St4 FP

Tolerance

Empathy

Dear Diary,

A new girl has started at school. Her name is Keenan. She turned up in my English class last week. Some people have already started teasing her because her clothes are so out of fashion. They also look really old and worn. I've noticed that Keenan keeps to herself. At lunchtime, she even sits with two younger kids who must be her brothers. She's in the same classes I am, and every morning she is at least 10 minutes late. The teachers don't seem to get too angry with her, though. They even ignore the fact that Keenan often falls asleep during lessons! The people sitting next to me don't, though. They laugh every time it happens and sometimes throw things at her.

Yesterday, when Keenan arrived late as usual, I let her sit in the spare seat next to me. My friends gave me the strangest look and muttered comments under their breath, but I ignored them. Keenan didn't say anything but after the class she smiled at me. I really think she needs someone to talk to. My friends aren't going to like it much, but I'm going to ask her if she would like to sit with us at lunchtime.. I don't know if she'll say yes, but it's worth a try.