Friendship Stories

The Girl In The Corner

I sat down at my seat. My class was going nuts. The teacher said we could have free time and she just left the classroom to talk on her phone. She didn't even ask for another teacher to come in! And to be honest, I was glad like all the other people in my ninth grade class.

I took out a book from my desk when I saw a girl sitting in the corner with a sketchbook and a pencil. She seemed lonely. I was tempted to get out of my seat, but I was a boy. If I went to her people would say that we were in love or something (my class has a strict boy and boy, girl and girl policy; otherwise they say you're dating. Immature right?) Anyways, I figured that some other girl would go and help her if she even needed it. She also seemed perfectly fine.

I was a few pages into my book when a friend of mine threw a paper airplane onto my desk. I rolled my eyes, then looked back to see if the girl had any company. None. She was still alone. I sighed. If no one was going to her, I would. I set my book down and went over to her. I actually didn't recognize her as one of my classmates in any classes. And I have very good face recognition skills. But she didn't look at all familiar.

"Hey..." I said.

The girl looked up from her drawing. I stuffed my hands in my pockets awkwardly.

"What are you drawing?"

She looked back at her paper. I waved a hand in front of her face. She stared at me coldly. Then she gave in and showed me her sketchbook. I flipped through a few pages. All of them were of her alone and other people in groups. One of her drawings was her as a crying ant and everyone else laughing together. I looked up. She retrieved her sketchbook from my grasp.

"You don't know my name," she stated flatly.

I didn't.

"No one knows my name, not even the teachers. I'm invisible. Even to my family. No one cares."

"Hey, that is not true."

She glared at me, her eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah? Prove it. What's my name?"

I was stunned at her tone. It was cold and icy, yet she looked so small and.... oh. I swallowed hard.

"I knew it," She said angrily.

"I'm sorry, there's just a lot of....."

"Excuses, excuses." her lower lip trembled slightly, "You already know all their names. Yet the only one you don't know is mine."

The teacher popped her head into the room and dismissed us for break. I turned back to  the girl. She was gone.

                                                                            ***

I caught a few of my friends in the cafeteria, "Guys!" They stopped to look at me. "You know that girl that was drawing in the corner today?" They looked at me with confused expressions.

I asked the same thing to my most observant friend Toby. His reply was another confused look. I sighed, that girl really wasn't noticed. Ever.

Then I saw her. She sat alone at one half of the table where it was pretty much empty. I pitied her and sympathized for her. So I went over to where she sat.

"What do you want?" she grumbled. Her eyes were red and her sleeves wet.

"I want to be your friend," I replied.

"I don't need friends."

"Yes you do, you just won't admit it. You say it through your actions. You're waiting for people to come over and talk to you."

"You say it as if you understand me."

I inhaled slowly. "Because I do. I've been in your place when I was in elementary school. I admit, I haven't had it as bad as you.... but I don't want you to be left out or ignored. I want to be there for you, like my friend that helped me..."

"Naomi."

I looked at her, "What?"

"My name is Naomi."

I smiled and Naomi smiled back.