A New Friend

 A New Friend

Hassan had always been shy. Starting at a new school in the middle of the year felt overwhelming. He missed his old friends and felt nervous about meeting new ones. On the first day, he sat quietly in the back of the classroom, hoping no one would notice him.

During recess, Hassan sat under a tree, watching the other kids play. They laughed, shouted, and ran around the playground, but he didn’t feel confident enough to join them. Just as he was thinking about how much he missed his old school, a boy with curly hair and a big smile approached him.

“Hi! I’m Zaid,” the boy said, holding out his hand. Hassan hesitated but then shook it. “What’s your name?”

“Hassan,” he replied softly.

“Nice to meet you, Hassan. Why are you sitting here alone? Do you want to play soccer with us?” Zaid asked.

Hassan shook his head. “I’m not very good at soccer.”

“That’s okay,” Zaid said cheerfully. “You don’t have to be good to have fun. Come on, I’ll show you how to play.”

Zaid’s enthusiasm was contagious, and Hassan decided to give it a try. The other kids welcomed him warmly, and Zaid made sure he felt included. Though Hassan didn’t score any goals, he laughed and ran around with the others, feeling like he was part of the group.

Over the next few weeks, Zaid and Hassan became inseparable. Zaid introduced Hassan to his other friends, helped him with homework, and even invited him over to his house. For the first time in a while, Hassan felt truly happy.

Hassan realized that making a new friend wasn’t as scary as he had thought. Sometimes, all it took was someone like Zaid to reach out and say, “Hi.”