Chapter One

Zee-gun-fuss!

Zee-gun…what?

No, I didn’t sneeze. That’s my name. Zabrina Ziegenfusz! I know it’s hard to say, so I broke it down for you. Is it still too hard? Well, all right then. How about you call me Zee instead?

I won’t mind. In fact, it will make me happy. Because with a name like that? Yep, you can imagine how life has turned out for me. It has been an ongoing joke amongst all the other girls at school.

Here, let me tell you about it. Let’s start with my first day at school.

<<<>>> 

Caitlyn covers her mouth with her hand. Then, her eyes crinkle but not because of the brilliant sunshine outside. They crinkle because she’s laughing. Then, Caitlyn glances at the girl beside her. They look at each other and giggle.

“Zee-gun-fuss?!” Caitlyn says. “Did I hear that right?”

“Shhh!” Mrs Woods says, narrowing her eyes. “Caitlyn and Holly, when I’m talking, everyone else should be quiet. Now, as I was saying, this is the new girl.” Mrs Woods points at Zee. “This is Zabrina Zee-gun-fuss. Now make sure that you’re kind to her. Please include her and show her around.”

Mrs Woods points at a sweet-looking girl. “Molly, you’re good at doing that. Zabrina can sit with you today. Then, at lunch time, please show her around.”

Molly smiles and waves her hand at Zee. She waves her hand as if it has wings.

Zee smiles back. She looks friendly. I’m glad Mrs Woods chose Molly to show me around.

Zee sits at the desk next to Molly’s.

Molly slides her a white paper, folded twice so it looks like a square.

Zee creases her forehead. She takes the white paper from Molly. She unfolds the paper. Inside the paper is a secret note. The note says:

Hi! I’m Molly! Let’s be friends! My old friend moved to Hempton. BRRR! Why would anyone do that? It’s so cold there. I’m so glad you’re here!

A big smile spreads over Zee’s face. Wow! Molly seems lovely. I want to be her friend too. What note should I send her?

Chapter Two

Zee turns over the white paper Molly sent her. She pulls her pink pencil case out of her schoolbag. Unzipping it, she pulls out a red colouring-in pencil. Zee sends Molly a secret note too, drawing a huge red heart on the white paper. Then, she draws three red crosses. Those are kisses. She passes the secret white paper to Molly. Molly looks at the huge red heart and the tiny red kisses. She smiles at Zee, then gives her a thumbs up.

“Girls,” Mrs Woods says, staring at Molly and Zee. “Get back to work please.”

Molly and Zee become serious. Molly slides open her tidy tray. She places the paper inside, then closes it. She picks up her led pencil. She copies down the spelling words Mrs Woods has written on the white board. Zee quickly does the same, right before Mrs Woods rubs them out again.

Zee covers the first spelling word with her hand. Bunny, she thinks. B-U-N-N-Y. She pulls her hand away, uncovering the first spelling word. Yes! I got it right. Zee looks around the classroom. I’m going to do great here. But then she spots Caitlyn and Holly. She sees that they also have a folded white piece of paper. Are they sending secret notes too? Holly opens the paper up. She reads it. She looks at Zee, then back at Caitlyn. Caitlyn and Holly cover their mouths with their hands and giggle again.

Zee crosses her eyebrows. Her cheeks grow warm. What are they laughing about and why did they look over at me?

Zee shakes her head. Try not to think about it. Get back to work. She covers the second spelling word that Mrs Woods wrote on the whiteboard. Sugar. Hmm sugar? Zee thinks hard but she can’t remember how it’s spelled. S-H-U…um… Zee pulls her hand away again. She looks at the second spelling word. Her shoulders slump. Nope, not even close.

Zee looks around the classroom again. This time, she’s not smiling. Oh no! I can’t remember my spelling words. Then, Zee notices that another girl is sitting beside Caitlyn and Holly. Now this girl is reading the white piece of paper too. She also looks at Zee, covers her mouth with her hand and laughs. Zee’s cheeks grow hot again. Hmm she thinks, What’s their secret?

Chapter Three

TING-A-LING-A-LING The school bell rings. “Okay,” Mrs Woods says, “it’s morning tea time.”

Zee slides her pencil case and spelling book back into her tidy tray. Then, she stands up.

Molly grabs her by the hand. “I’m so glad you’re here! You’re so great at drawing. That red heart you drew is perfect. Mine still come out squishy. I’m sure we’re going to be best friends!”

Zee picks up her school bag, then steps backwards. Molly is a little full on, but I  like her.

“Thanks,” Zee says. “I would love that.”

Molly tugs her through the maze of classroom desks and chairs. Then, she pulls her over to the port racks. “This is where we keep our school bags. Get you’re morning tea out, then leave your bag here. Next, I’ll show you where the toilet block is.”

Zee unzips her schoolbag. She feels around inside. Gotcha! She pulls out her lunchbox. She looks inside. A pink cupcake with rainbow sprinkles. Thanks Mum!

Molly looks at Zee’s cupcake. “Wow! It’s so pretty. I wish I had one too.” Molly holds up a shiny red apple. “But my mum makes me eat healthy.”

Zee chuckles. “Trust me. This isn’t normal. Mum packed me a pretty cupcake today because it’s my first day here. She knows I always get nervous the first day at a new school.”

Molly raises her eyebrows. “This isn’t your first-time changing schools?”

Zee sighs, then shakes her head.

“Well, how many schools have you been to?”

“Four,” Zee says. “My Dad is in the army.”

Molly crosses her eyeballs so they become cross-eyed. “That’s crazy! You poor thing. Well, come with me. I’ll show you where the toilets are. But before she can, THUNK! Zee stumbles forward. Looking around, Zee sees Caitlyn, Holly and the other girl. They’ve shoved her in the back and, once again, they’re laughing.

Zee creases her brow. “Hey! What was that for?”

Caitlyn looks at Zee’s bag. It’s pink and has a picture of Dora the Explorer on it.

Catilyn snorts. “Really? Dora? I thought you were ten? Aren’t you a bit old for that?”

Zee’s cheeks burn. I told Dad I was too old for this bag. But he didn’t listen.

Chapter Four

Molly’s shoulders tremble. “Let’s get out of here,” she whispers.

Then, she takes Zee’s hand. She leads Zee down a cement pathway.

The pathway has yellow hopscotch squares painted on it. “Watch me!” Molly says, as she hops in each box.

Zee laughs. She hops in each box too.

“All the girls do this,” Molly says. “None of us just walk to the toilet. That’s boring. But here’s a story that is not boring:

Are you good at reading? Because on my first day of Prep, I couldn’t read. So, I went into the boys’ toilets by mistake. When I came out, all the other kids were saying, “Molly’s a boy! Molly’s a boy!”

Molly looks at the ground and shakes her head. “That was a bad day. Ever since then, Caitlyn, Holly and Amber haven’t liked me.”

Zee frowns. “Oh, that’s awful. Yes, I’m good at reading but I forgot how to spell the second spelling word Mrs Woods gave us.”

“Brick?”

Zee shakes her head. “No, sugar.”

Molly slaps her hand against her forehead. “Oh yeah, that was a hard one. Why does Mrs Woods do that?”

Molly grabs Zee by the hand again. “Come on,” she says, “I’ll show you our class’s eating area.” Molly wriggles her eyebrows up and down. “When the bell rings again, I’ll show you our play area. We have a slide!”

“Cool! A slide! But wait. First I must use the toilet.”

Zee walks down the row of toilets. “Hey, all the locks are broken. I hope no one walks in on me. That would be embarrassing!”

Molly rolls her eyes. “You’re right. Our school janitor is so lazy. He still hasn’t fixed the toilet block locks. But if you have a friend like me, you’ll have no problems.”

Molly stands on one leg. She hooks her raised foot under the toilet door. “See,” she says, “I can hold it shut for you.”

Zee smiles. “Wow! Look at you! You’re standing on one leg. That makes me wobble, but who broke the locks?”

Molly rolls her eyes again. “Who do you think? Caitlyn, Holly and Amber.”

Zee presses her lips into a straight line. Amber? So that’s the third girl’s name. Well, they’ll never push me around again.

But the next day, they do.

Chapter Five

“YIPPEE!” Molly yells.

It’s morning tea time again and the sun still sparkles in the bright blue sky. Molly and Zee are slipping down the red slide at Birtwistle Christian school.

Molly waves her arms in the air, as she shoots down the slide. “This is so much fun!” she shouts. Zee laughs at Molly, then Molly grabs her hand. She pulls her over to the ladder of the slide. “Let’s do it again,” she says. “But this time we’ll be a train.”

But before Zee can climb the orange ladder, she feels another THUNK in her back.

“Ouch! Who did that?” Zee says spinning around.

Caitlyn, Holly and Amber stand in a row, their arms crossed. They’re all wearing the same earrings: Grey love-hearts.

“Oh, it’s you again,” Zee says.

“Hey, Zee-gun-WUSS!” Caitlyn says. “Get out of here. It’s our turn now.”

Zee frowns. “Please don’t call me that. I know I have a funny name, but that’s no reason to mock me.  My friends call me Zee. You can too.”

Caitlyn, Holly and Amber look at each other, then giggle again.

“Zee?” Holly says. “That’s even worse.”

Zee’s frown grows deeper. I guess we aren’t going to be friends, she thinks. And why? because I have a funny name? Because Molly walked into the boy’s toilets by mistake on her first day in Prep? That’s so silly.

“Come on,” Molly says, taking Zee’s hand. “They’re always like this. Let’s play on the jungle gym instead.”

But then Amber speaks for the first time. In a squeaky voice she says, “Let’s play on the jungle gym instead.”

This time instead of only giggling, Caitlyn and Holly burst out laughing. They slap Amber on the back saying, “Yes! That’s exactly how she talks. High-pitched and squeaky!”

A large tear forms in Molly’s eye.

Zee places her hand on Molly’s shoulder. Then, she plants both hands on her hips. “She does not. Molly has a normal voice. It’s you guys that have the problem.”

But Caitlyn, Holly and Amber laugh harder.

TING-A-LING-A-LING! The school bell rings again. Play time is over. Caitlyn, Holly and Amber turn on their heel, still laughing, but Zee and Molly stay put.

Zee places her hand on Molly’s shoulder again. “Are you okay, Molly? How long has this been going on?”

Molly wipes her eye with her hand. “I told you. Ever since Prep.”

“And have you shared this with anyone? Like a teacher or your parents?”

Molly shakes her head. “No, I’m embarrassed and I don’t really need to.”

Zee narrows her eyes. “Why not?”

Molly smiles a wide grin. “I’ll show you after school.”

Chapter Six

When the home-time bell rings, Molly grabs Zee’s hand.

She drags Zee down the cement path that leads to the toilet blocks.

Once again, they jump in all the hopscotch boxes. But instead of going inside the toilet block, Molly tugs Zee around the corner.

They skip towards the music block but stop short along the way.

Molly points at some leafy green plants beside the walkway. They’re planted in a circle to form a hedge.

“SEE!” she says, her face shining.

Zee looks right. Zee looks left. “See what?” she says.

Molly pushes the branches of the clumping plants apart.

Zee gasps. She bends down low. “There’s a grassy little room in there.”

Molly nods, her face beaming. “Yep, it’s my secret hidey-hole.”

“And you sit in here? When and for how long?”

“Caitlyn, Holly and Amber only play in the playground for a little while, then they run over to the oval. They watch the boys playing rugby league there.

My old friend and I played knuckles in here until they were gone. Then, we would play on the slide instead.

Sometimes a stray dog hides in here as well. We named him Happy. None of the teachers know about him.” 

Zee goes quiet for a second.  “This is so cool! A secret hidey-hole with a cute little dog named Happy? I love my new school!”

But then, Zee frowns and shakes her head. “Molly, I can’t believe this. This is no way to live, and it ends now. This isn’t Caitlyn, Holly and Amber’s school. This is everyone’s school.”

Molly nods. “That’s right but what can we do? We’re only little kids.”

Zee stares at Molly. “There’s lots we can do. Let’s tell Mrs Woods and your parents.”

Molly’s brow furrows. She sinks to her knees. Then, she places her hands together as if she is praying. “No, no, no,” she pleads. “Please, don’t tell anyone. I don’t want my parents knowing that the other girls don’t like me. It’s embarrassing.”

Zee places her hands on Molly’s shoulders. “I know exactly how you feel. At every school I go to, I get teased about my name. But we must tell someone. It’s the only way to make it stop.”

Molly shakes her head. “Please don’t.”

Zee goes quiet for a moment again. “Okay, Molly, but what should we do instead?”

Chapter Seven

For a little while, the terrible three don’t bother Molly and Zee. But then, they do. It happens during sports class.

Mr Voltz blows his red whistle. “Okay, kids, listen up. It’s the Hero Hurdle Sprint race in two weeks. “Today, are the tryouts. Do your best.”

But then he shakes his head. “Nope, It won’t work. There are six lanes, and thirteen girls. Even if we run two heats, one girl will still be left over.”

There is a pause, then Mr Voltz says, “I know! We’ll get one girl to run with the boys.”

“Yuck! Run with the boys?” Caitlyn says. “Don’t they all have fungus feet?”

Mr Voltz ignores her. “Well, do we have any takers? Who will run with the boys?”

There is a long silence, then, Zee half raises her hand. “I’ll do it,” she hears herself say. 

Mr Voltz shoots Zee a big grin. “Wow! Running with the boys. That’s brave.”

Zee stands behind the start line. She shakes her legs and focuses on breathing. I know I’ll finish last. I mean, I’m racing against boys.  But I’ll try not to come last by lots. 

Then, BANG! the starter’s gun blasts.

Zee takes off, her arms pumping and her legs swinging.  As she approaches the curve, Zee pushes herself harder and harder. She tries to keep up with the boys.

Next come the hurdles. I haven’t done hurdles before. What if I trip and fall? What if I land in a twisted heap with grazed knees? That will hurt and Caitlyn and her friends will laugh.

Zee pushes that terrible thought out of her mind.

Wow! I cleared all of them, she thinks, as she leaps over the last hurdle.

Then, the finish line comes rushing towards her.

Zee flings her arms backwards, then presses her chest, neck and head forward. Finished! she thinks.

"You did it! You did it!” she hears Mr Voltz shout.

Zee turns around. Mr Voltz is jumping up and down, a stopwatch in his hand. 

Done what? Zee wonders.  Even though I tried hard, all the boys beat me. And they beat me by heaps.

“You’ve broken the girls’ hurdling record,” he yells.  “And you didn’t just beat it, you smashed it by two seconds!”

“Wow! How did I do that? I won races at my old school. But I never broke a record.”

Mr Voltz stops jumping. He squeezes her shoulders. “Running with the boys must have pushed you harder.”

Chapter Eight

Caitlyn’s face grows dark as thunder.

What’s bothering her now? Zee thinks. But soon, she knows why.

“Hey,” a boy with sandy hair says. “Are you Zee? Are you the girl who broke the hurdling record?”

Zee nods. “Yeah, that’s  me.”

“Cool! That was awesome! I don’t think I’ll ever forget it! Anyhow, even though it’s not race day yet, you still get a certificate. ”

Zee raises her eyebrows. “For coming last by lots?”

Aaron laughs and shakes his head. “No, silly, for breaking the girls’ hurdling record.”

Zee grins. “Wow! Where do I get it from?”

“I’ll show you.”

Aaron touches Zee’s shoulder, nudging her left. And that’s when Caitlyn’s eyes begin to boil.

 “Careful,” Caitlyn snarls. “You don’t want to catch Zee-gun-FUZZ.”

Aaron’s eyes look confused for a moment. Then, he says, “Come on, Zee. I’ll show you.”

Just then, Molly runs up. Her eyes look worried. “Hey, Zee,” she says. “Could I speak with you for a second?”

Molly speaks quietly, with one hand covering her mouth. “I don’t think you want to do that?” she says.

“Do what?”

“Don’t let Aaron show you where the sports certificates are kept. Caitlyn likes him. She wants to marry him when she grows up! That’s why she watches the boys playing rugby league on the oval. She likes seeing him.”

“Marry him? But Caitlyn said the boys have fungus feet.”

Zee’s face grows more urgent. “She was covering.”

Zee glances at Caitlyn. Caitlyn’s eyes are glaring! Zee looks back at Molly.

“Molly, I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t play in your secret hidey-hole any longer. I must live my life. And if that makes Caitlyn angry, so be it.”

Molly gasps, as her eyes grow round. “Wow! You’re so brave. I wish I could be like that too.“

Zee squeezes Molly’s shoulder. “You can be. I’ll show you.”

Zee stiffens her shoulders, then lifts her chin. “Come on, Aaron. Let’s find that certificate,” she says.

Aaron smiles. “Sure, also, you should train with me and the boys sometimes. We’d help you get even faster.”

Zee’s cheeks burn. “Really? You’d train with a Zee-gun-FUZZ like me?”

Aaron’s brow creases, then he laughs and says, “Sure, if you don’t mind training with boys who have fungus feet!”

Chapter Nine

“YIPPEE! You broke a record!” Molly shouts, as she and Zee hop in each hopscotch square again, on their way to the toilets.

Then, Molly stands on one leg, ready to hold Zee’s toilet door closed.

But the yellow light streaming through the front of the toilet block dims.

Molly’s eyes grow worried.

Zee turns around to see where the light went. She sees Caitlyn, Holly and Amber. They stand in the entrance of the toilet block. 

So, that’s where the shadows have come from. The sunbeams can’t get through.

Zee smiles. “Hi, Caitlyn,…”

But she doesn’t get to finish her sentence because Caitlyn scowls.

“What are you doing in here, Zee-gun-fuss?” Caitlyn growls. “You’re not allowed.”

Zee crosses her eyebrows. “I’m not allowed to use the toilet? What’s wrong with you?”

Caitlyn steps closer to Zee. She hardens her face. “Get out of here!”

Holly also takes a step forward. “Yeah, get out now!”

Zee’s heart thuds inside of her. I feel scared, she thinks. But Zee lifts her chin and pulls her shoulders back. “Caitlyn, I’m not leaving here until I have used the toilet.”

Caitlyn takes another step forward, followed by Holly and Amber.

Zee’s heart throbs even faster. She looks at Molly. Molly’s eyes are as round as the moon. Molly motions with her hand that they should leave. But how? Caitlyn, Holly and Amber are blocking their way.

“Okay, Caitlyn” Zee says. “We’ll leave but you have to make a way.”

Caitlyn lunges at Zee. Holly and Amber charge towards Molly.

Zee covers her head with her arms. Molly screams. Then, Molly grabs Zee’s arm. She pulls Zee past Caitlyn, Holly and Amber. “RUN!!!” she yells.

As they run out of the toilets, Caitlyn, Holly and Amber laugh. “Ha! Ha! Ha! Zee-gun-WUSS! Zee-gun-WUSS!”

Molly and Zee keep running. They don’t stop running until they have reached the morning tea area.

“Mrs Woods! Mrs Woods!” Molly shouts, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Caitlyn, Holly and Amber wouldn’t let us use the toilets. She lunged at Zee, then Holly and Amber charged at me. Please make them stop. It was frightening.”

Mrs Woods puts her arm around Molly. She holds her tight. Then, she crosses her eyebrows. “If this is true, they are the naughtiest school girls I have ever met.”

Chapter Ten

Later that day, TING-A-LING-A-LING! Lunch time finishes, so Molly and Zee return to class. Caitlyn, Holly and Amber are already sitting at their desks. They are writing in their books.

Zee sends Molly a secret note, on white paper.

The note says: I think they missed out on play time today. I think they’ve been writing lines instead. But what lines did Mrs Woods make them write?

Molly nods, then smiles a smug smile. She sends a note also: Have you noticed Amber’s earrings? They aren’t grey anymore. They’ve turned orange.”

Later on, TING-A-LING-A-LING! The school bell rings again.

Molly and Zee high-five each other. “Home time!” they shout.

“Girls,” Mrs Woods says, looking down her glasses at them. But Zee thinks she sees Mrs Woods smile.

“Okay, class,” Mrs Woods says. “You may go home. But don’t forget to do your homework.”

Mrs Woods looks out the window. The blue sky has changed colour. Its puffy white clouds have turned an angry black. Soft rain begins to fall. “Oh,” she says, “Be careful. It’s raining. So, the roads will be slippery.”

Zee and Molly grab their bags from the port racks. They put their yellow raincoats on. Then, they chase each other home. When, they get to the end of the street, they part ways.

“See you tomorrow,” Zee says, as it begins to rain harder.

Molly makes a funny face. Then says, “Can’t wait!”

Zee stares at the black clouds in the sky. An awful pain grows in the pit of her stomach. It feels like the clouds are saying, ‘GO BACK! DANGER AHEAD!’”

Now, almost home, Zee spots Amber walking up ahead. She lives near me, on Captain Cook Road. I hope I won’t catch up to her. She wasn’t kind to me today.

Then, something terrifying happens. A grey car swerves right and then left. SCREEECH! It’s black tires skid along the wet bitumen road.

Zee screams, then shouts, “LOOK OUT, AMBER!”

BLAAAR! The car horn shrieks. Then, the car jumps and its engine cuts out. It stops inches in front of Amber’s nose.

Amber stands frozen. Her mouth is open but it doesn’t make a sound.

Zee runs at full pace. Is she okay? Did she get hurt?

Zee stands in front of Amber. She places her hands on Amber’s shoulders. Zee shakes her shoulders hard.

“Amber are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

But Amber doesn’t say anything. Her face has turned pale. Her eyes stare but they don’t seem to be seeing anything.

Chapter Eleven

The smell of wet rain and burnt brake pads mingles inside Zee’s nose. Then, Zee hears a voice behind her. The voice yells, “Oh my goodness! Are you all right?!”

The voice belongs to the driver of the grey car. A tall woman in a pink shirt.

The woman looks at Amber’s skin. “No cuts,” she says. “No bruises. Thank God for that!”

Zee looks up at the lady. Large tears well up in Zee’s eyes. “She’s not speaking,” Zee says. “I asked her if she’s okay. But Amber won’t say anything. She’s like a zombie.”

The tall woman’s eyes grow worried. She pulls a picnic blanket off the back seat of her car. “Here,” she says. “Let’s lay her down on the ground.”

Amber lies on the blanket. Zee sits beside her. Then, Amber’s eyes close.

“My goodness!” the tall lady says. “What should we do? Raise her legs?” Then, the lady pulls a phone out of her pocket. “I’ll call an ambulance,” she says.

Zee stands up. “I know where Amber lives. I’ll get her mum.”

Zee races to Amber’s house. As she runs, the black clouds seem to smirk. “Didn’t I tell you to go back?” they seem to say.

Zee pounds on Amber’s front door. It’s quiet, then the door opens. “Hurry!” Zee yells. “Amber’s hurt.”

Four legs run behind Zee. The legs belong to Amber’s mum and Amber’s dad.

Soon, an ambulance pulls up beside them. WEE-WAH! WEE-WAH! it yells. Two men in green uniforms jump out. They smile and talk in soft voices.

 I think they’re trying to calm us down, Zee thinks.

“Now, what happened here, then?” the younger man says.

“My car slid in the rain. There must have been oil on the road. I didn’t hit her but she won’t speak.”

The young man takes Amber’s hand. He rests two fingers on her wrist. Then, he smiles again, saying, “Strong and steady.”

The older man takes off Amber’s rain coat. Amber jolts out of her swoon.

The older man chuckles. “That usually does it. Children hate having their clothing removed.”

Amber’s mum picks Amber up. She hugs Amber. Then, Amber’s Dad pats Amber’s cheek. “Are you okay, sweetie?” he says.

Chapter Twelve

The next morning, Amber’s not at school. I’m not surprised, Zee thinks. She must feel frightened. But when Amber does return, Amber is different. Her face looks full of light, and her eyes are softer.

Zee and Molly look at each other with their mouths wide open.

Molly pulls out another slip of white paper. She writes on it, then folds it twice again. When Mrs Woods isn’t looking, Molly passes the note to Zee.

Zee opens the secret note. It says: What’s gotten into her?

Zee shrugs her shoulders. Then, Zee tries to work out what six plus twelve equals. She tries to work it out without using her fingers.

At morning tea time, Amber doesn’t sit with Caitlyn and Holly. Instead, Amber walks towards Molly and Zee. She looks shy.

Zee and Molly look at each other. Their mouths are wide open again.

As Amber gets closer, Molly’s shoulders start to tremble. They tremble as if she is scared.

Amber smiles a small smile. Then, in a soft voice she says, “Hi.”

Molly’s shoulders shake even harder. But Zee says, “Hello?”

Amber hesitates, then she hugs Zee. “Zee, thank you so much for helping me the other day. I thought I was going to die. I was so scared, I couldn’t speak. That’s why I didn’t talk when you asked if I was okay.”

Zee stands in stunned silence. Then, she hugs Amber back. “Oh, that’s why. Yeah, that was confusing.”

Amber takes a deep breath. “There’s something else I must say. I’m so sorry I charged at you and Molly. That was mean. In fact, I’ve been mean lots of times and to lots of people. I don’t want to be like that anymore. Can you ever forgive me?”

Zee and Molly look at each other. Then, Zee smiles. “That could take some time, Amber. But I’m willing to try.”

Amber looks at Molly, but Molly looks away. She doesn’t smile, and her shoulders are still shaking.

Zee speaks for Molly. “I think it’s going to take some time,” Zee says, again.

Chapter Thirteen

Time passes. Amber blossoms and blooms. She’s not unkind any more. Her heart-shaped earrings are no longer grey. Instead, they are red.

Molly looks at the earrings, confused.

Amber grins. “They’re mood earrings,” she says.

“Let’s play together at lunch time!” Zee says.

Amber smiles. “And let’s ask Mrs Woods if I can push my desk up against yours.”

Zee nods. “Awesome!”

Molly is slower at trusting Amber. “I want to know that Amber has really changed,” she tells Zee.

Then, one day, Molly says, “Hey, Amber, do you wanna see something special?’

“Sure, who wouldn’t?”

Molly grabs Amber’s hand. “Follow me,” she says.

Molly, Amber and Zee run through the school. When they get to the toilets, they jump in each yellow hopscotch square. As they jump, they giggle and squeal. Then, Molly tugs Amber towards the music block.

“Take a look!” Molly says.

Amber looks right. Amber looks left. “Take a look at what?” she says.

Molly pushes the branches of her hidey-hole hedge apart. “It’s a secret grassy room. It’s our hidey-hole, but you can share it too.”

Amber’s eyes grow as round as a ferris wheel. “Wow! This is so cool!”

Then, Amber yelps in surprise.

“What is it?” says Zee.  

“Wow! So cute!” Amber says.

Zee looks inside the hidey-hole, then smiles. “Oh, Happy is here, and who’s that?”

Molly looks inside the hidey-hole too. Next to Happy, sits another puppy. This dog has pink bows behind its ears. “Oooh! It looks like Happy has a girlfriend!”

“Let’s name her Merry,” Amber says.

Zee and Molly smile at  each other. “That’s perfect!” they say.

Zee, Molly and Amber, play in the secret hidey-hole until the school bell rings.

As they run back to class, Zee asks Amber a question. “Remember the day you charged at Molly in the toilets? At lunch time, you didn’t get to play. I think you had to write lines. What were you writing?”

Amber’s cheeks blush pink. “I’ll show you.”

Amber slides her book out of her tidy tray. She turns to the last page: Jesus said, “Treat others the way you want them to treat you.”

“Mrs Woods called it The Golden Rule,” Amber says.

Zee smiles. “I like that. But Caitlyn and Holly still call me Zee-gun-FUZZ.”

Molly nods. “And they still aren’t nice to me.”

Amber frowns. “At least they aren’t allowed to play together at lunch time anymore. Mrs Woods said they’re toxic together.”

Zee smiles. “But we can pray for them.”

“Yeah,” Molly says. “Let’s pray for them every day in our secret hidey-hole with Happy and Merry!”

THE END

Treat others as you want them to treat you.

This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about.

Matthew 7:11

Gospel Invitation

Have you ever told a lie, stolen, or used God’s name as a swear word? Have you ever lusted, which Jesus said is the same as adultery; or hated, which the Bible says is the same as murder? If so, in God’s eyes you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterous, murderer at heart!  In other words, you are a big sinner!

 The Bible says if you sin, even just once, you can’t go to Heaven and that there is nothing you can do to earn His forgiveness. No good works, not even praying, fasting, giving money to charity, wearing special clothes or doing special stretches and breathing can erase your sins. But, there is good news! God loves you and has made a way for you to be forgiven through faith and grace!

Imagine a man is in court. He has been found guilty of murder, but the judge just forgives him and lets him go. Would that be okay? No! The judge would be corrupt and would have to be judged himself. God is not corrupt. So, this is not how God forgives us.

Now, imagine YOU are in court. You have been found guilty of serious crimes. The judge says your penalty is to pay a fine of $25,000. You don’t have the money so he sends you to jail instead. Then, someone you don’t know pays the $25,000 for you. Would you still need to go to jail? No! The fine has been paid, so in God’s court you are forgiven and freed. This is how God forgives us.

In real life, though, the penalty for sin is not money. In real life, the penalty for sin is death. 2000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross in your place paying your death penalty. Now, if you trust Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is enough to cover your sin and repent (turn from sin), you can be forgiven and receive eternal life.

Find out more at www.livingwaters.com

All rights to this article belong to the author, but, this article may be freely redistributed as long as the content of the article is not changed.