On Monday morning, Mrs. Roberts introduced a new student to the class. "Everyone, this is Sofia. She just moved here from another city. Please make her feel welcome."

Sofia stood at the front of the room, looking down at her shoes. She did not smile. She did not wave. Some students whispered to each other.

At lunch, Sofia sat alone at the end of a long table. She opened her lunchbox slowly and took out a sandwich, but she did not eat it.

Liam noticed Sofia sitting by herself. He remembered his first day at a new school two years ago. He remembered how scared he felt, how the cafeteria seemed too loud, and how nobody talked to him.

Liam picked up his tray and walked over to Sofia's table. "Hi, I'm Liam. Can I sit here?"

Sofia looked up, surprised. "Okay," she said quietly.

"I was the new kid once too," Liam told her. "It gets better. The hardest part is the first day."

Sofia smiled a little. "I was nervous. I did not know anyone."

"Now you know me," Liam said.

Over the next few days, Liam introduced Sofia to his friends. He showed her where the art room was and where to find the best books in the library. By Friday, Sofia was laughing and talking like she had been there all year.

"Thank you," Sofia told Liam. "You made everything easier."

Liam shrugged. "Someone did the same for me once."