Her mom made her heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, and her daddy gave her a big, cute teddy bear before he went to work, and like always, both gave her a hug and a kiss. She felt loved and was already happy and ready for the day.
After lunch, Mrs. Long let the fourth-grade class have their Valentine's party. Kids brought cards, candy, and cookies, and Mrs. Long brought a jug of Hawaiian Punch, some napkins, and plastic cups. Melissa sat with her two best friends, Rebecca and Tiffany. They ate their candy, looked at their cards they'd gotten, and talked and laughed.
Finally, she looked around the classroom and noticed Ronnie, the strange boy who didn't talk much and had no friends, even though he had been at the school since last November, so he wasn't the new kid anymore. He just sat at his desk, with no snacks, punch, or cards, and not talking to anyone.
Melissa felt sad for him. Like all the other kids, she thought he was a little weird, but still, he deserved to be included in the party.
She looked in her bag and found a card, signed her name to it, gathered up a few cookies, some candy, and got up to go to him. Rebecca and Tiffany both asked what she was doing, but she ignored them.
"Happy Valentines Day, Ronnie," she said cheerfully as she gave him the card and sweets.
He didn't smile. He just gave her a kind of mean look and said, "You don't have to do that."
Her feelings were a little hurt, but she kept smiling. "I know, but I wanted to because it's Valentine's Day."
He spoke again like he was mad at her. "You don't like me; you just feel sorry for me. Nobody likes me, and I don't care. Take your stuff and leave me alone." He put one arm on his desk and laid his head down on it.
Melissa's heart felt like it would break, her happy mood gone, but she didn't want to cry. She tried to get mad herself and say "Fine!" and walk away if he was going to be mean like that. But she kept looking at him, a sad boy with no friends, and she felt something strange inside. She had never thought much about Ronnie, but now, she felt like all she wanted to do was be his friend and make him feel happy. But how could she let him know that?
Without caring what her friends, the other kids, or Mrs. Long might think, she reached down and took his free hand in hers. When he looked up at her again, startled, she smiled her brightest smile right at him.
As much as two ten-year-olds can, they both fell.