too, but you can’t see it behind their wealth.” This really got her attention. She got up and went inside. I went back in after thinking about if I had reached within her heart.
It was very warm outside when school let out. I walked home alone since Betsy had wanted to clean her desk yet. I helped make supper without being asked. I set the table and waited for the men. When Daddy got home he seemed in a surprised mood. He came straight up to me and put a purple diamond necklace in my palm. I looked up at him in surprised. He smiled and said, “Later.”
We ate a meal of drumsticks and mash potatoes. I cleaned the table quickly. Once done, I hurried into the living room and waited for Daddy. Daddy came shortly after and said, “You must have said something to Joy, because coming home today I saw a new girl standing on the sidewalk giving away all her precious riches. Everything she didn’t need. She stopped me once I walked by and said, “Mr. Springfield”?
“Yes.” I had answered.?She only said a couple words. “Give this to Alyssa, please”?  “I think she wants to be your friend.”
My tears ran down my cheeks. “Friends.” I whispered.
I woke in the morning to my Mother yelling, “Alyssa, Joy’s here.” Joy. Joy was at my house. I dressed and ran downstairs. Joy was standing by the door. “Hey!”
“Hey, Alyssa. Thanks for what you said. I can’t believe I had to be told.” She smiled a real smile. “Want to walk to school together”? And both their lives were changed forever!

“Just say what you think and you might changed something or someone.”:);)