Building Bridges and Friends

Scene 1: The New School

Narrator: It was Tuesday morning. Bella walked into her new school. She felt nervous. She looked down at her shoes. They were old, dusty, and torn. Leo whispered loudly to his friends.

Leo: Look at those shoes! Are they held together by tape? Did she get them from the trash?

Narrator: Bella’s face turned bright red. She looked down at the floor.

Bella: Just walk to class. Do not look up.

Monica: That is not a very nice way to welcome someone, Leo. You do not even know her name.

Narrator: Monica wanted to say more, but the school bell rang. Everyone ran to class.

Scene 2: Lunchtime

Narrator: At lunch, the cafeteria was very loud. Bella sat all alone at the end of a long table. She ate a small sandwich. Leo sat nearby with his friends.

Leo: Do not sit there! We might catch whatever made her shoes so ugly!

Narrator: The other kids laughed. Bella pulled her feet under the bench. She felt very sad. Then, Monica walked over and stood by Bella's table.

Monica: Can I sit here? I want to make a new friend. I am Monica.

Bella: Oh... yes. But everyone is staring at me.

Monica: I do not care. I like your blue backpack! I saw you looking at the Lego Club flyer. Do you like to build?

Bella: I love it! At my old school, I built a whole toy city with a park and a train station.

Monica: Wow! That is amazing! We have Lego Club after school today. You must come with me!

Bella: I do not know, Monica. I do not think the other kids like me.

Monica: I like you. And they will love your building skills. Do not hide your talent!

Scene 3: The Lego Club Challenge

Narrator: After school, Monica and Bella went to the Lego Club. Tubs of colorful blocks were on the tables. Leo was there.

Leo: Monica, why did you bring her? This club is for real builders.

Monica: Her name is Bella. And she is a master builder. Just watch!

Narrator: The teacher, Mr. Henderson, walked to the front of the room.

Mr. Henderson: Today, we have a challenge. You must build a bridge. It must hold up this heavy book. You have thirty minutes. Go!

Narrator: The kids grabbed lots of blocks. Bella sat quietly first. She thought about her design. Then, she picked out some long, thin blocks.

Leo: That will never work! It is too skinny. Look how thick my bridge is!

Bella: It is not about how many blocks you use, Leo. Triangles make structures strong. They share the heavy weight.

Narrator: Bella built a beautiful bridge with neat triangles. When time was up, Mr. Henderson tested the bridges.

Mr. Henderson: Let's try Leo's bridge first.

Narrator: Mr. Henderson put the heavy book on Leo's bridge. CRACK! The bridge fell down. The book crashed onto the table.

Mr. Henderson: Good try, Leo. Now, let's try Bella's bridge.

Narrator: Mr. Henderson put the heavy book on Bella's bridge. It did not move. It held the book easily!

Leo: Wow! How did you do that? That is the coolest bridge I have ever seen!

Bella: I just like to see how pieces fit together.

Scene 4: The Secret Plan

Narrator: Over the next week, Bella became the star of the club. She helped everyone. She even showed Leo how to make gears for his toy rocket. But one afternoon, Monica saw Leo whispering with his friends.

Monica: What are you doing, Leo? I hope you are not being mean to Bella again.

Leo: No, we want to do something nice! We feel bad about how we treated her. We saw her old shoes. We saved our allowance and did chores at home. Look!

Narrator: Leo showed Monica an envelope with money inside.

Leo: We want to buy her those new building-block sneakers! We asked the teacher for her shoe size.

Monica: Leo, that is so kind! She will love them!

Scene 5: A Happy Surprise

Narrator: On Friday morning, the friends met Bella at her locker. Leo held a blue box with a silver bow.

Leo: Bella, this is for you. We are sorry we were mean on your first day. We are so glad you are here.

Bella: What is this?

Monica: Open it!

Narrator: Bella opened the box. Inside were bright new shoes that looked like building blocks! Bella had tears of joy in her eyes.

Bella: You did this for me? Thank you so much!

Leo: You are our best builder. You need the best gear!

Bella: They fit perfectly. I feel like I can build a thousand towers now!

Narrator: Bella smiled at her new friends. She did not feel lonely anymore. She knew she belonged.