Lina arrived at her new school. She clutched her backpack so hard her knuckles turned white. "Hi," she whispered. A butterfly fluttered past the window. The teacher smiled and pointed to an empty chair.
Lina walked into the classroom and found her seat. She sat down and stared at the scuffed floor. All around her, children chattered and laughed. She kept her hands folded on the desk and didn't look up.
A girl slid a blue crayon across Lina's desk. Lina looked up, surprised. Her fingers uncurled from her fists and she picked up the crayon. The girl pointed to the door and whispered, "Playground!" Lina followed her outside.
Outside, the girl pointed to the tallest slide and climbed up the ladder. Lina stood at the bottom, holding the blue crayon. The girl reached down and offered her hand. Lina took it and pulled herself up the ladder.
Lina slid down fast. Her backpack sat empty on the grass nearby. She landed at the bottom laughing. The girl high-fived her, and the blue crayon bounced in the dirt.
The girl sat down beside Lina on the grass. They watched the other children running across the playground. Lina held the blue crayon in both hands and smiled.
Later, the teacher called everyone inside. Lina walked slowly toward the door. The girl waited at her side and took her hand. They walked in together.
At her desk, Lina set the blue crayon down and opened her notebook. She picked up the crayon and began to draw. The girl sat at the next desk and started drawing too. Together, they made pictures on blank pages.
Lina showed her drawing to the girl. It was a picture of a slide and a butterfly. The girl showed hers too — two stick figures holding hands under a big blue circle. Lina laughed and pointed at the drawing.
The bell rang and the school day ended. Lina picked up her backpack and slung it over one shoulder. She turned to the girl and whispered, "Want to play tomorrow?" The girl grinned and nodded. "Yes!"
Lina walked out of the school building and into the playground. She climbed onto the slide and slid down fast. This time, she wasn't alone. The girl was right beside her, and they both laughed all the way to the bottom.
That evening, Lina sat at her bedroom desk. She opened her notebook and began to draw. She drew a girl with a blue crayon. She drew a slide. She drew a butterfly. And she drew a friend.