chapter 2 : Unexpected Allies (part 2)

Sofia ran to the back of the school, tears streaming down her face. She had always known that her father had a hand in her academic success, but she never expected to be publicly humiliated in front of her classmates. She felt like she didn't belong, like she was a fraud who had been caught.

As she sat there, feeling sorry for herself, she was sitting there when a hand touch her shoulder. She turned around to see a girl, about her age, standing there. She had long, curly hair and a friendly smile.

"Hey," the girl said. "Are you okay?"

Sofia wiped her tears and shook her head.

"What happened?" the girl asked.

Sofia explained what had happened in the classroom, and the girl listened attentively.

"That's terrible," the girl said. "No one deserves to be treated like that. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll do better next time."

Sofia looked up at the girl, surprised at her kindness. She had never had a friend like her before. They talked for a while, and Sofia found out that the girl's name was Lily. They had a lot in common, including a love for video games.

"I have a new game that just came out," Lily said. "Do you want to come over to my house and play it with me?"

Sofia hesitated for a moment, but then decided to take a chance. She had never been to a friend's house before.

"Sure," she said.

They walked to Lily's house, which was only a few blocks away. When they got there, Lily showed Sofia her gaming setup. They played for hours, laughing and joking around. Sofia felt like she could be herself around Lily, without any of the pressure to be perfect.

As the day went on, Sofia realized that she had never felt this happy before. She had a friend who accepted her for who she was, flaws and all. For the first time, she felt like maybe she could be okay, even if she didn't always get perfect grades.

That night, as she lay in bed, Sofia thought about Lily and how much fun they had playing video games together. She felt grateful to have found such a good friend, and excited for the adventures they would have in the future.