Beside the sunny schoolyard wall, a new classmate sat alone. Killa rolled a bright ball across the dust. Bonk!
Killa pointed toward the swings and slides. “Play?” The new classmate looked at the playground, then nodded.
They chased the ball past the swings. It slipped beneath the bench, and Killa reached after it.
Dust sprinkled Killa’s nose. “Achoo!” She giggled when the ball rolled out behind her new friend.
Killa gathered the class for a friendship celebration. Children clapped, tied ribbons, and tapped an Andean drum.
Then—whoosh! A strong gust lifted the ribbons and sent them toward the sparkling hill path.
Killa and the new classmate raced after the ribbons. They caught them just as the drum began to boom.
BOOM! The class clapped, laughed, and danced in a bright circle. The new classmate grabbed Killa’s hand.
Killa tied the ribbons around the schoolyard gate. Behind them, Andean music bubbled and bounced.
The ball bounced between Killa and the new classmate. Their claps matched, their laughter grew, and the bench became a place for two.
