Article June 25, 2012 Issue

I tried to fit in with the cool crowd, but...

Melanie Wahlberg

Have you ever done something just because you knew in your heart it was the right thing to do? Maybe you had no idea how things would turn out. But the first step was clear because of how you felt inside.

When I was in grade school, my best friend lived just two houses away from me.
We played together almost every day—on our bikes, in her backyard, or in my pool.
But around fifth or sixth grade, something changed.

My friend began spending more time with two other girls who had pretty different interests. Instead of reading, biking, and taking walks, they were more into trying on clothes and calling boys on the phone. I did not want to lose my friend, so I really tried to fit in with these girls, doing stuff I wasn’t really interested in. But I always felt left out.

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