Lisa was not a very friendly kid.
Since kindergarten she has always distinguished herself as a very shy and silent child.
Her parents were worried, Lisa did not speak, did not express her judgments or thoughts, she looked like a lifeless doll.
She rarely smiled and most of the time she was forced to.
Her father couldn't understand it and her mother was desperate.
It was always like this, or at least... Until the beginning of the fourth grade, when a new girl was transferred to Lisa's school.
A little girl, hair as black as the night, beautiful eyes, reminiscent of those of a
cat.
Despite her 10 years, she was definitely highly recognized for her beauty.
At first impact, solar, always smiling, nice and kind.
Needless to say, she had stolen everyone's hearts.
Walking in the corridors on her first day, the brunette had attracted attention everywhere. Lisa's attention too.
Lisa was only 9 at the time, a year younger than the newcomer. But still meeting her was not difficult.
Lisa was quiet, in her usual place, under the shade of an oak tree as she watched the children play in the distance.
Like every time, some children tried to involve Lisa, and like every time Lisa shook her head, not saying a word.
The little girl with the appearance of a doll, was known in her year by her classmates and above all by the professors to never speak unless asked by the teachers.
It was probably shyness, or simply the fact that Lisa didn't like using her voice.
Lisa, alone, under her beloved tree, didn't really pay much attention to others, their faces, voices or actions, she just sat and stared into the void.
She had her usual dark, empty expression.
Apathetic.
Despite this, her eyes expressed. Millions of thoughts were spinning in her little head.
Maybe Lisa had so many things to say, too many, that's why she didn't speak.
It was like a block that prevented her from expressing herself, a block that was waiting to be removed.
From someone or something, this doesn't matter.
But what if it was someone?
Anyone suddenly? Someone Lisa would never have imagined for sure.
The doll's solitude and silence was suddenly broken. The sight of a short-legged brunette with long hair made its way into Lisa's visual radar. The newcomer stood before her, looking at her with curious eyes.
Lisa looked at her for a few seconds, just enough to understand one thing:
'Problems'
At the sight of Lisa the brunette in front seemed annoying, and probably a source of problems. So she listened to her brain and she just stood up, turned her heels and went to the other side of the tree.
As Lisa moved the little girl in front looked at her in confusion.
'Why?'
She thought with furrowed brows.
Unconsciously Lisa had increased the eldest's curiosity, who followed her to the other side of the tree exposed to the sun.
Lisa, feeling someone else's gaze on her, turned and met the brunette again. Silence enveloped them.
The noise of the children in the distance could not be heard in the slightest anymore.
"Hey?"
Approached the brunette first.
Lisa looked away quickly, ignoring her presence.
"Hey? I said hey? I greeted you, it is polite to answer"
The older one told her slightly impatiently.
A few minutes passed and still no response.
"Hey? Are you mute? You don't talk? Did the cat eat your tongue? My mother always says that but I don't understand... Can cats eat ours tongues? Isn't that awful? Why would they?... And how? It doesn't make sense..."
The girl sat down next to her ignoring the disapproving looks of the youngest.
"Do you think they can? Or is it just one of the stupid things adults say?"
'I don't think they can but it would be nice if a cat ate your tongue....'
Lisa thought, annoyed by the unsolicited presence of the other child.
"You know adults say a lot of nonsense, they are surely stupid. Once my mom told me that if I didn't go to sleep soon a bad bald man would come to get me.
I stayed awake but no one came. It was a lie. You know adults tell a lot of lies. I hate lies. They are ugly and bad, why do the older ones say them all the time?"
The cat-like girl asked, looking at the flowery meadow in front of them.
"My parents tell lies all the time, do your parents lie?"
She turns to Lisa still with a curious expression on her face.
Lisa doesn't even bother looking at her and instead continues to ignore her.
'If I ignore her, she'll go away, just like everyone else....'
But she was wrong.
"Hey! Are you really mute? Why don't you talk to me? Do I look bad? Don't worry I'm not, the teachers of my old school says I'm a little angel, even if I talk too much, but I don't think I talk too much, do you think I talk too much?"
'Why she keeps talking nonsense... It's annoying.'
Lisa moved away with her butt, crawling it on the ground, moving a few centimeters, hoping to make the brunette next to her understand that her presence was not desired. But it was useless as soon as the little girl approached her again, even closer than before, their arms were in contact.
Lisa was not very used to physical contact, except that of her parents and grandparents. So as soon as she felt her arm against the older one's, she jolted slightly, finally speaking.
"Get away please..."
The poor little girl whispered, almost frightened by the situation.
The brunette didn't pay much attention to the younger girl's reaction itself but to the fact that Lisa had finally spoken.
"So you talk! Thanks God!... thought you were really mute... Hey if you speak perfectly why didn't you say hello to me earlier? It is good education, didn't your parents teach you that? Oh and you haven't even answered any of my questions answer me! You have a voice that works perfectly fine use it! Well ... Perfectly maybe not... Could you turn up the volume when you talk? I can barely hear you."
The loud and close voice startled Lisa again, who decided to leave, no longer wanting to hear the tireless voice of the newcomer.
'She's crazy...'
But her attempt to get up and leave was violently stopped by a hand that pulled her down.
The Brunette wrapped her arms around her, as if to prevent her from escaping, while Lisa, upset, felt like fainting.
"Where do you think you're going!? Can't go until you answer me"
"Let me go"
"See you can use your voice in a good tone if you want"
"I said let me go!"
Lisa tried to shake the kitten off, to no avail of course.
Despite her size, the eldest had a strong grip.
"I can't, if I leave you you run away and you don't answer me, I can't afford it"
"Leave me!"
Lisa was crying, she didn't want to talk to anyone, let alone be so close to someone she considered a complete stranger.
"Answer my questions and I'll let you go!"
"Let me go and I'll answer your questions!"
Lisa screamed desperately.
She was thinking of convincing the eldest to leave her and then run away soon after.
Trick her would be easy, she thought.
And this time she wasn't wrong. The newcomer let her go and left her some space,while looking at her straight in the eyes.
Lisa was ready to run away when something in those eyes told her not to.
To stand still and keep her words.
'I hate lies'
The words of the other child rang in her head.
Lisa froze.
She couldn't move. As if under a spell she couldn't get up. She didn't want to anymore.
'I'm not a liar...'
"I..."
"I don't think cats can bite our tongues..."
Lisa finally said bringing back the first argument of the girl.
A huge smile made its way into the brunette's face.
"Do you really think that?"
"And I don't know why adults lie but my parents don't tell lies"
The child continued while the other watched her with a smile.
"See? You can talk normally too. You should use your voice more, it's beautiful."
The little brunette said standing up.
Lisa just stared at her dubiously, not knowing what the other kid was doing, as she suddenly reached her hand out for Lisa.
"Let's be friends! My name is Jennie! What's yours?"
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:D