Smile Victoria.

I rode the late bus today with Natalie. While sitting on the bus waiting at the middle school to leave, I noticed someone get on the bus. Someone that I knew. I couldn't quite put my finger on it at first but then realized that it was a young girl who lived down the road from me. I see her every morning. Struggling to find a seat because everyone on  my bus refuses to sit with her. Because, 'She is the girl with lice' and, 'She is so gross.' And of course, I don't find any of that to be true. I see her the same way I see everyother student who had just started Middle School; a tad skidish and shy. So, she got on the bus and sat in the seat front diagnol from Natalie and I. It started as any other bus ride with Natalie. Just talking, singing, looking at pictutes. All that fun stuff. I had complained that I was hungry, and then remembered that I had stolen some of Caitlin's generic thin mints from her lunch today. So, I took those out, took one for myself and gave one to Natalie. As soon as I handed one to Natalie and stated that there was four of them, two for the each of us, the young girl, Victoria, schooched hurridly to the end of the seat and asked if she could have one. I was not reluctent at all to give her one of my cookies. She took it and schooched hurrdily back into the seat. That made me feel a tad bad for her. The sense of her not having much in her life. So she consumed it before anyone could take it back. Natalie and I continued to talk and sing some more, and Victoria was playing with some paper. Which, with what she was doing, Natalie and I found it quite adorable. She was holding the piece of paper to her mouth, and was humming into it. She was quite amused with the small vibrating the paper, and her humming had produced. And honestly, so were Natalie and I. She continued for a little bit and Natalie made a bit of small talk to her. Well, after a little while longer of riding the bus, Victoria had layed down on the seat so she was facing the back of the bus. She was saying hello to another kid, who was completely ignoring her. Which I found to be quite rude. I mean, she was just saying hello. I don't see the harm in returning the favor. While I was waiting for a hello to make its way from the back of the bus, I noticed some other things being said. Things that I did not appriciate at all. The students in the back of the bus were making funof her. I can't remember exacty what was being said. But I do recall another girl saying that she hated Victoria. The reason why? I have no idea. But either way, it was just plain mean. Another thing that was quite mean, and made me feel terrible because I had no idea what to do about it was, when a kid from the back of the bus had gotten off, he walked past her and hit her in the face with his bag. I honestly don't know if it was intentional, but since he was one of the ones making fun of her, I had assumed it was. Natalie and I had asked her if she was okay. She said that it hurt. Which of course, made us a tad bit ehh. But, Natalie and I managed to make a bit more of small talk with her until Natalie had gotten off the bus. By the time that she had, Victoria was asleep. She had been saying something about her having a headache. So, she layed down and fell asleep. Before I got off the bus, she had waken up, seeing as how she got off after me. She asked me where I lived before we got there and I pointed to my house. She didn't realize that I had lived so close to her. She said, "If you live so close, how come you don't ride my bis in the morning?" I replied with, "I do." She said, "I've never seen you before." I said, "Well, you will tomorrow. I will make sure of it." I smiled at her and she smiled back, and I had gotten off. Now, I don't know what she has been through in her life, but if it has been filled with things like what happened on the bus, I feel terrible. I know there was nothing I could have done to help before, because I had just met her today. But, I know I can try to do something about it now. Having seen her smile today because I basically promised that I would make myself noticable to her tomorrow, made me feel great. I hope I can do that more often. I don't know what phases kids to make fun of others kids because they may be less fortunate than them. But, I wish it would stop. I don't think anyone should have to go through with being bullied in anyway. It's just wrong. Well, I suppose I am done with my banter. Time to do some homeowrk and such. And I look forward to riding the bus tomorrow. Signing off, A Lively Word.