FRIEND OR FOE

Back when Humphrey B. Bear and Lift Off supplied us with our knowledge and Captain Planet was every kid’s idol, I was beginning Preschool. It was the stage in our lives when all the little boys and girls wanted to be vets, doctors, firemen and ballerinas. Progressing from Kindy into Preschool is considered an important milestone in a child’s life, an enjoyable experience to be remembered forever.

But it’s not when you’re the new kid.

From the very first time I met Jade Dickson, I hated her. She had red hair and was wearing a pink poker-dot frilly dress with shiny, black Mary-Jane’s and a pair of white frilly socks.

She was perfect.

She was a Poo! Everyone loved her, everyone that is but me. The reason being Jade Dickson was everything I wasn’t, and all too quickly I became the lone figure in the corner.

There my jealously turned into a deep hatred.

I guess everyone needs friends though. After a week all by myself in that lonely little corner of classroom 12A I got angry. I’d had enough of being called “Nigel no friends”. I decided to make Jade’s life hell. I’d make them all hate her as much as I did.

Jade was popular for one reason, (other then being perfect that is) she had the worlds best doll… The Special Edition Cabbage Patch Kid. Everyday she’d walk into school pushing that doll along in a bright blue stroller looking like she owned the place. Jade had named the doll Laura, after her best friend. Jade always dressed the doll in the exact same outfit as her. The same pink poker-dot frilly dress with shiny, black Mary-Jane’s and white frilly socks right down to a matching pale pink ribbon. It was sickening to see such a sight.

After another long week of feeling sorry for myself, I decided on a plan of action. I would ruin her doll for good. I figured if she didn’t have a good doll anymore no one would like her. I spent that morning in my corner all alone, as per usual but I couldn’t help but smile. Jade didn’t know what I had planed for her that day. At nap time after everyone had fallen into slumber land, I grabbed Laura and got a black permanent marker out of my bag. The others gradually woke up and a faint whispering could be heard around the room. Then…

“Jade, Jade, wake up! It’s Laura; I think your dolls sick.”

A terrible gasp and shriek was emitted from Jades mouth as her wide blue eyes fell upon her doll. The lips of the doll had been coloured in black!

“Who did it, which one of you ruined my doll?!”

I had looked guiltily down at my hands, which to my surprise were covered, in black marker. Luckily no one saw.

The next day I went straight up to Jades best friend Laura.

“Look what my mummy and daddy got me,” and with that, I extracted a brand new Special Edition Cabbage Patch doll from my bag.

I was perfect.

I had taken over Jades spot in the group, and she was shoved aside. Where I might add, she belonged.

The next day I found her all alone in that same little lonely corner where I had once spent so much of my time. She was holding her ruined doll against her, swinging backwards, and forwards. I walked up to her with a big smile plastered on my face, after all this is where I had wanted her.

“Hi, Amanda” She said looking up at me smiling.

“Ha ha ha ha, who’s Nigel no friends now?!”

And with that, Jade Dickson burst into tears. And as those big fat tears rolled down her cheeks, my hate turned into pity. It’s hard to hate someone when they’re crying.

“I’m sorry Jade. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“Yes you did.” Her wide eyes looked up into mine. But what I didn’t realize was that she was wearing a small grin, somewhat like a smirk.

“Well yes, I did. But I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“I know it was you who ruined my doll.” So she had seen my hands then. “Just look at Laura now! She’s ruined!”

“No she’s not. I know what you can do,” I pulled out my mum’s lipstick and made her lips pink again. Jade had stopped crying and looked on. “Hold still!” I then put the lipstick on her lips.

“Why did you do that?”

I walked Jade and her doll Laura over to the mirror in the corner.

“We look the same! Jessica and I are the same.” To my surprise Jade took the lipstick from me and put in on my lips. “Now we’re all the same. You, me and Laura.”

From that day on we became the best of friends. We were inseparable.