Sam's family had just moved to a new town. Today was his very first day at a new school. His tummy felt full of butterflies.
Everyone already seemed to have friends. They laughed and walked in together. Sam did not know a single person.
The New Kid
In class, Sam stayed very quiet. He did not know what to say. So he just looked down at his desk.
At lunch, he sat by himself. He poked at the food on his tray. He missed his old friends back home.
At recess, Sam stood by the fence all alone. The other kids were playing kickball. They ran and laughed in the sun.
Sam watched the game go by. He really wanted to play too. But he was too shy to ask.
Then a girl saw him standing there. Her name was Zoe. She jogged right over with a big smile.
“Want to play with us?” she asked. “We need one more kid for our team.” Sam smiled and said yes.
Sam stepped up to the plate. The ball rolled fast toward him. He kicked it as hard as he could.
WHOMP! The ball sailed across the yard. His new team cheered and clapped. “Nice kick, Sam!” they yelled.
Walking home, Sam could not stop smiling. He had made a new friend. He had a whole team now.
A new school was not so scary after all. Not when someone was kind. Not when someone said, “Come play with us.”