Here is a continuation of the story about 9 year old Drew. Please enjoy!

After that first lunch, Drew began sitting at Derek’s table. He mainly listened to the boys’ conversations because he didn’t know much about football. For the first week that was all Derek’s friends talked about. He was interested, but he didn’t have much to say. Willy dominated most of the conversations. He made fun of every single football team except the Patriots. After a while, his jokes were becoming stale to Drew. But his friends always laughed along when he made his comments.

         

   After the first week, the lunch conversations turned to winter vacation plans (which was still 3 months away). This time, Drew added to the conversation. He said his family was going to Colorado to visit his grandparents, and Grandpa might take him skiing! He mentioned it would be his first time on a plane.

            “You can get really sick on a plane.” Willy commented. “You’d better bring a puke bag.”

            “They have those on the plane. When we went to Florida, they were in front of our seats.” Derek said.

            “That’s only because you flew Delta. They’re the only planes that carry those. You should check your facts.” Willy retorted.

            “Really? They had those when we were on American Airlines.” Tyrone countered.

            “No, they didn’t.” Willy said. “That’s something different. Stop making things up.”

            Drew wondered if Willy had ever been on a plane before. He noticed Tyrone didn’t say anything back to Willy. It was a pattern. Somehow Willy, and only Willy, could get away with saying backhanded things. He didn’t like that Willy had so much power over his friends. But he kept quiet; he was grateful he had a table to sit at, and he didn’t want to mess it up.

            During recess Drew would watch Willy’s friends play sports. They didn’t invite him to join, but they nodded at him after they finished. While walking back from recess, Derek would sometimes brief him about the game. He wished someone would invite him to play. He sometimes practiced basketball by himself in his driveway. His family lived in a small ranch house with a two-car garage in a large Connecticut town. Once he hit his dad’s car by accident. Drew checked and saw there were no scratches. He decided he would be more careful from then on. His game improved. He no longer hit his dad’s car, and stopped getting his ball into the bushes.

            Willy’s friends mostly played soccer. Towards the end of September, they began playing basketball. Drew longed to play with them. So far Derek was his only friend. Derek shared his Doritos with him during lunch, but he never invited him to play basketball with his group. Drew realized the only way to join the game was to ask. He didn’t want to ask, but he did want to play basketball.

            Drew imagined Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Rafael by his side as he approached the crew at the beginning of recess on September 30. “Is it ok if I join you guys?”

            “Sure!” Derek exclaimed. “Now we have even teams!” It was then that Drew realized there were only 9 boys on the court today. Derek said Drew could play on Willy’s team. It would be: Willy, Derek, Drew, Tyrone, and Chris against Sam, Jason, and 3 boys from another class. He was finally playing on a team!

            Willy stared at Drew, “I’m tired of being Center. Drew, why don’t you be Center? I’ll be Point Guard this time.”

            “OK.” Drew didn’t know what a Center was, but he was too excited to care. He decided he was going to pass the ball to Willy when it came to him. Willy was the best scorer; he rarely missed any shots. He was also 3 inches taller than Drew.

            Chris frowned, “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I want us to win.”

            “It’s an amazing idea!” Jason exclaimed. Drew realized Jason was on the other team.

            “He’ll be fine. He wants to show off his skills. We’re not starting at the middle this time.” Willy had the ball in his hand. He smirked as he dribbled it. Then he passed it to Drew. A moment of panic washed over him as he stared at the net all the way on the other side of the court. He needed to get past the middle of the court so his team would have the ball. And then he would pass it back to Willy, who could be counted on to score.

           

            Drew ran fast, and made it past the line. He didn’t dribble as much as he should have, but it didn’t matter. The ball was his team's!  That’s when he saw Jason charging him. Drew passed the ball to Willy. Willy dribbled a couple of times, and pivoted to avoid Jason. No one else was in his way. Drew stood behind Willy, waiting for him to score.

            Derek screeched, “Drew, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be close to the net!”

            Drew ran to the net. He wanted his team to win, and he was sure Willy would score. And then Willy passed the ball to him. Drew froze, and began dribbling. He looked for Willy, but he was behind Sam. A boy from Jason’s team stole the ball from him. Jason’s team won that point.

            Drew’s heart sank. He felt he let his team down. But he didn’t understand why Willy didn’t make the shot, especially since no one was blocking him. He decided he was not going to pass the ball to Willy anymore.

            Derek caught the rebound, and began running. He was super fast, and a much better dribbler than Drew. Sam waved his arms in front of Derek. Derek passed the ball to Willy. Jason tried to steal. Willy looked around. Tyrone was in front of Willy with no one blocking him, and Drew was behind Willy. One of Jason’s team members (defense) was right next to Drew. Willy passed the ball to Drew. Drew clenched his teeth. The defense tried to steal. Drew pivoted, and ran as fast as he could to the net. He attempted to shoot, and that’s when defense shoved him.

            “That’s a foul!” Willy shrieked. “Drew gets two free throws!”

            “Since when did we start playing by the rules?” The boy muttered. “We’ve never had penalties before.”

            “Since now.” Willy said. “We’re NBA now.”

            The boy passed Drew the ball. He felt dizzy as he saw 9 boys line up in front of the net. His team was depending on him. And he wanted to wipe the smirk off of Willy’s face. He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and threw. The ball touched the rim. Willy tossed it back to him. “Try to get it in this time. Pretend you’re good at basketball.”

            Drew tried to focus, but he was angry. He wanted Willy to shut up. This time the ball didn’t even make it to the rim. It was an air-ball. The other team caught the ball, and managed to score.

            Jason’s team won the game. After the recess bell rang, Willy and his crew walked ahead of Drew as he lagged behind. Drew heard Willy say something about “worst player in the world”, and everyone laughing along. He tried not to be upset, but it was hard.

            And then Derek caught up with him. “Was that your first time playing basketball?”

            “Not my first time, but I’ve never played on a team before.” Drew muttered. He felt partially responsible for his team’s loss. He should have made those two free throws.

            “I can tell. You’re not that good.” Derek grinned good-naturedly. “But that’s ok. I was horrible when I started in first grade summer camp. Willy was on my team. That’s how we met. He’s always been Center, and I was usually Point Guard even though we’re the same height. Willy’s been practicing since he was 3. The coaches think he’s the next Steve Nash. He makes everything seem so easy. I wish I could…” Derek said wistfully, then stopped. “Willy’s good at basketball, but he sucks at tennis. I beat him every single time at tennis. Then he throws tantrums after I win. We don’t play tennis anymore.”       

            Drew wanted to ask why Derek was friends with Willy, and why anyone was friends with Willy. But he didn’t. He guessed he would have to figure that one out for himself.

            On the ride back from school Drew’s mom, Julia, noticed her son was upset. His eyes looked droopy, and he slumped in his seat. He didn’t even bop his head along to Jason Derulo! Something was off. Julia decided she was going to wait until they got home to discuss the issue. Julia knew Drew responded well to chocolate chip cookies; she had baked a whole batch. They were for dessert, but Julia now believed they would come in handy earlier. And then she would tell him the surprise…

            After they were home, they both went inside the kitchen. Drew usually poured himself a glass of orange juice after school. His mom always bought healthy orange juice, the ones with tons of pulp. Drew hated it, but it was his only other choice besides water. He sat on the wooden table, drank it slowly, and thought. He wished Derek and Willy weren’t best friends. He wished he made the two free throws. He wished he knew what Center and Point Guard meant.

            Julia sat across from her son as he drank his Tropicana. She noticed the creases in her son’s forehead as he frowned. She noticed his little arms flexing as he lifted his glass to his mouth. For some reason, his arms looked slightly bigger than last year. Julia knew Drew had made some friends in school, but she had yet to meet them. She hoped they were nice to him, and overlooked the fact that he was homeschooled. Her son hadn’t experienced much trauma in his life. Julia and Zach were happily married, and never fought in front of Drew. The only form of punishment Drew received were time-outs and privilege removals. Julia knew Drew had it easier than she did as a child; her parents had forced her to go to a super strict Catholic school, which was why she decided to homeschool her son for 4 years. Ever since he was a baby, he had been a quiet, calm, well behaved boy (not counting the time he broke the living room window with his basketball).

Though he had not been through much trauma, she sensed her son was strong. He didn’t cry when his only friend Calvin moved to California last summer. He said he was going to make friends in public school. Drew had walked with his head high (hands slightly trembling as he clutched his backpack straps) into Ellington Woods Elementary School on August 30- a date Julia will never forget. Her son’s face was pale, but he reassured Julia that he would be fine. She will never forget his words, “Don’t worry about me Mom. I’m going to be fine. I want a little brother by the end of the school year.”

Now, a month later, strong little Drew was sad. Julia wanted to fix it, “What’s been going on Drew? Is everything ok in school?”

“There’s this guy, Willy, who picks on me. He’s best friends with my friend, you know, the one I keep talking about.”

“Derek?” Julia asked.

“Yeah. Willy’s mean to everyone, and gets away with it because... I guess because he’s good at basketball.”

“Did you play basketball with him today?” Julia questioned.

Drew scowled as he nodded his head.

“What happened? Do you want to talk about it?”

Drew shook his head. He didn’t like talking about his feelings. What he wanted right now was to put on his pajamas and watch Ninja Turtles. Michelangelo’s silly comments always made him feel better. 

Julia studied Drew’s downcast face and wondered what to do next. After a moment, she got up and bought Drew her batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies.

“I just made these Drew. I know they’re your favorite.” Julia put the plate down, and touched his shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I know you’re upset. It’s ok to be upset. And it’s ok if you don’t want to talk about it. But I know you’re a smart, strong little man, and you’ll figure it out. And if you ever want to talk, I’ll be here to listen.”

“Thanks Mom.” Drew munched his delicious cookies. He already felt a little better, and it wasn’t just from the cookies. His mom said he was a smart, strong little man, and that he could figure it out. And deep down, Drew knew it was true…        

“By the way, I have exciting news.” His mom said as she poured more orange juice in his glass. She waited for him to look at her before she continued. “We’re moving to a two story house on December 1!”

“Why?” Drew asked. He didn’t think moving would be a bad idea since most of their neighbors were grandparents, and nobody was even close to Drew’s age.

“Well, you might have a little brother coming soon, and we’ll need a bigger living space. Dad and I found the perfect house. It’s got a giant oak tree with a swing in the backyard! Dad’ll have to make sure it’s safe first though. And our new neighbors are nice. Their last name is Collins; they said they have a daughter who goes to your school. I’m pretty sure there’ll be lots of kids in the new neighborhood.”

For some reason, Chelsea popped into Drew’s head. He tried to remember her last name. But he brushed it aside; there was no way Chelsea could be his new neighbor…

After dinner and homework, Drew sat by himself and thought of what to do. He didn’t come up with a solution, but he wasn’t worried. He knew things would get better as he remembered the taste of warm chocolate chip cookie…

The solution presented itself the following day during recess. Willy was absent that day. The boys played dodgeball, and Drew almost won the game. He was the second to last person to get knocked out!

After the game Derek said he wished he had a basketball court in his driveway. Derek said he had five older sisters- three of them had boyfriends, and two of them desperately wanted boyfriends. And it didn’t help that his father traveled all the time.

Drew grinned as he pictured the scenario. Then he thought of something, “Derek, why don’t you come to my house to play basketball this Saturday? We have a basketball court in our driveway. And my mom makes great cookies.”

“Sure! I need more practice. And you could use some too.” Derek smiled, “Where do you live?”

“379 Byrd Drive.” Drew answered.

“Awesome! I live ten minutes away. I’ll ask my mom to drive.” Derek grinned, “And I can teach you what a Center does.”

  

My memoir Fall and Rise: My Journey to Happiness is on sale at Amazon now. My childhood was much more traumatic than Drew's, but everything I went through has made me a stronger person. I admire Drew's courage. My childhood self would have looked up to Drew.   

           

Amazon Book Link

Ever feel nervous? Stressed out? As a teenager I suffered from severe anxiety to the point where I missed school. In college whenever I would give a presentation I would stutter like Porky Pig with a retainer. My college peers usually looked confused when I gave speeches; sometimes they would turn their heads around to save me from further embarrassment. In April 2014 I joined Putnam Speaks Toastmasters. In July 2016 I became Club President. It took me a while to feel comfortable in front of an audience. Fear of public speaking (glossophobia) is the number one most common phobia; 75 percent of the population is terrified of public speaking. As a teenager, my anxiety levels were Mt. Everest steep. My stomach would constantly hurt whenever I was in school; I was terrified of peoples’ opinions.

After joining Toastmasters in April 2014, I set a goal for myself to complete 10 speeches in one Toastmasters year. (A TM year starts in July and ends 12 months later.) Since I gave my first speech in May, I had a slight advantage. I realized I didn’t have to give a speech every month to reach my Competent Communicator goal by July 2015. 

I used notecards during my first speech and practiced 10 times before giving it. It went smoothly thanks to my practice. Yes, I consistently checked my notecards but I didn’t let that discourage me. In high school, people laughed at me whenever I stood up and spoke. Now, the audience of Putnam Speaks Toastmasters laughed with me as I talked about my college experience (including the time I hiked in platform heels).

As a teenager I was a perfectionist; I would force myself to “study” for hours (it was more like staring at my textbook due to my poor concentration). I needed straight A’s. The longer I “studied”, the less sleep I got. When I didn’t get enough sleep, I wasn’t able to concentrate in class. When I didn’t retain my lessons, my grades went down. Ironically, staying up to “study” lowered my grades! Flash forward to May 2014. This time, instead of berating myself for using notecards during my first speech, I thought to myself, “Yanna, in high school and college you would have never volunteered to give a speech. You have improved a lot.”

When I did my fifth speech (I talked about “Accounting Basics” after finishing my online accounting course) I forgot everything I was supposed to say in the middle of my speech. This was the first time in my life I spoke about Accounting to an audience. It was also the first Toastmasters speech I completed without notecards. I spoke very fast due to my nerves, and that’s when I saw the confusion in the audience’s eyes. Seeing their confusion brought me back to my high school days, and I shut down in the middle of my speech. As I was pausing, I thought to myself “Yanna, you’re worthy. This isn’t high school anymore.” When I looked at the audience I saw they weren’t laughing at me, but merely waiting for me to continue. Some of them nodded encouragingly. I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and continued without a hitch. At the end of my speech some of the comments I received from my fellow Toastmasters were: “Great recovery!” “You seem to know a lot about accounting” “Chutzpuh!” My fellow Toastmasters are very kind people; they will point out the good in your speech even if you may not see it.

Had I thought negative thoughts when I forgot my lines, I might not have recovered. (Yanna, what’s wrong with you? You practiced so many times. I can’t believe you’re forgetting your lines!) I might have sat down instead of finishing my speech. Our thoughts are powerful.

I was able to give my remaining 5 speeches without using notecards. I saw improvements with each speech I gave. For my last 3 speeches I slowed down my pace after a fellow Toastmaster suggested I pause regularly.

Before I give a speech I think of events unrelated to a speech. I picture myself holding a surprise birthday party for a friend. The moments before I give a speech I imagine my friend opening the door, and being greeted with cake and sparklers. Excitement is a much better feeling than anxiety. When I give a speech I think “Yanna, you’ve practiced so many times. You’re ready. Even if you make a mistake, you’ll still be good enough.” When I stop demanding perfection from myself I begin to enjoy giving speeches! And when I enjoy my speech, the audience responds positively. It’s a win-win situation.

For people who want to improve their public speaking skills please visit www.toastmasters.org for more information. And if you live locally come visit Putnam Speaks Toastmasters! We meet first and third Wednesday of every month at 1 Fair Street in Carmel NY at 7 pm. Everyone in Putnam Speaks is very friendly. At my first meeting they all made me feel welcomed.

To conclude, don’t beat yourself up if you fall. Stop demanding perfection from yourself. And realize your thoughts can be your best friend if you choose so.  

My memoir Fall and Rise: My Journey to Happiness is available on Amazon. It goes further in detail about my struggles. My life story is not a fairy tale, but it does have a happy ending.     

Amazon Book Link

When I got back on social media I decided I was only going to post happy things. My Facebook posts usually end with a <3 or J. That has not always been the case. For much of my life I have been very unhappy and insecure. People who knew me through high school and college can attest to that. As a teenager I suffered from severe depression and OCD. Due to my feelings of extreme worthlessness, I attempted suicide when I was 16. In college I didn’t share much about my past; I was ashamed of it.

As a teenager I assumed I was going to have to live with OCD and take medication forever to control my symptoms. Several months ago I came across an article explaining the “broken leg” model of recovery. It explained there are people (myself included) who have made a complete recovery from mental illness- no medication, no therapy, no symptoms. This is not to condemn people who are receiving treatment. Anyone living with a mental illness is a soldier. According to statistics, that’s 1 out of 4 adults (26.2 percent of U.S. population). And yes, medication has helped me in the past. I advise people who are on medication to keep taking it.

My morning routine goes something like this: wake up, watch Law of Attraction video on Youtube (helps me stay happy), meditate for 20 minutes, say positive affirmations in the mirror, begin day. I find doing this first thing in the morning helps keep me on track for the rest of the day. It helps keep negative thoughts away; it helps me maintain a good mood. Whenever I don’t have time to meditate in the morning, I find time to mediate at night, but I always strive to get 20 minutes in.

I cannot say I immediately felt monumentally better when I first started this practice. But when I continued this, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, it has made all the difference.

This blog will be focused on happiness (big surprise there J). I will share with you whatever is on my mind, the stories I wrote, tips on maintaining happiness, entertaining tidbits, etc.

My memoir “Fall and Rise: My Journey to Happiness” is on sale at Amazon (link below). I wrote my life story to give people hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I believe if a girl (now woman) who attempted suicide at age 16 could find happiness, then so can anyone.     

Fall and Rise: My Journey to Happiness

Here is the first part of a story I wrote for Writer's Group about a 9 year old boy named Drew. For most of my life I attempted to "fit in", essentially trying to be somebody I'm not. My pre-teen self would have looked up to Drew. Even though he makes mistakes, he realizes the importance of staying true to himself. I hope you all enjoy!

Every recess Drew drank his juice box by himself in the sandbox. He would watch the other kids play while kicking tufts of sand with his sneakers. He had only been at Ellington Woods Elementary School for two weeks and already knew everyone’s names.

            Willy was the star athlete of the class. He ran the fastest, tackled the hardest, and kicked the furthest. During the first Monday of the second week of school, it became apparent to Drew Willy shined in other areas as well. He was an all around star.

            During the soccer game, one of Willy’s friends kicked the ball too far- so far it landed forcefully on the shins of a beautiful, big-chested sixth grader by the name of Chelsea. Drew was not the only person who noticed Chelsea. All the boys in Drew’s class talked about Chelsea as if she was a celebrity- that is, not for the likes of mere Fourth Graders.

            When the ball collided with Chelsea, she shrieked, “What the hell was that?” Her friends scanned the recess field for the culprit.

            The boy responsible for hurting Chelsea winced. “Oh crap. Should I say sorry?” He looked at his friends for support, possibly hoping, in Drew’s opinion, that someone else would take the blame.

            Willy shook his head, “Relax. I’ll take care of it.” Drew watched Willy saunter up to Chelsea. He spoke to her for a few minutes. Chelsea went from red-faced to nodding her head, and then airily giggling while flipping her hair- and she even brushed Willy’s shoulder before he turned back to his crew! It was then that Drew wished he had beyond perfect hearing so he could find out what Willy said to Chelsea. He noticed the look in Willy’s friends' eyes when he came back with the ball. It was the same look the firefighters gave the President of the United States when they met him face to face on television.       

            Surprisingly, Willy was also a star in the classroom. His short stories were lousy, but he always got A’s on math quizzes. “Yo, this is my third A.” Willy would boast while his crew high-fived him.

            “You’re so smart man. How do you do it?” His friend asked.

            “Well my dad went to Yale so I guess that’s where I got it from. He’s teaching me about binomials. He says I’m the smartest fourth grader in the world!”

            Drew’s dad also went to Yale- that is, he worked as an advisor for the Financial Aid office. He would tell Drew all kinds of stories about the students, but Drew never paid attention. Drew was nine years old and could care less about golf courses, and St. Tropez. What he cared about was making friends, but he didn’t know how. You see, Drew only had one friend his entire life.  Calvin and Drew had hung out every weekend until Calvin moved to California last summer. He was homeschooled by his mother until this year when she suddenly decided to get pregnant. Drew didn’t mind being homeschooled and his mom let him do whatever he wanted. She knew he was smart and well behaved, so she let him watch TV and eat gummy bears whenever he wanted.

            Drew was glad to be away from gummy bears for a while. After six years of eating them, they were starting to taste like cardboard. But he wanted someone to watch Ninja Turtles with. The first day of school he asked a tall boy in his class if he would come to his house sometime to watch Ninja Turtles. The boy scoffed, “Ninja Turtles is for nerds. I watch Family Guy.” Later he found out the unfriendly tall boy’s name was Derek and he was Willy’s best friend.

            
             
            
             Though Drew did not have any friends, no one was mean to him. Nobody tripped him when he walked. No one booed him when he didn’t make a catch. No one snickered when he answered Washington DC was the capital of Maryland. So far none of the mean kids scenarios he saw on television came true. Drew imagined it was because of the way he looked. He was neither tall nor short and had straight blond hair that was never poofy. His nose was like his mother’s- perfectly straight, and he had his father’s square jawline. He also wore t-shirts and jeans like everyone else in his class. Drew gradually learned these things prevented students from making fun of him like they did to poor Simon Baxter who was 150 pounds, had a lisp and a stuttering problem.

            He hoped one day someone would say something to him, but he had to wait until the third week of school for anyone to notice him.

            
             

            Drew was sitting at the end of a table chomping on his peanut butter and celery sandwich when a skinny, short brunette girl approached him. “Hey is it okay if I sit here for a sec?” The girl plopped down without waiting for an answer and started scribbling some notes in her notebook. He noticed the girl carried a sixth grade Math Book, and wore bright pink lip gloss and glitter eye makeup. The girl didn’t pay attention to him, but her head snapped back when another girl called her, “Rose, you need to hurry up. Mr. Cary will kill us if he finds out we 'borrowed' his book.”

            It was then that Drew noticed the “Teachers Edition” in bold print on the Sixth Grade Math Book. He looked up and saw Chelsea walking toward her friend, “Rose you seriously need to hurry up.”

            “I know. I only have two more pages to copy. I can’t fail this class.”

            Later Drew would give himself a pat on the back for how he behaved during the nerve-wrecking encounter. He didn’t drop his sandwich or open his mouth when Chelsea strolled over in her tight tank top and even tighter jeans. He didn’t blush when Chelsea briefly glanced at him- though he did look away. He managed to avert his eyes when Chelsea leaned over her friend’s head while hugging a copy of “The Secret Garden” close to her chest. Drew imagined he behaved just as Willy might have, had he been in the same situation. After Chelsea and Rose left, he noticed Willy staring at Chelsea and then at him from across the cafeteria. He couldn’t tell if Willy approved or disapproved.

            
              

             The next day Drew was sent to the principal’s office to fetch a trophy the class had won last year for the annual Tug of War contest. His teacher Mrs. Andrews decided he was a polite, quiet boy who could be trusted with the task. This was Drew’s second time in the principal’s office. The first time had been on the day before school at the New Student’s Meeting when Principal Dillinger shook his hand; Drew remembered the Principal’s hand felt slightly furry, almost as if he had hair growing from his palm.

            When he entered the Principal’s headquarters the woman behind the desk said he needed to stay in the waiting office because the Principal was busy. Drew sat on a navy blue chair and swung his feet in the air like he used to when he was five years old at church. His feet stopped moving when Chelsea huffed in wearing a light purple sundress with polka dots. She was accompanied by a tall, eagle-faced man with gray hair.

            She sat beside him. Her teacher sat beside her. Drew didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse that there were only three chairs in the waiting room today. He hunched his back and tried not to look at Chelsea.

            “You’d better hope Principal Dillinger is in a good mood today. Otherwise there’ll be much to pay. I think the maximum penalty for cheating is expulsion. Do you know what the definition of expulsion is Chelsea?”

            “A super long suspension. I’ll have gray hair by the time I’m allowed back in school.” Chelsea rolled her eyes.  

            “Yes. You got that right. But let me tell you this, your attitude will guarantee much worse.”

            “Whatever.” Chelsea muttered then turned to Drew. “Have you been here before?”

            Drew blinked, “No, this is my first time.”

            “Oh really? Whad’ya do?”

            “Nothing. I’m just here to get a trophy that my class won.” In the past few weeks Drew noticed Willy always had a set look in his eyes- like he was trying not to seem excited or interested about anything. Drew tried to copy Willy’s look.

            “You’re lucky. This is my third time here. The first time I was here was in third grade when I stuck gum on my teacher’s chair. She was a real nutcase.”

            Chelsea’s teacher cleared his throat. She shrugged her shoulders and continued, “I hated that teacher. I hate all my teachers, except for dear Mr. Cary of course.” She nudged her teacher and laughed.

            Mr. Cary narrowed his eyes, “I see you have mastered the art of sarcasm Chelsea.”

            “But I mean it. You’re my favorite teacher in the world. You always talk about the funnest things. Fractions and decimals are my best friends. I’d hang out with them if I didn’t have any human friends.”

            Drew turned his head so she wouldn’t see him giggle. Chelsea was the funniest, most gorgeous girl he had ever met. She was something out of a Disney movie- maybe Merida from Brave or Elsa from Frozen.

            “That’s enough Chelsea.” Mr. Cary warned.

            Principal Dillinger opened his door, “What have we here?”

            Mr. Cary spoke, “I have reason to believe my student Chelsea Collins took my math book and copied all the answers.”

            “I’m very sorry to hear that Lance. Do you need a new math book?” Principal Dillinger asked.

            Mr. Cary blinked “With all due respect Principal Dillinger. This is a very serious issue. A student stealing a Teacher’s math book is like a thief robbing a bank. The consequences should be very severe.”

            “Innocent until proven guilty.” Chelsea muttered.

            “What did you say?” Principal Dillinger turned to Chelsea.

            “I said I wouldn’t dare do such a thing. Mr. Cary is a wonderful teacher. And he always has nice things to say about the school.” Chelsea promptly replied. “I hope you can let me explain what really happened Principal Dillinger.”

            “Come on in.” Principal Dillinger opened his door. Then he looked at Drew. “What are you doing here?”

            “Mrs. Andrews sent me here to get a trophy for my class.”

            “Oh yes. I remember. Wait ten minutes. I have to finish with these two first. Come in Lance, Chelsea.”

            Chelsea sprang into the Principal’s office like a spring bunny. Mr. Cary skulked behind her. Principal Dillinger closed the door. Twenty minutes later Chelsea hobbled out with a downcast face. She had the same expression as Drew when his mom took away his Playstation privileges for an entire month. Principal Dillinger spoke to Mr. Cary, “I trust the matter is resolved.” Then he said in a quiet voice so Drew and Chelsea couldn’t hear, “Lance, if you make fun of my wife one more time in front of your students I will pin your ears to the back of your head.”

            “My ears wouldn’t stretch that far. They’re not made out of elastic like yours.” Mr. Cary clapped Principal Dillinger’s back. “Let’s go fishing this weekend Alfred. I’d love to see you and your wife.”

            Drew stretched his mouth. He almost laughed until he saw Principal Dillinger frowning at him. “Come in. I have the trophy for you. We could use some good behavior here. Chelsea, Lance goodbye.”

            On the way back to class, Drew hugged the trophy tightly and imagined it was Chelsea he was holding. This was his best day in school so far. He hoped every day could be like this one.

            
             

            The next morning Drew walked in class ten minutes late. Drew’s mom forgot to set her alarm. She added a Snickers bar to Drew’s lunch as an apology. There was only one seat empty in the classroom, and it was next to Willy. Drew saw Mrs. Andrews shaking her head as he sat next to Willy. He thought he saw Willy roll his eyes when he sat down. Drew felt worse about Willy rolling his eyes than Mrs. Andrews shaking her head.

            He caught Willy rolling his eyes at him again when Mrs. Andrews asked him what year America gained independence from Britain.

            “July 4^th.” Drew wanted to pound his head when he heard himself say those words.

            “No Drew. I didn’t ask for the day. I asked for the year.” Mrs. Andrews shook her head. Drew heard a couple of snickers from his classmates. His face turned Barbie pink. It became pinker when he saw Willy roll his eyes again. Drew didn’t say a single word for the rest of the class. He tried not to look or think of Willy.

            After class was over Willy tapped Drew on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m Willy. What’s your name?”

            Drew squared his shoulders, “Drew.” He tried to look directly into Willy’s eyes.

            “What school did you go to before this one?” Willy asked.

            “I was homeschooled.” Drew fidgeted.

            “Homeschooled? You’ve never been inside of a school?”

            Drew almost said “Of course not. Home schooled is at home. That’s why it’s called homeschooled.” But he didn’t. Instead he said “No this is my first year in a real school.”

            “Do you play sports?” Willy lifted his chin.

            Drew paused a long time before answering. He didn’t know if it was smart to tell the truth: that he spent most of his free time watching cartoons and eating gummy bears, and the only sport he was good at was fooseball. Willy started to get impatient after Drew did not answer. “Do you play any sports?” Willy drew out each syllable as if he was talking to a half-deaf person.

            “I play fooseball.” Drew decided it was better to tell the truth. His family had a giant fooseball table which was used often during weekends. His dad crowned him the “fooseball champ.”

            “I play fooseball too. I beat my friends every single time.” Willy boasted.

            Drew nodded his head. “Fooseball is really fun.” He hoped Willy wouldn’t ask who he played fooseball with. He wasn’t sure he wanted Willy to know he only had two fooseball partners- his old friend Calvin and his dad.   

            “You sit by yourself at lunch.” Willy stated.

            Drew nodded his head.

            “You should join us today. But it’s only for one day. We decide if you can sit with us tomorrow.” Willy didn’t wait for Drew to respond. “See you at lunch new kid.”

            Drew closed his eyes. He didn’t want to panic, but a part of him wished he was in his living room watching Ninja Turtles. He wished he could be as brave as Donatello, Rafael, Leonardo, and Michaelangelo. Yet another part of him was excited to join Willy’s crew, even if it was only for a day. Drew imagined Willy clapping him on his back as he scored his first-ever touchdown.

            “That was great Drew! You’re going to be in the NFL!” Willy would shout. Willy’s friends would all give Drew high fives and maybe even chest bump him like they did in sports movies. Drew wanted to be the champion of Willy’s group, but he was not sure if he could do it. He was not even sure if Willy’s friends would like him. You see, Drew carried a plastic red lunch box with yellow handles. He noticed everyone in Willy’s crew carried brown paper bags. Drew decided he was going to give the Snickers bar his mom packed for him to Willy during lunch.

            
            

              Drew walked in the cafeteria two minutes after Willy’s crew settled in. His hand trembled slightly as he clutched his red lunch box with the ridiculous yellow handle. He walked over to Willy’s table and waited for someone to notice him. Willy looked up.

            “Hey Drew. You’re late.”

            “I’m two minutes late.” Drew said. He noticed Willy’s crew staring at him; he wasn’t sure what they were thinking. Six boys were at the table. They all had lines of sweat running down their foreheads from their soccer match. Drew sat next to Derek who was sitting across from Willy. He waited for someone to say something. When no one did, he asked, “How was your soccer game?”

            “It was awesome! I pummeled Willy. He’s good at kicking but I’m the fastest runner.” Derek grinned.

            “Please. You run like a girl.” Willy scoffed. He turned to Drew, “Doesn’t Derek run like a girl?”

            “I’m not sure. I can’t really tell.” Drew answered honestly. “He doesn’t look slow though.”

            “You hear that Willy? New kid thinks I’m fast.” Derek turned to Drew “I’m Derek by the way.”

            “I’m Drew.” Drew smiled as he remembered something. “You have the same name as Derek Jeter!”

            Derek laughed, “That’s right. Jeter’s my hero. I wish he would come back from retiring.”

            “Me too! Yankees are my favorite team.” Drew grinned. He felt himself relaxing when he saw Willy’s friends nodding their heads. “Have any of you been to a Yankees game?”

            “I have!” A boy in a red shirt exclaimed. “I went with my dad last summer. They annihilated the Cubs.”

            “That’s nothing new. Every baseball team in history has beaten the Cubs.” Willy took a bite of his sandwich. “Hey Drew. What do you think of the Cubs?”

            “I don’t know. I’ve never seen them play.” Drew answered truthfully. “I’ve only seen the Yankees play against the Mets.”

            “You know what Mets stands for right? My Entire Team Sucks.” Willy laughed. All of Willy’s friends laughed with him. Drew decided telling Willy that the Mets won the game against the Yankees wouldn’t be smart. He didn’t think Willy’s joke was funny, but he managed a smile.

            Drew turned to the boy in the red shirt, “What’s your name?”

            “I’m Jason.” He said. “And that’s Tyrone, Chris, Sam, and Derek.”

            “Hi guys.” Drew mumbled. He tried to think of something else to say. “This is my first time in a public school.”

            “What?” Jason looked surprised. “You’ve never been in school?”

            “No, he was homeschooled. He’s never been with other kids.” Willy butted in.

            “Really?” Jason studied Drew. “You seem normal just like everyone else.”

            “I’m just a regular kid.” Drew answered. He picked up his sandwich lying next to his lunch box and started chomping.

            “Nice lunchbox. Reminds me of Clifford.” Willy pointed at Drew’s red lunch box. “Does your mom still read you Clifford bedtime stories?” Willy nudged Jason and everyone started laughing.

            Drew gritted his teeth. He wanted to punch Willy, but he knew that would not be smart. “My aunt got this lunch box for me when she visited Florida.”

            “My Uncle lives in Florida.” Derek turned to Drew. “We go there every summer to visit him. He takes us to Disney World and Universal Studios.”

            “I’ve never been to Universal Studios. I’ve always wanted to ride the roller coasters there.” Drew replied.

            “You should go. It’s so much fun. Roller coasters are amazing.” Derek started describing the roller coasters at Universal Studios. Drew listened with round eyes. He loved roller coasters. Derek made him feel as if he was in Universal Studios. He could almost see the spirals of the red and yellow coaster and he felt a lurch in his stomach when Derek described how fast the coasters sped. Drew decided he would give the Snickers bar to Derek instead of Willy.

            “My mom packed this for me, but I want to give it to you. Thanks for letting me sit at your table.” Drew handed the Snickers bar to Derek.

            “Wow Snickers! That’s my favorite candy. You’re coming back tomorrow right?” Derek took the bar from Drew.

            “Yes.” Drew heard Willy snort, but he saw the other five boys nod their heads. In social studies Mrs. Andrews taught her students about government. She said “In most governments the majority has the power. It doesn’t matter if a few people disagree as long as everyone else agrees. Majority rules.”  

           
         
            Drew did not get Willy’s vote, but he still felt like a champ knowing that he was welcome at Willy’s table. He was glad his mom woke up late this morning, and even happier that she gave him candy. Drew now understood the power of a Snickers bar. But caramel was nowhere near as sweet as friendship. Drew finally knew what it felt like to have both.