Alice Parker

"How about if I give you a ride home, Alice?  Will that be okay with you?"  I asked.

She smiled.  "Thank you, Ms. Sarah," she said.

She really surprised me of how different she was compared to the other kids in her class.  They rode in their fancy cars to get home, while she just walks.

As the day was about to end, I kept my promise to her that I would give her a ride home.  We met at the parking lot across the school, and I waved at her so that she could see me from the school entrance.  She walked reluctantly, as if she was unsure of taking my offer to bring her home.

"Thank you, Ms. Sarah." She smiled as she hopped in the passenger seat.

"You're welcome, Alice," I smiled back, turning the engine on.

She opened her mouth to speak, but sighed and looked out the window.

"Where do you live?" I asked, cutting off the silence between us.

"I live in a small house over the hill by Willow Creek," she said.

"That's a very long way from school, sweetie," I remarked.  "What do your parents do for a living?" I asked, and she started crying.

"Mommy and Daddy..." She paused, wiping her tears, and I knew that I hit a very touchy topic.  "They're dead, Ms. Sarah! They're gone. C-crazy man hit their car!" She shouted, and I felt so much pity for her.  I stopped the car.

"Alice, I'm so sorry.  I didn't mean to..." I trailed off on the verge of tears, since I knew what it feels like to lose someone you love.  Before I could say more, she hugged me.

"Ms. Sarah, today was the first time that I smiled ever since Mommy and Daddy were gone.  Don't leave me," she whispered.

"I won't, Alice.  I won't," I assured her.  "Now, let's bring you home." I smiled at her.

"Annelise is my sister, and she takes good care of me, Ms. Sarah.  I want you to meet her," she said, wiping off the last of her tears and replaced them with a smile.

I met Annelise and Alice looked exactly like her.  They had the same brown eyes, choppy brown hair, and sad smile.  Their family really isn't much, but it's all they have, and they love each other.

I told myself before I started teaching that I would never play favorites, but I couldn't help myself.  It wasn't before long until Alice became my favorite student.  It turns out that she also lost people that she loved, just like how I lost my siblings to a serial killer.  And, day by day I began to like her more and understand her more.

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It was the last school day before Christmas vacation.  All the kids had taken their seats and had put a gift on my table.  Their gifts had been wrapped in the most beautiful and decorative wrapping paper.

"Thank you to all of you for the gifts," I said, entering the classroom.  "And, since it's almost Christmas, we will not have any lessons for today." The class cheered.

"Thank you, Ms. Sarah!" They screamed in delight, and I smiled at them.

"You're welcome.  That will be my Christmas gift to all of you.  You may all go out and play, but dress warmly," I said and they ran off to the playground just like every recess time.

Alice walked up to me and surprised me for the second time.  She held a box in her hands, and put it on my desk.  It was wrapped haphazardly in newspapers, but regardless of how it looked,  I took it, and held on to it dearly.