life was great, until she showed up. She moved in when I was seven. The first time I saw her was at church, during Sunday school. She, ignoring the unspoken rule of girls on one side of the class room and boys on the other, sat down by me. She was wearing a fluffy pink dress, that lay partially on my lap. Her hair was a light color of dish water blond. Her eyes were sea green. She had pale skin, and thin hands. She looked like a seven year old princess wannabe.
"Hi! My name is Teddy! What is your name?" She was loud, and her voice was very high pitched! So princess wannabe fit quiet well to my seven year old brain.
"James," I replied. She looked at me like I was an angel sent from heaven.
"You're cute!" she exclaimed. I looked at my twin brother, Caden, he was laughing at me! This was not a good sign. Teddy was going to ruin my reputation, (Not like I had one anyway).
"Hey James!" Caden yelled. Let me tell you something about my brother Caden. He is very rude, and very, very different from me. We are nothing alike. Except for our looks, but even then you can find differences between the two of us. Like our hair for example, my hair is short and smooth, and his hair is longer and spiked. Caden was a very rude very mean seven year old. He was the class bully and he caused all the boys to join in when making fun of some poor unsuspecting victim such as myself.
"Is that your girlfriend?" All the other boys in the class laughed. I blushed deeply.
"Yeah!" Lay yelled "you two seem pretty close already" in that moment I wanted to scream at my brother and his jerk friends to stop picking on me, but that would only make it worse, I had to pretend like I was one of them.
"she is not my girlfriend!" I cried out frantically. "I am not even friends with her!" I turned and saw Teddy's face, she looked like she was about to cry. I didn't know what to do, my reputation was at stake, my life depended on that moment. One girl being hurt would have to be worth the cost of it meant Caden would stop teasing me. .
Teddy stood up and crossed the room to sit next to Amanda. Amanda had curly brown hair and bright blue eyes. They seemed to get along just fine. Amanda liked it when people talked. Amanda was a shy girl. She did not like talking to very many people. and from what I had seen, Teddy was a very talkative girl.
Our teacher came in and started teaching us, not knowing or the catastrophe that had enfolded while they were out in the hall talking to the bishop. and I completely forgot about Teddy... until sharing time in primary.
She was told by the teacher to sit down by me. And all the boys snickered as she sat down. I think I even heard Caden call her a freak, I don't know why, but I wanted to punch him for that.
She leaned over and whispered, "Sorry I embarrassed you." She sounded on the verge of tears.
My young mind was at a loss of what I was supposed to do. Should I not worry cause I was trying to stand up for myself, or should I apologize for hurting someone even if I didn't mean to hurt them?
finally I leaned over and whispered back, "it's okay. I was the one who was being mean." i smiled at her and she smiled back shyly.

* * * * * * * * *

"That new family is very nice" my mom said at dinner that night.
"That girl who is our age is weird" Caden said. "She called James cute" he added.
Mom looked me. "Is this true James?"
"Yes" I mumbled.
"What did you say?" dad demanded. I was totally ready to lie about what I'd said, but Caden stepped up first. "He told her that he wasn't her friend".
Mom looked at me in horror. "James! That girl has never had a friend in her life!" She was yelling now.
"Why not?" I knew it was rude to ask, but I had to know why.
"She is legally blind. Her mom told me today. Her mom was wondering if either of you boys would play with her some time. I told her Teddy could come over tomorrow."
"Oh" I felt really bad now but I shouldn't should I? I did apologize. "Mom, I did apologize to her in primary."
"Well, now you get to call her and invite her over to play," my mom grabbed the phone and sent me to my room.
"Most kids get grounded when they say mean things, but no, I am forced to have a play date with a girl!" I scream as I storm down the narrow hallway to my bedroom.
My seven year old mind was confused. I didn't understand why I had to be friends with this girl. But I called.
"Hello?" It was a woman's voice. It must have been Teddy's mom.
"Hi is Teddy there?" I asked. This was the most humiliating thing I had ever done.
"Yes, hold on just a second" I heard nothing for about a minute.
Then I heard her. "Hello? Who is this?"
"Hey, Teddy, it's James. How ya doing?" I felt stupid as Caden entered our bedroom and started laughing at me. I hated sharing a room with him.
"Hi James!" She was ecstatic. "What ya calling for?"
"Do you want to have a play date tommarow?" Caden was rolling on the floor laughing. I kicked him as I continued, "you don't have to, I just thought you might need a friend. Considering that you are new and everything."
"Yes! I would love to! Let me ask my mom." apparently she took the phone with her, because I heard her as she was running and jumping down the hallway.
"Mom! Mom!" She called.
"Yes? Calm down Teddy. You are acting like you did when you first learned braille." Her mom sounded calm. How could that women stay calm in the midst of all that energy?
"Can I go to James's house tomorrow?" She sounded a little bit more calm now.
"I would prefer him to come over here."
"Why, mom?" Teddy sounded as confused as I was.
"You don't do the best when you are inside places you don't know very well. But if you want to go over there, I will let you."
"Thank you mom! What time can I be there?" She sounds so happy I couldn't help but smile. Caden was making faces at me. I wanted to punch him.
"I will take you there around seven
in the morning." Teddy starting running and jumping back to her room. "I want you to bring your cane and use it though!" Her mom called after her.
"Okay!" She called back. "Is it okay with your mom that I come over at seven in the morning?" she was talking to me again.
"Let me check. I opened the door to my room and yelled down he hallway. "Mom! Can Teddy come over at seven in the morning tommarow?" I waited, and waited. Finally I walked into he kitchen. Mom was standing there talking to dad about bills or something.
"Can teddy come over at seven in the morning tomorrow?" I asked interrupting her in mid sentence.
"Why yes she can." Mom said. "Tell her to come hungry! We ere having waffles for breakfast tomorrow." Then she turned back around to continue talking to my dad.
I walked back to my room before I started talking to Teddy again. "My mom said yes and that you are going to eat breakfast with us."
"Okay!" She exclaimed. "What do you want to do tomorrow?"
"Play dolls!" Caden yelled through the phone.
"I do not play dolls!" She exclaimed.
"I figured that." I said. "Sorry about Caden, he is an idiot. So I guess I will see you tomorrow?"
"See ya!" Teddy said then she hung up. I lay on my bed wondering how tomorrow would go.