New Girl Energy

Mariza adjusted her red hoodie and walked through the crowded hallway of Kingston High. Students rushed past her, clutching books and chatting loudly about weekend plans.

"Watch it!" someone called out as a stack of papers scattered across the floor.

Mariza stopped and helped gather the scattered homework. The girl who dropped them had messy black hair that hung over her face like a curtain. She wore an oversized gray sweater that looked like it hadn't been washed in days.

"Thanks," the girl mumbled without looking up. "I'm Yamada."

"I'm Mariza. Nice to meet you!"

Yamada glanced around nervously as other students walked past, some snickering. Her cheeks turned pink.

"Don't worry about them," Mariza said, handing over the last paper. "Want to sit together at lunch?"

Yamada's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course! Everyone deserves a friend."

The bell rang, and students hurried to their next classes. Yamada clutched her papers tightly, a small smile breaking across her face for the first time.

Lunch Table Dreams

The cafeteria buzzed with the usual lunchtime chatter. Mariza spotted Yamada sitting alone at a corner table, picking at her sandwich.

"Hey!" Mariza slid into the seat across from her. "How's your day going?"

Yamada looked up, surprised. "You actually came."

"Of course I did." Mariza unwrapped her turkey sandwich. "So, what's your favorite subject?"

"Art, I guess." Yamada's voice was barely above a whisper. "But I'm not very good at it."

"I bet you're better than you think."

A few tables over, a group of girls laughed loudly. Their leader, Madison, had perfectly styled blonde hair and wore a designer jacket that probably cost more than Yamada's entire wardrobe.

"See those girls?" Yamada nodded toward Madison's table. "They run this school. Everyone wants to be like them."

Mariza glanced over. Madison was showing off her new phone to her friends, who squealed with fake excitement.

"They look pretty boring to me," Mariza said.

Yamada's eyes widened. "But they're so popular. They get invited to every party, everyone knows their names."

"Is that what you want?"

Yamada stared at Madison's table for a long moment. "More than anything."