Becky was in a hurry. The school bus would arrive at the corner in a few minutes and Becky didn't want to be late. She had missed the bus two days in a row. She wasn't going to miss it again.

Her carrot-red pony tail bounced up and down as she hurried down Willow Lane. From the corner of her eye she saw a girl coming out of the green house in the middle of the block. That must be the new girl who moved in yesterday, she thought.

"Hello," the new girl called out to her.

"Hi," Becky answered back without slowing down. Nothing, not even, a new girl was going to make her miss the bus today.

Becky stood alone at the corner of Willow Lane and Garfield Avenue. She was the first one there. She looked back at the new girl who was standing on the sidewalk in Front of the grew house. She appeared to be about ten or eleven wears old. She'll probably be in mw class, Becky thought.

A few minutes later, Paula, Angie, and Billy arrived at the bus stop. "Why doesn't that new girl come to the bus stop?" Becky asked Paula.

"'Cause she's blind," Billy answered.

"I didn't ask you, Billy," Becky said. "I was talking to Paula." Billy was always butting into other people's conversation. If she tried to come to the bus stop she would just bump into the telephone poles," he said.

Billy pretended he was blind and bumped into the telephone Pole on the corner. Everybody laughed. Becky laughed too. She didn't think it was very funny but she laughed because everybody else was laughing.

Soon the bus came. Becky, Paula, Angie and Billy got on. The bus drove half a block and stopped in front of the new girl's house. As the new girl started to get on the bus she tripped and fell. Billy laughed. Everybody laughed. Becky laughed too. She didn't think it was funny. She felt sorry for the new blind girl, but she laughed anyway because everyone else was laughing.

When they got to the school, the new girl stood all alone by the school building. Nobody talked to her. Billy walked past her and pretended to bump into the wall. Some of the kids standing nearby laughed. Billy pretended to be blind and bumped into one of the kids who was laughing. Soon, four or five boys and a couple of girls were walking around with their eyes closed bumping into each other. All the kids on the playground were watching Billy and his friends bump into each other. Everyone was laughing.

The blind girl pressed her back against the school wall and covered her face with her hands. She could not see what the other kids were doing but she could hear them laughing. She knew thew were making fun of her. She didn't cry, but Becky could tell she was frightened.

Becky wasn't frightened. She was angry. She was angry because the kids were making fun of the blind girl. She was angry at herself because she had laughed when Billy made fun of the blind girl. She was angry and she was ashamed.

"Stop it!" Becky shouted. She went over to the blind girl and stood next to her. "Stop making fun of her, Billy. She's my special Friend and if you don't stop, I'll tell your mother."

"Yes, stop it!" said Angie and Paula. They went over and stood by Becky and the blind girl. "She's our special Friend too and you better not make fun of her anymore."

No one was laughing now. "I'm sorry," Billy said, "We were just having fun. We didn't mean to hurt anyone."

Becky took the blind girl's hand. "Hi," she said, "My name is Becky. What's yours."

"Mindy," the girl answered, "My name is Mindy."

The school bell rang. Becky showed Mindy to their classroom and introduced her to the teacher. Becky and Mindy sat next to each other in class and the two became special Friends.

The End