My little girl met a new friend,
just the other day,
on the playground at school
between the tires and the swings

JJ smiled as she walked into the classroom of her elementary school. It was a brand new day and JJ was sure it would be a great one. She took her seat next to a girl, Annie, and crossed her legs.

"Hey Jay," Jerry said. He took a seat across from her as he pulled out his Math book.

"Hello everyone, we have a new student today. Her name is Jane Martins," Miss Jacobs said as she put her hand on the shoulder of a girl with long brown hair. She was wearing blue jeans and a long sleeve blue shirt. "Jane, you can sit with JJ, Jerry, and Annie," she said as she pointed the trio out to the girl.

Later that day while the fourth graders were at recess, JJ spotted Jane sitting at a stone picnic table and decided to join her.

"Hi, I'm JJ," she said as she sat down across from her.

"Jane," she told her softly as she gave her a short, shy smile. JJ gave her a reassuring smile as she talked to the brown eyed girl before her. The two girls were fast friends, but JJ knew the secret that the girl was trying to hide, she could see the bruises around Jane's wrists and the one on the back of her head that she tried to hide with her hair.

As the two girls went their separate ways, JJ thought about her new friend.

"Hi hun," her father chimed as she walked through the door.

"Daddy, I need to talk to you," JJ said as she set down her backpack.

"What is it pumpkin?" he asked.

"Daddy, Jane lied to me. I asked her about the bruises and she said she fell," JJ told him.

"I'm sure she's fine pumpkin," he reassured her. She looked unconvinced, but she walked off to her room anyway.

JJ and her dad smiled as they walked into the room to see the sad face of the teacher. It had been one week since Jane had arrived at school and the students had been planning a party for her.

"Where is everyone?" Mr. Jaraeu asked in confusion.

"Jane's gone," Miss Jacobs whispered to him as tears fell down her face.

"What?" he whispered as he stared at the woman in shock. "How?"

"Her mother beat her to death last night." The woman turned away from him, tears streaming down her face. Mr. Jaraeu turned to face his daughter.

"Daddy, what's going on?" His precious daughter asked him.

"JJ, Jane's not coming to school today," he told her as he kneeled before her.

"Why?" she asked in that child's voice that made his heart break.

"Jane's with Jesus now." Tears came to her eyes as she shuck her head.

"Why'd she go?" JJ asked him.

"I'm sorry JJ," he whispered as he pulled her into his chest. She wrapped her little, chubby arms around his neck as she cried into his shoulder.

JJ sat in the church, her friends at her sides. They were each there to pray for a little girl that no one had helped, someone they all could have saved, they knew what was going on, and they just never believed it.

Mr. Jaraeu sat in silence as he looked at a picture of nine year old Jane Martins. It said her funeral would be held that weekend. He suddenly remembered something...

"God bless mom and dad and my new friend Jane. I know she needs you bad." He stood in the doorway and watched his daughter say her prayers as she lay in her bed.

"You ok?"

"I'm fine Carol." Mr. Jaraeu gave his wife a smile as he took her hand.

"I should have listened."

JJ cried on her bed, only one word escaping her lips. "Why?"

'Cause she doesn't lie in the classroom
she doesn't lie anymore at school
Alyssa lies with Jesus
because there's nothin' anyone would do

Tears filled my eyes when my little girl asked me why
Alyssa lies
*Oh Daddy, oh* Daddy tell me why *
Alyssa lies