Meet Alma and her friend Mary!

Today was a very important day, Alma’s first day of school. Alma had never been to school before, she had learned how to read, write, and even how to do arithmetic all by herself. Now that she had moved to a brand new town, with a brand new family, she could finally spend her day learning with her peers, instead of looking after crying babies in the orphanage. As the horse-drawn wagon drew closer and closer to the school, she began to fantasize about the adventure to come. Alma was always making up stories and picturing fantastical scenarios. She dreamed that her teachers would be so impressed with her creative abilities that they would ask her to teach the class, and all her classmates would look on in awe. As the wagon jolted to a stop, Alma snapped out of her delusion and looked upon her new school house. It was a small structure with a thatched roof and a long cobbled walkway. Alma gathered her belongings, the very few she was in possession of, and took a deep breath before embarking on her new adventure. 

Putting on a brave smile, Alma walked into her very first classroom. The teacher, a small mousey looking woman with a kind face, instructed Alma to choose a desk to sit at. She was quite early in her excitement, and so had the first pick. As the other children filed in, she held a hope in her heart that a wonderful child would take the seat next to her, and that they would be best friends for life. After all the other students had arrived, the teacher asked everyone to take out their pencils so they can begin writing on their slates. Turning red, Alma came to the embarrassing realization that she did not have a pencil. In fact, no one had thought to purchase her any school supplies at all. Her adoptive parents were not rich folk and had little experience with schooling, so could not be entirely blamed for this oversight. 

Nonetheless, Alma started to sink lower in her chair as the pain of humiliation washed over her, what was she going to do? Just as she began to be consumed by her overwhelming feeling of shame (Alma was prone to giving over to dramatics) she felt a tug on her sleeve - “Are you alright?” enquired a timid voice at her side. Alma looked down at her sleeve, it was the girl sitting at the desk next to her. Alma’s classmate continued “you seem a little… distressed”. “I seem to have, um, misplaced my pencil” Alma explained. At this, the girl began furtively digging in her satchel “no need to worry! I always bring a spare”. Relieved, Alma took the pencil from the girl, “thank you so much… um, sorry I don’t know your name”, “Mary” the girl replied. “Well, thank you, Mary!”. At this moment, Alma vowed to do all she could to make friends with this friendly girl, she had never had a proper friend before. 

After school was let out, Alma ran after her new friend Mary. The two girls walked home together, it was quite a long way! It turns out that Mary was just as imaginative as Alma, and as they walked they made up stories together about fairies and princesses and even a talking horse! Alma knew that they would be friends forever, she left her first day of school feeling happier than she had ever felt in her entire life.