This was awkward.

Leni stood straight, pulling every muscle in her face just to keep that smile going. Yet, there was no immediate reply. This girl looked up at her, her wide eyes trembling while the rest of her body froze. Leni was left to wonder if it was what she said, the way it came out, the fact that she (some weird stranger) had surprised an unsuspecting victim. She considered apologizing, but for what? In spur of the moment stuff, her train of thought couldn't be counted upon to run smoothly. It was like a freight that was running behind schedule with carts unexpectedly breaking off from the whole.

"Hi," the girl said softly.

Before Leni could respond, the girl ducked her head back into her tray, silently chewing her meal (a meager turkey sandwich). Leni's eyes wandered as she tried to think of how to recapture her attention. She scolded herself as her mind drew a blank, as if words themselves were alien. It made her wonder how talking could come so easily to all those people around her. The elaborate blanket of conversations (the seamless sound) was a marvel all on its own.

Suddenly, it returned to her. Mrs. Lane had once told her about some "ice breakers" for meeting new people. Leni couldn't find any ice in the warm cafeteria, but those phrases were questions. Those weren't hard to say.

"What's your name?" Leni asked with a new confidence. She pulled her cheeks back even further, making sure that smile was nice and wide.

The girl looked back up. Her body had this stiff stillness. The tight shoulders, the arms bent towards her body, those wavering eyes all sent little nudges to Leni, encouraging her to be a pillar of support. She couldn't tell whether it was the face or the "ice breaker", but something worked in that moment.

"Helen," she whispered. If Leni hadn't been so focused on her, that answer wouldn't have reached her. But now there was progress. And more needed to happen.

"Is it alright if I, like, sit next to you?" Leni asked. Her cheeks were starting to hurt and the smile was wobbling. Inevitably, the corners softened and the form shrunk.

Helen nodded as she took another bite of her sandwich.

This was interesting, Leni thought. Even as she planted herself on the seat opposite Helen, her hands were jittery. No words could have been said (or at least not immediately). Leni stared at her new "friend", who was mostly fixated on her sandwich.

For the next few minutes, the only noise either of them could hear were the conversations happening nearby. Occasionally, Helen nervously looked up at this stranger. Leni, whose upright eyes was perpetually staring, perked a smile whenever that happened. She hoped that would lend itself for a more comfortable interaction.

It was only after she finished her meal that Helen lifted her head. The two looked at each other, anticipating some verbal acknowledgement. The only question was who would initiate it. Leni hoped that this new "friend" would start dropping questions about her or better yet, give her own life story.

Things weren't that simple, though.

Another minute passed and Leni realized that she would have to do the talking. Without an arsenal of words to turn to, she resorted to those good old "ice breakers".

"Like, how are you feeling?" Leni asked, her mouth desperately trying to get each syllable out in a timely, natural manner.

"Fine."

Short. Simple. Back to silence Helen went.

So this was what conversing felt like, Leni figured. A struggle to translate intangible vibes into coherent words. None of the "popular" girls produced this much silence in the span of several minutes. As she observed this, Leni pondered what made her sit with this one person, this lonely girl in the corner of the cafeteria. In the midst of finding the answer, she opened her mouth.

"What grade are you in?" Leni asked.

"Seventh."

An idea came to her. Right before she replied, Leni halted herself. This wasn't gonna be another drone, much like a lot of what she said. This needed a bigger reaction, something to give her life, something that would convey how much she cared. Leni gasped.

"Oh my gosh! Like, me too," Leni exclaimed.

That did the trick. For a flicker, she could have sworn Helen's eyes lightened, settled down as if everything were okay. It was like she had finally come to peace with something that was eating at her mind (whatever it was, Leni didn't know). Yet again, it may have just been her imagination. Helen still didn't speak or smile or give off any positive relief from Leni's presence.

It was daunting trying to get more than two words out of this girl. If this were Cassidy, she would have had a thousands things to say about the salad on her tray. Cassidy could have used up at least an hour talking about her favorite songs, her friends, her family, anything. But neither of them were Cassidy. Leni was disappointed by how empty her brain was in this crucial conversation.

Back to the "ice breakers".

"What type of things do you like?" Leni asked, placing both her hands on the table. Helen, meanwhile, tucked her's in a lock beneath the surface.

"I like..." Helen said as her eyes darted around. Leni waited patiently, hoping that her friend could find something, anything to reveal about herself. Maybe she likes something she also liked, like clothes, and then the ball would really be rolling. Leni saw it rolling off the table and across the floor, continuing all the way to the door (on the other side of the cafeteria). And then they would be friends. Right?

"this table."

A brief, confusing pause. This was the ball turner, Leni pondered. As she gazed down on the blank grey surface, Helen continued, "I like this table because it's nice and cozy."

Well, it was something, Leni thought. It wasn't that Helen was even wrong. Sure there was another table next to it (one that was chatty at that) but it was one of the few sections of the cafeteria that had a walled corner next to it; the massive mid section, on the other hand, packed at least two hundred kids row after row, side by side. In addition to the limited human contact, those walls helped reinforce the comfortable seclusion. Leni felt safe in this corner, as if she didn't have to worry about the others harming her with their superior socializing, intellect, charm.

"Well I like clothes. I, like, have a sewing machine at my House and I, like, make all kinds of stuff with it," Leni said, smiling as she imagined herself doing that activity, "of course, there's also these five girls I spend time with. And, like, they like clothes too."

"Yeah," Helen replied, though her voice dragged on that precious syllable, refusing to cut it off.

"You should meet them!" Leni continued, "One of them is Cassidy and I think another is called Penelope. They're, like, totes close but I haven't made friends with them yet. I wanted to because, like, they like clothes and stuff."

It was only after she finished that Leni noticed that the girl had shrunk in her seat; her shoulders had rolled forward, her neck fell even further, and her eyes had shifted to the floor. Regardless, Leni kept grinning.

"Do you have friends?" Leni asked curiously.

It took Helen a little time to compose herself, to get over the shivers those two names had brought. The task may have been difficult, but the sense of obligation lifted her head and sculpted her lips to look like a presentable neutral line.

"No," she answered softly.

Leni didn't know what to say. Behind that small grin was a wave of worry. The sitting alone in the desolate table now had a reason tacked on. Should this revelation have surprised her? Her plan to get more involved with the "popular" girls had been sidetracked by this sight. Was this girl with a different body, different hair color, and different name just a reflection? Was Leni really attracted by her own image?

"Do you, like, wanna be friends with me?" Leni asked without any additional thought.

Helen stared at her, astonished. She witnessed those vulnerable eyes grow until they were plates. Strange, Leni thought, given how the only option they had for eating were rectangular trays.

"Do you mean it?" she asked tentatively.

Mean it? What reason was there to lie about something like this, Leni pondered. It wasn't like she had other people to turn to if she was, no meanies to impress, no villainous mission to achieve from tricking this defenseless girl. She spoke what she meant, or at least when she thought she was telling the truth.

"Of course," Leni exclaimed. This response required teeth and in went the lips. As she observed Helen's reaction, she thought she could see those corners on her lips twitch, as if they were tempted to race upward. That was progress, which she was ecstatic to accept.

"Do you have a phone? Can I have your number?" Helen asked. It was the first thing she said naturally, another telling sign for Leni.

"Yup."

Leni pulled out her smartphone and eagerly opened up the contacts page. Looking over the screen, she saw Helen's, which was one of the more basic brick cellphones. But it wasn't the model that Leni noticed. Coating the outside was neon pink (more accentuated than the pale hue on her phone case) and a pony with the same coat. She had an adorable magenta mane and stunning blue eyes, but the most fantastic feature was her giant beaming grin.

Her heart suddenly felt like a hefty cannonball lodged in her chest. Words mashed against each other until they formed a lump, one too thick to let air pass. Leni wanted to avert her gaze, give herself some space to decompress. But she needed this number, just as much Helen needed her's. Besides, it would open the door for future discussion on this pressing matter.

Leni struggled to pay attention to each digit, haphazardly tapping the appropriate button on the screen. Eventually, she got some combination of ten numbers that was certain to be correct. Now, the burden fell on her to announce each digit of her own phone number. She took it slowly, granting copious space between each number, just to make sure it was right. A burning voice in the back of her head told her that she was losing concentration, that she was spouting off nonsense. But soon enough, ten numbers had been uttered.

"Thank you," Helen whispered, just barely loud enough for her to hear.

"Thank you," Leni replied, although her smile was starting to slip from her control. Why did Helen still have to hold her phone out like that?

At this point, Helen was begging her to say something about that case. It was exhilirating to finally have someone in this school that liked that little girls cartoon (and especially towards a burst of sunshine like Rosy Cake). But in that crucial moment, she couldn't speak. Her throat was shut, her head was throbbing, her heart was too heavy.

The bell was the only thing that could have cut this internal tension. Leni jumped from her seat before Helen had the chance to speak. She had to get away. It was too much. Overwhelming. Too exciting.

Once in the hallway, her body relaxed (or as much as it could, given those fresh memories).

How was it possible for her to go all this time without encountering someone as perfect as Helen? Was she really that unaware of her surroundings? Did all this pity carry some merit?

Helen wasn't like those "popular" girls. Sure she was a little quiet, but Leni figured that wasn't her fault. After all, she herself wasn't much of a chatterbox (or a box for that matter). Sure her wardrobe could have used some work, but Leni figured that was what friends were for.

Leni realized that Helen was something more than a girl sitting by herself in the cafeteria. She was someone that had no interest in doing all that weird stuff that Lori does. She wasn't afraid to express herself, even if it took a little nudging to get it out. She was just as nervous about making friends as Leni was. Helen was her. A click was made.

Was this what friendship felt like?

If it was, then why hadn't she already gotten it from the "popular" girls? Were they really her friends, even though they also liked clothes. Suddenly, that drive to pursue them was gone. Now they were just ordinary girls that had each other and didn't need anyone else, not even her. And Leni felt...fine about that. All her interest was now invested in this girl she met not even half an hour ago.

So now what?

As she approached Mrs. Lane's room, Leni got hopeful for yet another session. She perked up a smile as she bounced in the room, where the teacher and both her classmates were already there.

"Hi Mrs. Lane!" Leni exclaimed before turning to the boys sitting at the table, "Hi Jake! Hi Billy!"

"Hello Leni. You seem excited today," Mrs. Lane said with a smile.

Sure this was a room where the voice echoes back and forth, but even Mrs. Lane was smiling. Maybe on this day, a little bit of that pity could go away, Leni thought. Maybe she was one step closer to proving her worth. But silliness aside, she smiled.

"You bet! I made a new friend!"

Leni was plopped down on her bed, staring at her phone. Helen's name glowed in large black letters with the ten digit number below.

Was this the best idea? Lori did it so much that it was nothing by this point. The thought, though, was so scary that she must have sworn her big sister was a superhuman for having no fear.

What was she even gonna write? Hello? What type of shows do you like? Leni sighed as she debated the question further. She wondered if Helen would even pick up or if she would be annoyed. After all, she did swoop in to her table unannounced. She contemplated whether Helen even liked her or if she had driven her off (whether by irritation or anxiety).

Leni didn't have those nasty feelings towards her. She liked Helen. To her, Helen was gentle, interesting, well-versed, and kinda cute. She didn't have the same appearance as the other girls in the school. Her chubby face stood out in a striking way, another reminder that she wasn't willing to conform to the stereotype that persisted throughout the school (and from that stuff Lori saw on TV).

Could she say the same, though? Leni asked herself if she really thought she had a chance with those "popular" girls. She couldn't recall if she even introduced herself to them or if she just happened to sit next to them and listen to their conversations. It was like watching a show where she learned about them, but they barely knew her name. No wonder she dismissed them so easy. She hoped they wouldn't be mad from this.

Right?

Finally, she made her decision. Leni took a deep breath and opened up the Messenger. Inputting the proper contact, Helen's name popped up on the blank white screen. Tap. She was now faced with the daunting keyboard. So many letters, so many words, so many wrong ways to phrase. How should it sound? Does Lori have this much trouble cobbling together sentences?

"Hi"

Was that gonna be enough? To her, that sounded too simple, as if Helen wasn't the most special person in the world. Thankfully, after playing around with a certain button in the bottom left corner, she added some flair.

"Hi!"

Perfect, Leni concluded as she tapped 'Send'. As the green bubble popped on screen, she planted her face into her blanket. She couldn't believe she just did that. Her mind was now swirling with limitless possibilities. It was scary, yet exciting. Extraordinary yet mundane. Leni's experience and Lori's habit.

Every thirty seconds, she lifted her head and checked her phone. No response. Head went back down. This brutal cycle repeated several times, each one eating more and more at her. Was Helen annoyed? Did she hurt her feelings? Did she barge in at a bad time?

"Oh no," Leni said to herself. Did she lose her first and only friend? She was a monster, she feared. That's what it seemed like. To her, there was no other reason why Heen hasn't got back. She doesn't want to see her now. Not after this.

Beep.

Every part of her shot up, especially her eyes. Everything was perked towards the glowing phone with a new message on it.

"Hi. How are you doing?"

Leni was beside herself. Five words and two punctuation marks were enough to rock her world. Her eyes were too overwhelming to keep her eyes on the letters, opting to cool off with the plain painted walls. In her effort to conpose herself, she giggled, making her glad Lori wasn't in the room to see it.

She knew that Lori would have never laughed or have been this ecstatic to see something as simple as a text message. But she couldn't help it. It was just an intensity that knocked everything around until her insides felt like jelly. If she had known making friends was this exhilirating, she would have started a while ago.

Better late than never, she supposed (even though a part of her longed for the lost days of play dates and hang outs).

Picking up the phone again, Leni held her heavy fingers over the screen. Now was time for yet another thrill. How much would she say? What would she reveal from her rich mind?

"I am good thanks," she typed. Even though her movement stopped, she couldn't bring them over to the 'Send' button. Something was missing, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it (beneath it was just more letters). She scrapped her word bank, trying to extrapolate some type of question, anything. Leni wanted to learn about this girl, "wanna come over my house tomorrow".

Send.

No time to think. She didn't plan or coordinate or go through what such an occasion would have been like. It was an impulse. Based on her experience, her first instinct was rarely ideal. Often, it was rash and only led to bad things (unlike Lori's first instincts). Her forehead throbbed as she tensely anticipated the reply.

"Okay," her phone read.

That was it. Just like that, she was in the same league as Lori. Only people as amazing as his siblings got the honor to have hang outs. There may be some jitters and confusion, but Leni didn't mind. All she could think about was her new friend and the day they would share together (and with that phone case).

Leni felt like Lori too. She scrambled around the room in search of...something. Her big sister watched from the bed while she sporadically did some "chores". One moment she was fluffing her pillow again, the next she was digging through mountains of shoes and boxes in the closet. Leni knew that the room had to be perfect (and what better way to spruce up the place than to find a lucky pair of mittens. She had no use for them, but they were so adorable that she wanted to pass them along to Helen.

After ripping open yet another cardboard box, she pulled them from the rubble. Holding them up, she analyzed the pink yarn, the delicate knitting, the reasonable size. She hoped it would be appreciated. Why was it just lying in the closet out of sight? She brushed off the dust and pressed some of the wrinkles before plopping them down on her sheets.

Lori hasn't met this girl Helen. Leni mentioned her name several times, but she didn't know any person of that name at school. Nor was she seeking one. She didn't have any plans for the afternoon so she decided to lie on her bed. Text some of her own friends, surf the Web, and maybe acquaint herself with this Helen.

The doorbell rang.

Just in the nick of time. Leni bolted from the door and raced down the stairs. It was only on special occasions like this where her excitment translated so fully to her legs and feet. It was like a dream (that she magically couldn't wake up from). Upon hitting the bottom, she flung the door open.

"Hi!" Leni exclaimed uncontrollably as her hungry eyes met those of Helen's.

The girl stood by herself, her legs bent inward and both hands clutching her backpack's straps. As it became obvious that Helen's pensive posture remained unchanged, something told Leni that yelling was a bit much. What was going on with her? All this time, she wasn't fazed by her friendless life. Now, she was a loose cannon and a clingy monkey. Leni forced herself to take some thoughtful breaths. It was time to start over.

"Hi Helen. Thanks for coming," Leni said gently, subtly waving her hand.

Helen glanced at the hand motion and her muscles relaxed, as if they were being sedated by a form of meditation. It took Leni a moment to make this connection. It impressed her and she decided to perpetuate the motion, moving her waving hand back and forth, left and right. There were definitive results; Helen's spine developed some substance and she slowly readjusted her posture, eventually producing an air of comfort within her own body.

"Sorry about that Leni. I should have said 'hi' sooner," Helen replied, scratching the back of her head.

"No," Leni insisted, "I get it...please come in."

After peering at Leni's hopeful, warm face, Helen found it in her to take those crucial steps, one that cemented her friend's confidence. As she passed by her, Leni smiled.

"Thanks you," Leni whispered, content in that smile of her's.

The ascent upstairs was slower than the initial descent, but Leni didn't mind. After all, she was more than willing to move at her friend's pace. After all, Helen was the one kind enough to grant this fantastic friendship upon her. She needed to serve Helen, not indulge in her own silly feelings.

"Who cares about those?"

Soon enough, Leni happily opened the door to the bedroom.

"This is where I sleep, but I'm not the only one in here," Leni said as she turned to the apathetic third occupant, "and this is my big sister Lori."

It was hard for Lori to look up from her phone, given how she was texting Bobby (a "friend" of her's). But she had been summoned, causing her to slowly lift her head.

"Hi," Lori said flatly.

"Lori, this is Helen. She's my friend," Leni said, using her hands to point to the girl in question.

"Cool," she replied. Her phone vibrated in her hands. That was the perfect excuse to dig her head right back into this important conversation. None of them were bothered, especially as Leni continued her tour.

"This is, like, the best thing ever," Leni said as she approached her sewing machine, "I got this for, like, my birthday and I've used it ever since. I use it to make clothes."

Helen silently observed Leni plug in the machine and flip it on. As if the red blinking lightbulb on the surface wasn't enough, she clamped on the pedal, causing the presser foot to run. Leni happily gazed as she watched it vibrate back and forth, occasionally jerking her head back at Helen. From what she could gauge, Helen's expression was unchanged. Clearly, it was time to take the next step.

"I want to make you a new outfit," Leni announced hastily.

Helen was taken aback. All of this felt so sudden that she accidentally took a step back and her eyes widened.

"Oh," she said weakly, "you don't have to. I wouldn't want to bother you."

Leni loudly gasped.

"Are you kidding?" Leni said exasperated. Indeed, she felt like acting cartoonish to convey her sincere convictions. She slapped her hand against her chest, "As your friend, I want to make you look, like, pretty!"

Helen felt herself wound up in a bind. She wasn't expecting something like this on her first hang out, let alone with a girl that dressed so differently from herself (simple T-shirt, tight fuzzy yoga pants, and neon sneakers). Not knowing what to do with her hands now, she wrapped them around her stomach.

"You don't have to do that," she said as her head lowered. She examined her body, observing the modest clothing and her plump body, "there's nothing wrong with how I look."

The first thing she heard was Leni giggling. Looking up, she saw the girl facing the machine and a piece of fabric she was pulling out of the nearby drawer.

"That's what you're gonna say once I finish. You'll put it on and you'll wish you were beautiful before this," Leni said cheerfully.

Lori shot her head up from her phone. Sure enough, her little sister was too invested in her work to see the raised eyebrow. Taking advantage of the awkward silence, she coughed violently, hoping it would attract her attention. Nothing worked. Lori then turned to Helen (the girl that Leni claimed to be her friend). Not even she was fazed by her intervention. Instead, the girl just stood there clumsily as she readjusted her hands, which were locking her clinging arms.

"Oh...okay," she said simply. Lori watched as the girl turned in her spot, trying to find a place to sit down. At one point, Helen was in front of her bed, gazing at it. Even from the other side, Lori saw a tinge in the girl's eyes, a look of desperation. All Lori could wonder was how long it would take her sister to realize this.

She knew Leni didn't mean to hurt her friend's feelings, but something had to be done. Anything.

"You can sit on my bed if you want," Lori said, using one of her hands to pat on the mattress. Helen tentatively shifted her eyes between her and the bed. For a solid ten seconds, the girl was frozen on her feet (not that Leni noticed). Lori didn't realize how involved she was getting with this girl she only met, so she gave a reassuring grin, "Feel free. I'm okay with it."

After a few more seconds of hesitant contemplation, Helen quietly took her seat at the very edge before turning and seeing Leni sewing away.

"So, like, how was your day?" Leni asked as she finished a corner on the fabric.

"Uh fine..." Helen said in response.

Leni had the burning urge to ask another question, but getting the thread through this particular section required some dire attention. She did her best to clear her mind of the excitement and chills she had. One clamp after the other, inch by inch the material glided through the presser foot. It was tough and a little stressful, but sure enough she finished the section. And it was then that Leni lifted her toes from the pedal.

She took a step back and realized all the wonderful progress she was making. By then, she had half the dress done in the span of a few minutes. Who knew the minutes could fly like that? All that just to make a friend happy. Leni turned around to see her friend sitting on Lori's bed watching her. As she shot her a smile, she broke the girl's introspective trance and painted a similar grin on her face. Helen was so cute when she smiled.

"What'ya thinking about?" Leni eagerly asked.

"Nothing really," Helen answered, rubbing her hand against her pants, "I'm glad that you're doing this for me and...yeah."

As Leni grinned even more and returned to her work, Lori couldn't help but observe (so much for talking with Bobby). To her, this was surreal. Leni was unusually upbeat and talkative (even when she thought being quiet was better) while her friend was tolerating this nonsense. What was going on here, Lori asked herself. How much did those two even know about each other? Either way, she thought it'd be best to stay here in case something went wrong.

"Tell me more about yourself," Leni said as she focused on the next patch. Her anticipating ears shot open as they awaited a story.

"Well I live on the other side of town. I live with my Mom and Dad," Helen said.

"Any brothers or sisters?"

Helen shook her head, however it took her a moment to realize that Leni couldn't see it. A verbal response was in order and, after a deep breath, carried it out with a 'no'.

"Aww! That must be so lonely," Leni said, her voice filled with an inflated sympathy, "Like, I have a big family. There's Lori and then I have seven little sisters and a little brother named Linky. They're all really fun and I love them all!"

"Okay," Helen said.

Several more seconds passed with the only audible sound being the machine's humming. It served as a soothing rhythm that created a murmuring life in the warm room. Helen found herself sinking into its comfort, being encouraged to relax. After all, she was a welcomed guest in this room. She had a right to be happy.

Suddenly, she felt a buzzing in her pocket. Helen knew who it was, so she pulled out her phone. Indeed, it was a text.

"Sorry about that," Helen said, acknowledging the (absent) sound the muffled vibration made, "my Mom just texted me. Let me just write back to her."

That got her attention. Leni stopped the entire operation and jerked around her chair. Indeed, Helen had her phone and on the back was Rosy Cake. Seeing her favorite party pony made her sit beside herself. Of all the chances she had before this, she could have dropped the big question (the one that would have put all the puzzle pieces together). Leni couldn't stop staring at that phone case in the midst of the (completely) silent room.

But the corner of her eye also caught Lori. After all this time, she was still in the room completely aware of everything that had transpired. Lori was a devastating roadblock in this endeavor. There was no way she was willing to admit her love of Princess Pony to her. She distinctly remembered Lori decrying it as "babyish", "too girly", and "disgustingly sweet". Sure the real show had elements of that, but Leni knew better than that; she saw the show as one that had the power to start debate, break hearts, and pull her at the edge of her seat.

"Why don't you tell her that? Maybe you'll change her mind."

Could she, though? Leni tried to envision putting herself out there, spilling her heart about this show and how much she loved it, how she knew it way better than those naysayers that only saw the surface.

And then what? Lori would have destroyed that argument, picking it apart piece by piece whether through logic or a tart "I don't care." And then Leni would have been exposed, revealed to have been a fan of that decrepit show. Then she would have started teasing her about it, never granting her an ounce of respect again. The fear was too great.

With her mouth sealed off, Leni reluctantly returned to her work. The rest of the operation was quick, smooth, and silent. She feared that if she opened her mouth, mention of Rosy Cake would break free. Why did Lori have to hang around here, Leni thought. What interest did she have just lying around when she could have done that in literally any other room?

But within minutes that didn't matter. Leni couldn't believe it. With a clouded mind and unusual pressure, she had crafted a pretty purple dress in record time. It wasn't too complicated, but it was well-stitched and a decent fabric. It wasn't too flashy, but Leni figured it had some style.

"Well..." Leni said, holding that word as she slowly turned around, "Here it is!"

As she held up the finished dress, Helen couldn't help but stare at it. Here was a gift, a new dress, made just for her. Leni peered around the fabric to capture her reaction. Helen's mouth fell open, forcing her hand to come to its rescue. And then, it took a new form. Her mouth closed and the lips slightly curled upward.

It was too much. Leni jumped from her seat and stretched her arms outward. But as she charged towards her, it dropped and Helen staggered back. Leni saw her wide eyes and shaken face before making the connection. How could she have been so inconsiderate.

"Sorry," Leni said gently, lowering her arms, "Is it okay if I hug you?"

Helen softly nodded and smiled. There it was. Leni was worried that grin was gone forever. Using the opportunity, Leni slowly and carefully curled her arms around Helen, enveloping her in a warm embrace. It felt nice being in there. It was a special type of fuzziness she only got when she hugged her family (which was a lot). Was that it? Was this new friend now on that same level as family? Leni hoped so.

"Oh wait," Leni said as a thought suddenly appeared. She broke away from the hug and looked at her own bed. Sure enough, the pair of mittens were resting on her sheets. Leni rushed there and grabbed them, "These are for you. For friends."

Helen stared at the knitted mittens with awe. As if the dress wasn't enough. And just like that, the smile was back.

"Sure," Helen said, with a hint of confidence (Leni was glad to see that). The two of them stared at each other with Lori in the background.

Lori was still bedazzled by this whole scene. Somehow, in spite of all that had happened, Leni was cut out for friendship after all. She smirked a little before returning to her phone.

"Thanks."