Booklet

 Growing up I never had luck making friends.  I'd have one person who would sit next to me in a class that I'd talk to every once in a while, but once classes or seats changed, that person practically never existed. I didn't mind though, I was too preoccupied with drawing in my notebook to really care . There was only one thing that actually did care about.

I never liked people looking at my drawings.  A long time ago a classmate had taken my notebook  and laughed at my drawing. He said it looked stupid, and no one would like it. Looking back at it, it's dumb to be upset over it, but it stuck with me for a while. I always liked drawing, so it never stopped me, but I was never let anyone look at my drawings again. It was  probably why people didn't want to be friends with me in the first place, all I did was draw and never let anyone see them.
 I had gotten use to it not long after and spent all of my time by myself, I was pretty content with not having any friends.

  Until I met her.

 It was nearing the end of the elementary school year with only one week left before summer break. The school was preparing us for the summer, so there was a festive atmosphere in every class. They'd ask us if we were excited, and if we'd miss our friends. They even gave us a small little booklet to have our friends sign their name and write messages to wish them a fun summer. During recess, while everyone else was scrambling among each other to get their booklet filled, I sat alone under a tree in the playground, drawing some costumed hero from a tv show. Occasionally someone would come up to me to get them to sign their book, which I did, only leaving my name in small print on the corner of a page. I looked around at everyone running, getting happy for having their booklets signed and at the same time getting sad for not seeing them again until the next school year. I turned to see my own booklet next to my backpack, completely empty.  It didn't bother me much, but I couldn't help but feel a bit sad seeing it, was I really that alone?



"Heya!~" a bright voice came from behind me.

I jumped, almost dropping my notebook and turn around to see a girl with bright blue eyes and a red bow on her head looking at me. I've never seen her before, but she had a smile on her as if she'd seen her best friend.

"Um, Hi?" I say flatly.

"What are you drawing?" She asks, peaking at my notebook.

I quickly close the book and face away from her.

"It's no one." I tell her in an irritated tone.

I sat there, staring at my backpack, wishing she'd go away. Tears starting swelling up in my eyes, imagining her laughing at me. I could already see her running to her friends to tell them about the kid making dumb drawings.


"Was that a superhero? I think he looked cool!" She said in an excited tone, breaking my train of thought.

The tears stopped and I gasped a bit in shock. Did I hear that right? I lightly turn my head towards her.

"Y-you..you do?" I ask her.

She happily nods her head.

"He looks like he's really strong and fast, and saves a lot of people!" she said in the same tone as before.

"He is! He can fly super fast and can lift a whole car with one hand!" I say in an excited tone. I hadn't realized it, but I had never been this excited before unless it was watching tv, or reading a comic.

"That sounds awesome! Can I see it?" She asks me.

"Um, sure." I say somewhat confused.


What's going on? I'd never let anyone see my drawings, no matter how hard they tried, but all she did was ask and I'm already opening the book eagerly to show her.

I point at the crudely draw man in costume, explaining his powers and how he fights bad guys. She looks on happily, nodding her head at each detail.

"Wow, he has a lot of cool powers!" She says as she looks at me, a smile shining on her face.


She looks over at my backpack.


"Is that your booklet?" she asks pointing at it.


"Oh um-uh" I stammer as I try to find the words to say, my head had felt like a jumbled mess trying to figure out what to tell her.

"Can I sign it?" she asks in a curious tone.

I'm at an even bigger shock, she wants to sign it? She doesn't know me, why would she want to sign it? Wouldn't she rather sign someone else's booklet? You know, someone with friends?  If she didn't think I was lame before, she will now, seeing that I had no one sign the booklet.


"Is that okay? She asks again, breaking my train of thought.


I still hadn't came up with the words to say to her, or any words for that matter. All I could do was nod my head.


"Yay!~" She cheered as she got up and grabbed the booklet, she opens it and stares at it for a second, a quick frown appeared on her face before it was replaced with a big smile. She clicked her pen and starting writing.

All I could do was stare at her, seeing how her eyes matched the sky, and how red her bow was.


"There! all done!" She hands me the booklet.


Suddenly the bell rung, recess was over and the classes starting heading back to the school.


"Oh time for class, bye bye! Thank you for letting me sign your booklet!" She yelled as she waved at me, running back to the school. I sparsely waved back, still in a confused daze from the entire event.


I look down at the booklet and open it up to the first page.

In the center of the book was a message, written in a pinkish red color.


"Thank you for showing me your superhero!
 He was really cool!
 I hope you have a nice summer!" with a smiley face next to it.

Under it in pretty cursive.

"Sayori" with a heart on the "i".

I look back up to see if I could still see her, but everyone was crowded around the entrance to the school. I sigh a bit in disappointment, until something catches my eye.

A bright red ribbon.


"Sayori" I say quietly to myself as I stare into the bright blue sky.




I'll never forget that ribbon.