Searching for Paradise

Friends for Life

"Hey, everybody! Come look at Beth!" A couple of kids turned to see what the commotion was. Before I knew it I had a small audience gathered around me. My face turned bright red. I hadn't meant to trip Morgan Hopkins, but Morgan was making sure it didn't happen again. I was small and very weak; Morgan had easily backed me up against a tree and now had a Sharpie positioned threateningly close to my chin. Normally I would be fighting her, but she had two kids holding my arms. Morgan had already drawn me a curly mustache and was about to start on a matching goatee when a loud noise broke through all the kids jeering and my protesting.

"What's going on here?" Asked a sharp voice directly behind Morgan. I dared to open one clear blue eye. It was a girl I had never seen before. Must be the new girl, I thought. She looked about my age, which was 9, and she had chocolate brown hair with big hazel, almost yellow, eyes. Her face was twisted into an emotion I can only describe as disgust. I hid my face in my shoulder and wished to disappear.

"What's it to you?" Morgan spat in the girls direction.

The girl's facial expression changed to rage. Her fists clenched at her sides and she stared at Morgan with such a hate that I felt fear for the bully. "Everything. Get away from her," she said nodding her head in my direction.

"Are you gonna make me?" Morgan said. This sounded like a challenge to me.

I guess it sounded like a challenge to the girl, too, because she took one step forward and punched Morgan square in the jaw. For a terrifying moment, everyone was quiet. Then all hell broke loose. Morgan lunged forward only to be thrown backwards; directly into me. The breath was knocked from me and I crumpled to the ground with a grunt. This only fueled the girl's anger. Soon she had Morgan pinned. She punched Morgan until she started crying and then she simply let her go. The crowd of kids drifted away soon after, bored. The fight was over.

The girl who saved me waited until everyone was gone before bending down to help me up. I blushed and mumbled, "Thank you." She simply nodded at me before moving to leave. "Wait!" I called out. She stopped and turned, giving me a quizzical look. "What's your name? Why did you help me?"

"Terra," She said, "you looked like you could use it." Her eyes widened and her lips curled upward into a small smile.

"What?" I asked. Was she laughing at me?

"You have a little something. Right... There," she pointed to her own upper lip. I blushed. Oh. I had forgotten about my curly mustache. I stammered over my words until she took pity on me. "Come on. I'll help you clean it off."

Terra scrubbed my face until only a faded mustache was left. It was still noticeable but it was better than anything. Terra frowned. "Does this usually happen?"

I shrugged. "Sometimes. I'm easier to pick on than the other kids." She threw away a paper towel and looked at me suspiciously for a minute before sighing.

"Well, I'm going to help you," The brunette said. She grabbed my wrist and began to tug me back out to recess. I stopped abruptly.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why are you going to help me?"

Terra sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair. "I used to get bullied, too. Not anymore. I don't take it anymore. I don't want you to get bullied. You're nice."

I giggled. "You're nicer," I said seriously. "Thank you for this, Terra. We're going to be best friends."

"Best friends forever."