Billy and Mandy --Highlights of the previous chapter-- "You've gotta love Mr. Snuggles!" laughed Mandy. Before Grim...there was Mandy, Will, and Mr. Snuggles.
"Hey!" exclaimed Billy. "There's someone outside!"

"Is it that kid from Kindergarten who always pushes us around?"

"No!" Billy shivered. He didn't ever want Spurg, the Kindergarten Kid, to push him around again. It gave him the chills just thinking about it; Spurg was infamous for his wedgies. Billy pushed the thought out of his mind.

"Um...she looks like a fellow pre-schooler. In the 4-group, like us!"

"Let's go talk to her!" Mandy exclaimed excitedly. She was always eager to make a friend. She dashed out the door toward the girl, who was standing alone by the sidewalk.

"Hi," Mandy said quietly, feeling the other girl's sadness.

"H-h-hi," the other girl stammered. "I-I'm Mindy."

"Nice to meet you, Mindy," Mandy replied, using the "manner rules" she had learned in pre-school. "How are you?"

Mindy warmed to Mandy's kindness. Maybe this was the companion she needed: someone who was friendly, who would listen to her feelings. She explained to Mandy how all her life she had been moving, and how she had never made any friends. She continued on about how she could never trust boys, because they would be her friends for a week and then abandon her. Abandon her to be alone, and friendless once again. She prolonged her one-sided conversation with Mandy, explaining how the girls she knew just ignored her, and how her life had been miserable.

Mindy put every ounce of her being into those many long paragraphs and run-on sentences, and each word was full to the brim with emotion. As Mindy spoke, she grew happier, and each word delivered more joy. There was actually someone who would listen! Meanwhile, Mandy listened patiently, and became somewhat saddened with every word. Soon, the grief became too much for the 4-year old girl to handle. There was only one way that Mandy knew to stop her tears...and it was so easy, too...

"Shut up."