As Nattie woke up to the sweet smell of buttermilk pancakes, she peered at the night stand beside her. The alarm clock glowed with blurry numbers. She decided to get up, follow the smell to the kitchen, and eat up as much as she could before she would have to leave.

Today 

    was

         the

             first 

                day

                     of 

                        Third 

                            grade!

When Nattie arrived to school that day, she noticed someone new... 

As the girl walked in, Nattie was captivated by her flowing hair drifting behind her and her bright eyes. Although she wanted to introduce herself, she felt nervous and unsure.

Unfortunately, Nattie couldn't concentrate for the duration of her classes. She found herself  using every chance she had to glance at the new girl. 

She even found herself getting butterflies in her stomach.

Nattie didn't understand why she felt so different about this new girl. She hadn't really been so easily fascinated with someone like this before.

While at lunch, Nattie consulted her friends about the butterflies she was experiencing. But with a loud, rigid tone, her friend replied...

What?!  No,  Nattie! That is weird!

Their words were as heavy as dark rainy clouds.

She felt her pale cheeks turning a bright beet red as her friends blurted out their words. Unlike before, she decided to remain quiet for the rest of the day. She felt rather embarrassed for bringing up the new girl at all.

I feel so alone

When she arrived home, she couldn't help the tears swelling in her eyes. Her friend made her feel like a spectacle, someone different than them. 

Nattie's mom noticed her puffy eyes and asked about her first day. Nattie explained about the new girl and what her friends had said. 

Mom, my friends made me feel so weird about it. I don't know what I did wrong to make them so upset with me.