Team+1

This is our story. I am Gage and my partner is Fallon. We are writing about two friends who have never met in person but who help each other out in a tough time.

The Friends by: Gage and Fallon

Brooke couldn't wait to get home so that she could talk to her best friend Shin-Li. She and Shin-Li had been friends ever since they met through a project they both participated in last year in second grade. Brooke's teacher, Ms. Barker, created a project that allowed Brooke and her classmates a chance to talk to students from China about how they deal with bullying. Brooke was paired up with Shin-Li. Shin-Li was a lot like Brooke, even though they did not come from the same country, religious background, or culture. Brooke played the piano and Shin-Li played the flute. Brooke enjoyed jumping rope and playing hopscotch. Shin-Li also enjoyed jumping rope and playing hopscotch. Brooke was a great speller and Shin-Li won the school-wide spelling bee for her school. The girls met everyday after school to talk about what they had been doing for the day. When Brooke would come home Shin-Li would just be waking up for school because of the time difference between Texas, US and Beijing, China. This day, Brooke came home, dropped her backpack at the front door, and ran to her room. She flopped onto her bed sobbing. Tears soaked her long chocolate brown hair and stung her big green eyes. She could hardly catch her breathe and felt as if she had choking on an invisible lump of steak.

"Why? WHY? Why did they do this to me? I never did anything to them to deserve to be embarrassed and hurt like that," she whimpered into her pillow that now had a large wet circle on the case.

Her computer binged a few times telling her that someone was requesting a Skype call from her. Brooke sat up, wiped her eyes, and walked over to her computer desk.

When she opened her laptop she saw that Shin-Li was calling in. Brooke didn't know how she was going to tell Shin-Li about what had happened, but if anyone could help Brooke, it was Shin-Li. Shin-Li always seemed to know exactly what to say to make Brooke feel better.

When Shin-Li's face appeared on Brooke's computer screen, Brooke burst into tears again.

"What's wrong," Shin-Li asked? "Oh, Shin-Li, three girls at school were mean to me today. They said that I am a nerd because I make good grades and I won a class contest in spelling today. Then at lunch one of them tripped me and I fell and spilled my lunch tray. After school, they followed me to the corner and told me that I would never have any friends because no one likes to be friends with ugly girls with stringy hair."

Brooke's words drowned in her sobs. Shin-Li wanted to reach through the screen and hug her friend.

"Don't worry, Brooke. Listen to me. My elder grandmama used to always say, 'A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials.' Do you know what that means?

Brooke just shook her head.

"It means," continued Shin-Li, "that we need bad things to happen sometimes so we can grow in our hearts. You are a great friend and I think you are smart, and funny, and beautiful. Don't let those girls bring you down. Allow them to build you up! Walk with your head high because you are very special and those girls need you to be a model for them. You are stronger than you think."

Brooke knew her friend was right. Shin-Li's words were like a bandage with magical healing powers that made all of the pain in Brooke's heart go away.

"Thank you, Shin-Li," Brooke said, smiling for the first time all day. "You are my best friend!" "You are mine," said Shin-Li.

The End