Lisa Simpson walked slowly down the hall of Springfield Elementary. It was another day full of learning, letting her young mind be engaged by mathematic formulas, vivid history lessons, hands-on science experiments, skimming through the newest textbooks, learning about cutting-edge technological breakthroughs…
Oh, wait.
This was Springfield Elementary. None of that was going to happen.
She took her seat in the front of the class as the other students began to file in alongside her. Her fair-weathered-friend, Janey Powell, sat beside her but said nothing. As soon as the popular girls in the class came in and smiled at Janey, asking her how her weekend was, the girl got up and left Lisa sitting beside an empty chair.
What's the matter with you? Lisa asked herself angrily. You're better than this. So what if Janey doesn't want to sit by you? It's her loss, right? After all, you don't need friends…you've got your intelligence, your logic! Anything you could ever want, you can get from a book, right?
Right?
Miss Hoover came in just as the bell rang, closing the door behind her. Her frowning face and tired eyes revealed the lackluster state she was—and had been—in. For years.
"Be quiet, children," she said. Rather unnecessary, since no one was saying a word. "We have a new student joining us today."
The classroom door opened, and a pretty eight-year-old girl walked in. Her skin was yellow, eyes, a beautiful blue. Her hair, which hung down to her hips, was a shade of light auburn. She was wearing khaki pants, brown clogs, and a forest green t-shirt with a pumping fist on it, directly above the word 'FIGHT' in big, bold letters.
"Introduce yourself to the class, Kelly." Miss Hoover instructed. "If you're lucky, someone might remember something you say. Not me though."
Kelly smiled…but it wasn't just a normal smile. As Lisa watched the new girl's lips turn up into that wide grin, she felt her own mood rising. The smile was so genuine, so…untarnished…that Lisa couldn't help but smile a bit as well.
"Well," Kelly began, in a clear, confident voice, "My name is Kelly Macintosh. My parents and I just moved here from Maine. They wanted to start an organic vegetarian and vegan restaurant in a place that needed one. I think they Googled 'grossest city in America' and found Springfield.
"Some of my hobbies are exploring nature, volunteering at the animal shelter, reading classic literature, and listening to big band music. I also really love to learn. About anything." She finished with her smile as big as it was when she began, despite the majority of the class looking as uninterested as they possibly could.
Everyone, that is, but Lisa Simpson. She was ecstatic. A girl her age, that seemed to be interested in so many similar things…does that mean the beginning of a new—and, perhaps, her only—friend?