Be a Buddy Not a Bully

Momma pulled the car up in line and stopped. "Have a good day. I'll see you after school."

I pushed open my door and grabbed my backpack. "Okay, Momma." I closed the door and hopped onto the sidewalk.

"What kind of super hero are you?" A big boy turned around near the steps. "I don't think they allow babies with tutus to be super heroes."

"Come here, Chloe. Walk with me." Brooklyn, a friend from church, held out her hand.

I grasped her hand and we walked into school together.

Brooklyn stopped inside the gym and looked at me. "Don't pay any attention to that boy."

I nodded and found my section, spotting some friends from Mrs. Taylor's room.

Later after reading time, I asked Mrs. Taylor to go to the bathroom. As soon as I rounded the corner, there was the mean boy again. I walked faster.

"Well, if it isn't little baby wannabe hero."

How did he know I would be here right now? I rushed into the girl's restroom. I took my time, hoping he would be gone before I came out. I eased around to the sinks, washed my hands, and ripped off a paper towel.

"That you? I don't think you're very brave without all of your little friends. I heard about the Fall Festival. How you scared my friend."

I tossed my towel into the garbage can and walked as fast as I could back to Mrs. Taylor's room.

"What's wrong, Chloe?" Amy smiled.

"Well, there's this ... A mean boy bothered me when I came in this morning, and he was just at the bathroom when I was."

Efren walked closer. "What did he say?"

"He was making fun of my super hero shirt. Then at the bathroom just now he said I wasn't very brave without you all and that he heard that we scared his friend at the Fall Festival." My hands felt a little shaky.

"Sounds like he doesn't remember this week is Be a Buddy Not a Bully week," Weston said.

"The first time I ignored him and this time I walked away. That's some of what we have learned. I hope it works."

******
Our class filed into the cafeteria. I grabbed a tray and slid it along the line, picking up my food. When I arrived at the register, there was the mean boy across from me. He narrowed his eyes at me and gave me a really mean look.

I turned my attention to punching in my lunch number.

He finished his number at the same time and carried his tray right beside of me. "I don't think you understand. I don't like it when people do stuff to my friends. I feel I should get back at you for that."

I stopped and looked him right in the eyes. "Stop bullying me!" I spun around and marched to my table. I plunked my tray down and let out a big breath.

Brooklyn passed by on the way to her assigned table. "Are you okay? Did he pick on you again?"

I nodded. "Two times. But this time I told him to stop bullying me."

Brooklyn smiled. "Good job."

I slowly ate my lunch, but my mind kept thinking about how close that mean boy sat to me in the afternoon while I waited for Momma to come. What would happen then?

All day long my stomach felt funny. Mrs. Taylor kept getting my attention and asking if I felt okay.

The time had come to line up to go home. I followed the others down the hallway, shuffling my feet. Maybe the mean boy went home early. Or maybe he wouldn't be there today.

As I neared the spot where I sat to wait for Momma every day, there he was, sitting on the other side of the hall. he looked at me and suddenly twisted his body in the other direction.

How did that happen? Had I scared him away during lunch?

Brooklyn bent down in front of me. "Hey, don't worry about him anymore." She nodded toward the mean boy. "I told our teacher that he had been bullying you, and she told him if she even saw him look your way, he was in trouble." She patted my back. "So don't worry about him."

"Thanks Brooklyn."

"You're welcome. It's okay to tell a teacher if someone keeps bullying you. Remember that."

"I will."

I told Momma all about it in the car ride on the way home.

"I am certainly glad you have good friends to help you like that." She stopped in the driveway and turned to look at me. "And you always know you can come to me and tell me anything. I don't want you to have to deal with bullies like that."

"I know, Momma. I don't know why someone would want to be a bully. You can have more friends if you're nice."

"You're right about that."

"There's still four more days in the Be a Buddy Not a Bully week. Maybe that mean boy can learn to be a buddy this week."

Momma smiled. "Maybe."

*************
What ways did Chloe deal with her bully?

Brooklyn was an older friend who saw what was happening and didn't just ignore it. She helped. What might you do to help a friend who is being bullied?

If you are being bullied, tell someone - a teacher, your parents.

Chloe is right: You can have more friends if you're nice.

A Backyard Wedding

Momma helped me into my new dark red dress for the wedding. I thought it was neat that Mrs. Smith and Mr. Brooks were going to get married in her back yard. The one big tree there was changing colors for fall and really pretty. Sara had worked all day yesterday making an arch for them to stand under with Daddy.

Momma, Daddy, and me crossed our back yard into Mrs. Smith’s. I held on to my basket filled with fall leaves to drop.

Mr. Brooks walked down the steps of the porch and waved. “Hey. Let me introduce you to my nephew, Mark.”

Daddy shook hands. “Nice to meet you.”

Mark leaned over. “And you must be Chloe.”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“My uncle has told me about you.”

I shook his hand.

“We’re ready to start.” Sara peeked her head out the back door and whispered loudly.

Daddy waved his hand in front of him. “Shall we?”

Daddy, Mr. Brooks, and Mark strolled down toward the arch and stopped, turning around.

Momma gave me a gentle shove. I walked slowly, tossing the leaves from my basket and stopped next to Daddy.

Sara walked slowly down the porch steps in her dark red dress like mine. She looked pretty. Her hair was on top of her head with little white flowers in it. She ended up beside me.

Then Mrs. Smith stepped out onto her porch and smiled.

“Wow.”

Momma narrowed her eyes and put her finger to her lips.

“Sorry,” I whispered.

But I had never seen Mrs. Smith look so pretty. She wore a white lacy dress and her hair wasn’t in curlers. No fluffy pink bathrobe today. She joined us under the little arch.

Daddy said all of the words he had to and had them repeat things. Then he said, “Now you may kiss the bride.”

I wrinkled my nose and looked the other way. “Ew.”

Sara and Mark giggled.

I looked up at Sara. “Is it safe to look now?”

Sara nodded.

I turned back around. “Now where’s the cake?”

Mr. Brooks looked at me. “I’m taking my new bride out to dinner at her favorite place.”

“So there’s no cake? That’s the best part of weddings!”

“Didn’t quite have time to do all of that sort of thing with a reception and cake and all,” the new Mrs. Brooks said.

“You didn’t?”

“Not at my age.” She laughed and put her hand through Mr. Brooks’ offered elbow.

Mark poked out his elbow toward Sara. “Shall we? How about we grab some dinner ourselves?”

Sara chuckled and her face turned pink. “Okay.” Her eyelashes fluttered like butterflies.

“Hey, Momma, do you think those two might become boyfriend and girlfriend?”

Momma jammed her fists on her hips. “Chloe Ann Parker.”

“I know. Don’t poke my nose in their business.” I rolled my eyes. But they were cute together.

 **********

Why did Chloe say, "Wow," when she saw Mrs. Smith? 

Do you think Chloe has learned her lesson to stay out of other people's business? Why or why not? 

What's Going On?

Now I had a whole week before I would go back to school. Normally Momma and Daddy liked to go away for Fall Break, but this year things just didn’t work out.

I sat up in my bed. Noises like car doors slamming made me curious. I hopped up and trotted down stairs.

“Hey Sweetie, how about some of your favorite chocolate cereal?” Momma said.

“Sure.” I jumped up onto the kitchen stool. “I keep hearing car doors or something outside.” I scratched my head.

“Oh, Mrs. Smith and Mr. Brooks are having a yard sale.”

“They’re selling their yards?” How in the world did that work?

Momma chuckled. “No, they have things they want to get rid of, so they set them on their lawn and people come by and buy them.”

“Like what kind of things?”

Momma shrugged. “Like furniture and dishes. Stuff like that.”

“Well, why don’t they need them anymore?”

“Um, well, they just don’t.” Momma flipped around to the sink. “When you’re finished, get dressed, and we’ll go see if they need any help.”

“Okay.” I finished the rest of my cereal and drank down the milk that was left.

***

Momma held my hand as we crossed the side yard into Mrs. Smith’s front lawn. Mrs. Smith and Mr. Brooks sat at a small table set up on the driveway. Several people milled around.

“Chloe, I haven’t seen you in a while,” Sara, Mrs. Smith’s daughter, hugged me.

“Are you helping your momma?”

“Yep, sure am.” She knelt in front of me. “I hear that you are still making sure Rosy gets her exercise.”

I nodded.

“Well, pretty soon, I’ll be living right across street. It will be fun to see you more often.” Sara pointed toward Mr. Brooks’ house.

“You’re moving in with Mr. Brooks?”

Momma patted my shoulder. “We haven’t told Chloe about all of this yet.”

Sara stood up. “Oops, sorry.”

“That’s all right. It’s time we let her in on it.”

My head was bouncing between Momma and Sara. Finally, I crossed my arms. “What is going on?”

“Honey, this week Mrs. Smith and Mr. Brooks are getting married. Mr. Brooks will move into Mrs. Smith’s house and Sara is moving into Mr. Brooks’ house. Sara needs a place to live here because she is doing her student teaching.”

I know my face looked shocked because my mouth fell open and I had to cover it with my hand.

Sara winked and smiled. “So what do you think?”

“That sounds amazing.”

“And here’s another thing I’m stoked about. I’m going to be at your school.” Sara’s eyes bulged.

“Really?”

Sara nodded.

“Chloe. Hey Chloe,” Mrs. Smith called. She waved her hand, motioning me over.

I ran beside her and was immediately greeted with a wet tongue lick on my hand. I squatted and petted Rosy’s head.

“Do you think you could take Rosy to the back yard and exercise her a little early today? She is really bored and quite fidgety,” Mrs. Smith said.

“Sure.” I took the leash but stopped. “I’m really happy about you and Mr. Brooks getting married and Sara moving here.”

“Thank you, Chloe.” Mrs. Smith smiled. She actually smiled at me.

“Of course, I tried to show you that you should go together and be boyfriend and girlfriend. I guess you had to figure it out yourself.” I shrugged.

Mr. Brooks chuckled. “That we did. But we do thank you for caring.”

“Any time.” I looked down at Rosy. “Come on, girl. Let’s play.”

 *****

Why do you think they didn't tell Chloe sooner about Mrs. Smith and Mr. Brooks getting married?

What do you think about what Chloe learned about Mrs. Smith and Mr. Brooks getting married and Sara moving in across the street?