Carli stood outside of her new preschool. Her stuffed hippo George in one hand and her father's hand in her other. She was nervous. The preschool she was going to attend was a private Catholic preschool. The nuns in a catholic church near Carli's house, took a kid under their wing every year. This child would come to church every Sunday and visit the nuns every other day. The child came from a poor family so the nuns would pay for their school at the Catholic school that was connected to the church. This year they adopted Carli.
Carli was dressed in the nun supplied school uniform. A white button up short sleeve shirt, black plaid skirt, skin tone tights and a pair of mary janes. She didn't like the outfit. It was itchy and expensive. Carli was afraid she would spill something on the shirt. But she was also happy that she was going to be wearing the same thing as everyone else. If you all wore the same thing, it was hard to tell had more money and who had less. Even at four going on five, Carli was aware she was poor. She knew that every one else in her preschool had more money than her. She was scared that they wouldn't like her because of it.
"Daddy do I have to go? Why cant I stay home with mommy?" She tugged on her Daddy's hand and he glared softly at her.
"No Carli. You have to be a big girl. You have to go to school and be smart. If you are good and get good grades, then the nice nuns will keep giving you food and buying you clothes. They will keep taking care of you."
"But daddy..."
Her dad got on one knee in front of her and grabbed her shoulders, "Carli Ann Marie Fitcher. I want you to march yourself in there and introduce yourself to the first girl you see. Remember, George is there to protect you. See she's happy to make friends." He put George in her hands and she hugged her. "Now go." he nudged her to the door.
Carli hugged George close to her chest as she approached the door, refusing to look back. Standing at the door was a happy looking woman holding it open for her, Carli slowly walked in, scared. The first girl she saw was a tiny girl. She had brown pigtails that matched Carli's blond ones. She was sitting alone coloring. Sitting next to her was a pink build a bear teddy bear. Carli walked slowly towards the table. She sat in front of the girl and put George in the seat next to her.
"Hello there, I'm Carli Ann Marie Fitcher. This is George the female hippo. She is my only friend."
The girl looked up from her coloring, "Hi, I'm Kally Mimi Lambert. This is Fifi the female teddy bear. She is my only friend. Maybe George can be her first friend besides me. Maybe you can be my only friend besides her."
Carli smiled at Kally, "Hi. Can I be your best friend?" She was nervous that she was too forward.
Kally's huge smile provided her other wises, "Of course new best friend. Wanna color with me?"
"Yes!" The two girls eagerly colored together. Little did they know that this was the start of a friendship that would last a lifetime. A friendship that would be the only thing that kept them alive, at times. A friendship that would be full of ups and sometimes terrible, terrible, downs.
The two girls colored pictures all afternoon. Soon the day was over and Kally's siblings came to pick her up since her parents were busy.
Kally jumped up when she saw her family at the door, "Carli! Come and meet my family! Come on! Come on! Come on!" She grabbed Carli's hand and dragged her to the door. Standing outside the preschool was two boys and a girl all in the same uniform as the girls.
The tallest one knealed in front of the girls, "Kally sweetheart, did you make a new friend?"
Kally nodded eagerly, "This is my new best friend. Carli! Introduce yourself!" she ordered.
Carli walked up to the kneeling boy and held her hand out for him to shake, her mom said this was how rich people introduced themselves "Hello, my name is Carli Ann Marie Fitcher. Nice to meet you." She smiled.
The boy smiled at the adorable little girl, "Well hello there Miss Carli Ann Marie Fitcher, it's nice to meet you. My name is Drake Lambert, I am Kally's oldest brother." he shook her tiny hand gently, "This is Karen," The blond girl with bright red lipstick smiled and waved," and Andrew." The other boy didn't look up from his DS even at the mention of his name. "Andrew, don't be rude. Say hello to Kally's new friend." He chastised.
The boy scoffed and looked up, "Sup." then he looked down.
"Um, Drake?" Carli asked.
Drake smiled, "Yes?"
Carli held at George, "This is George the female hippotamus and she would like a hug hello."
Drake smiled and grabbed the hippo, "Well of course Miss George." He hugged the hippo then handed her back to Carli. "Miss Carli, where are your parents? Shouldn't they be here to pick you up?" Most of the other kids had been picked up during the conversation.
Carli looked at the ground and blushed, "My parents aren't gonna pick me up."
Drake frowned at the girl, "Well who is?"
"Then nuns will walk me home once they are done with detentions."
Recognition crossed Drake's face, "Oh you are the new girl the nuns picked for this year?"
Carli nodded, "Yes."
Drake frowned, "Detentions wont be over for another hour at least. What are you gonna do while you wait?"
Carli shrugged, "I guess I can color some more with George."
Drake considered this, "Well once try outs are over Karen and I will be busy after school with basketball and cheerleading practice so Andrew and Kally will be stuck here until practice is over every day. They cant take the cab home by them selves. So the will be here to wait with you. You wont have to be alone."
Carli's face lit up, "Really?" she didn't want to be stuck alone. "Wait what about before try outs." her brow furrowed in confusion adorably.
Drake smiled at the confused little girl, "Until practice, all four of us will be waiting for the nuns to finish up. Are you ok with that miss Carli?" His subconscious wouldn't let him leave this poor little girl alone for an hour to just color by herself. Even if she was a nun kid, as they were called, it didn't matter to him. His current best friend was one of the nun kids. Nun kid's school related stuff was paid for until they turned 18 or graduated. Which ever came first. That was of course, only if you stayed out of too much trouble and kept at least a C average.
Carli smiled, "It would make me very happy. But I don't want to be a burden." She frowned.
Drake smiled again, "Of course you wont be a burden. That's a big word for a little girl like you. How did you learn it?"
Carli frowned, "Some times Daddy calls Mommy a burden and every once in a while Mommy calls me a burden."
Drake frowned for a moment but quickly replaced it with a fake smile, "Well that is certainly an interesting way to learn a word. Could you show me to the coloring table please?" It kind of bothered him how she learned the word burden but he brushed it off. All parents fight and occasionally yell at their kids.
"Sure I love the coloring table! Ill even let you use the coloring book Daddy bought me for the first day of school. Its zoo animal themed." She grabbed the tall boy's hand and dragged him over to the coloring table and pointed for him to sit down where George sat down earlier, "You can sit next to me, but George has to sit in your lap? Okay or she'll be mad she didn't get to sit down next to me."
Drake sat down and grabbed George from Carli's hands, "I would be honored. Now where is this Zoo animal coloring book you speak of?"
Carli picked up the small purple back pack the nuns bought her, "In here," she shuffled around her bah until she found it. "There you go!" She shouted proudly, handing Drake the coloring book. Karen was doing her homework in the teacher's reading chair. Andrew was still standing near the door playing on the DS and Kally was playing with Fifi on the reading mat.
Drake smiled, "What's your favorite animal?"
Carli smiled "Hippo of course!"
"Well how about I color you a rainbow hippo?"
Carli smiled very wide "That would be so cool! What's your favorite animal?"
"Tiger!"
She pulled a tiger coloring page out the book, "Rainbow tiger time!" They colored together for the next hour. Andrew came over half an hour in when his DS died. When Sister Mary Theresa came to walk Carli home, her back pack was full of pictures the boys drew for her and Drake and Andrew's backpacks had pictures drawn by Carli.
Carli hugged Drake and Kally, "Bye! See you tomorrow!" She waved them goodbye and left the building.