Ainsley did a funny thing
after gym.
She came up to me while I was at my locker.
She had one hand behind her back.
“I want to give you something,” she said.
Then,
while I stood there, confused,
she held out
a folded pale pink sweatshirt.
“That’s for me?” I asked her.
She nodded. She looked a little shy.
“My mom designs sweatshirts,” she said.
“I noticed you like stars.
So this one reminded me of you.”
I unfolded it.
with stars of all sizes,
all made out of rhinestones.
“Wow!” I said. “It’s so sparkly!”
The truth is,
I would never have picked that sweatshirt out
for myself.
But still.
It was very, very nice of her
to think of me.
I felt bad
that I hadn’t thought of her at all,
about her and Pearl.
I tried to think fast.
I had an idea that I knew was stupid,
but I said it anyway.
Because it was all I could come up with.
“Um,” I said.
“My mom raises money for hospitals.
Would you like one of her brochures?”
My mom had stacks of those colorful things
in her office.
“No thanks,” Ainsley said,
laughing a little.
“I don’t want anything, really.
I just thought you’d like the sweatshirt.
My mom’s making one for Pearl, too.
But not exactly the same.
It’ll be pale pink with sparkly stripes
instead of stars.”
I couldn’t believe how nice she was being.
Still,
a tiny part of me was thinking,
I don’t like sweatshirts covered in rhinestones!
And I know Pearl doesn’t, either!
