Mia and Marco walked past the brick school, their backpacks bouncing. Matheo pointed and laughed at Marco's wobbly shoes. The other kids giggled. Mia's shoulders hunched and she gripped her bag strap tighter.
Mia marched up to Matheo. "It's not nice to tease," she said. Matheo just laughed louder and walked away. Mia's hands fell to her sides.
Mia planted her feet. "Leave Marco alone," she said firmly. Matheo mimicked her stomping stance. Behind them, the swing set creaked. Marco tugged Mia's sleeve and whispered something.
Mia spotted a little girl shivering by the slide with no coat. She took off her bright yellow raincoat and offered it. Matheo froze, his mouth still open from laughing. The wind caught the hem of the yellow coat.
Mia draped the yellow coat over the little girl's shoulders. The girl stopped shivering and looked up at Mia with wide eyes. Matheo stared at the coat, his laugh forgotten.
"Can I play too?" Matheo asked, his voice softer than before. Mia paused, then nodded. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a jump rope. "Okay," she said.
All four kids took turns jumping on the warm sidewalk. Chalk drawings swirled around their feet. Matheo tripped and fell into a giggle. Even Marco smiled.
Mia skipped beside the others. Her yellow raincoat was gone, but she didn't mind. She had new friends, and that felt even better.