That Night √

62» That First Time

« THEN »

Grace hated school.

And that was just because she had no friends. It was the second week since she had moved in this new town with her parents, the second week in her new Primary School, and she still had made no friends.

"I don't wanna go, Mum." Grace clutched the hem of her mother's dress, tugging on it as they both stopped in front of the school gates.

Grace could hear the excited voices of the other six-year-olds behind her, already enjoying their day with their new friends and teachers. Grace wasn't excited, though.

"I don't have any friends!" She whined, tugging again on Jordyn's clothes.

Jordyn inhaled deeply before leaning down in front of Grace, placing her hands gently on her shoulders. "It's just been few days since the school started, Gracie. Who says you won't make friends today?"

"No one talks to me." Grace grumbled in response. She remembered going to a group of girls the first day of school. They had almost even befriended her.

Until Grace had thrown a massive tantrum.

"They will." Jordyn gave her a reassuring smile. "You just need to be nice."

"I'm nice all the time!" Grace complained. "I can stay at home, Mum. I can even babysit Jack." Even though Grace hated spending time with her one-year-old clingy brother, she decided that it was way better than going through a whole day of school.

Jordyn sighed again and shook her head. "No, Gracie. We're already at school now. You need to face your fears and go make some friends."

That's what her mother told her all the time, even though she knew as much as Grace herself that Grace sucked at making friends.

"I don't have any fears!" Grace responded in an offended tone. "And I told you, nobody wants me to be—"

Jordyn cut her off by giving her shoulders a tiny squeeze and turning her around, nudging her towards the school gates. "Come on now, no more complains."

"But why does Jack not go to school?" Grace crossed her tiny arms and let her mother push her towards the gates. "He isn't that small."

"He is, Grace."

"He's annoying and he cries all the time." She complained again and hated that she was getting closer and closer to those familiar gates.

"No more complains about your brother either." Jordyn scolded, although it was lightheartedly. "Besides, I don't think it's that hard to make friends."

Grace grumbled something unhappily under her breath.

"All right." Her mother stopped when they reached the gates and turned Grace around once again. "If you manage to make a friend today, I might even get you those yellow roller skates you have been asking for."

Grace's eyes widened at that. "What?"

Jordyn would've repeated her words if only she hadn't heard the bell ringing. She straightened up before placing a small kiss on top of Grace's blonde head.

"Will you actually buy me that, Mum?" Grace was practically jumping in excitement now. All the misery she had felt for her school was gone all of a sudden.

Jordyn nodded and smiled at her. "Only if you make a new friend."

Grace straightened up and nodded obediently. "It won't be that hard, Mum. Just a friend. What could be easier than that?"