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Alessia Sayed fiddled with the purple ribbon collar absently. The sun above felt like it was trying to bake everyone alive. She could feel sweat sliding through her hair and down her neck and she hated it. Antonella and Aurelia were picking at their food on either side of her.
Her parents were real smart: three ‘A’ names for their triplets girls, and three color ribbons to keep track. Even the teachers use the ribbon system now. They were weird enough that nobody was sitting next to them at lunch. It was depressing.
Alessia stood up. She refused to sit in silence. She was going to have a friend before lunch time was over, no matter what!
Alessia cast her gaze around the little lunch courtyard. It was a brownish field that was fenced in by a white picket fence, with lots of plastic tables and bench combos that every park seems to have at least one of. She could hear cars whooshing down the road just outside the fence.
Alessia couldn’t understand why only one grade was allowed lunch at a time; there were more than enough tables and seats for everybody. Were the adults against friendship? They certainly didn’t like it when she sat next to her sisters in class… Though that could be because she kept talking when the teacher was. But the teacher was boring, and listening to Antonella’s story ideas was much more exciting. Whatever, friends are to be found!!
Eventually, Alessia’s gaze landed on a girl sitting by herself. She had a blue apron dress over a yellow shirt with long sleeves on long brown hair shaped like mafaldine noodles falling to her elbows. It was curly and straight. Wavy maybe?
With a target, the brunette bounced, literally, across the not-so-green way to the other fake wood table and bench. With a clatter Alessia set her tray down and got comfortable. Well, as comfy as you could on a bench that liked to stick to your skin like glue.
“HI! My name is Alessia, I like cooking, and bears and the color purple, what about you? Also, don’t you think it’s so weird that the other grades aren’t allowed to sit with us, cause I do. Like, how are we supposed to make lots of friends? There’s only 10 or so kids in our class, I think? I don’t like counting, that’s more my sister’s, Aurelia’s thing. And isn’t that weird? Who likes math? But she does, so?” Alessia took a deep breath having run out during her excited or anxious, who knows, ramble. The girl looked taken aback, staring at Alessia with wide brown eyes. Almost like an owl.
“Umm, Hi?” Alessia froze, and gave the girl her full attention. Would this work?
“My name’s Alicia. Umm, I like reading? And horses are awesome. I like purple. It’s pretty…” She trailed off. Alessia was practically vibrating in her seat.
“Awesome! We both like purple. Oo, oo what do you think of Ms. Rosales? She’s so pretty, and she seems really nice. She didn’t tell me to be quiet at least…” Alessia trailed off, waiting for Alicia to answer.
“Well, that’s my mom. So, yeah she is pretty nice. And I helped pick out the hair bow today.” Alicia began much more confident now that she had caught up to the conversation.
“Also, our names are so similar. That’s pretty cool. You’re one of the Sayed triplets right?” She finished, raising her eyebrow like an adult. Alessia thought that it was pretty cool her new friend could do that. She couldn’t. Maybe she could work on it?
After a moment, she realized Alicia was waiting for her response. “Oh, yeah. There’s me, and Aurelia, she’s got the yellow ribbon in her hair, and then there’s Antonella, she likes making stories and she’s got the blue ribbon around her wrist. Our parents like knowing who’s who, so we all have to wear color coded ribbons. Can’t take them off, unless it’s to put it somewhere else. Like sometimes, I wear mine in my hair, but I like having a necklace.” A giggle broke through her ramble, and Alessia smiled. It was great that someone else thought she was funny. Her sisters did, but they had too so they didn’t count.
“What’s your favorite food? Mine’s PB&J.” Alicia asks as she messes with a little yellow cardboard box.
“I like pasta. The little bow-tie kind ya know? It’s best with cheese and cheesy bread topped with garlic.” Alessia could feel a grin spreading across her face. Her new friend was awesome-cool. She looked down at her food. Her parents had packed a dessert, candy buttons. She wrinkled her nose. Maybe her new friend would like them?
“Hey,” Alessia called. Alicia looked up, tilting her head in a silent question.
“Do you like candy buttons? Mama packed them for me but I don’t really like them.” Alicia scrunched her nose, confused.
“What even are candy buttons?” She asked.
“Ah, a gummy? I think. They’re kinda chewier than gummy bears though, and they're like little dots. Like the buttons on my grammy’s shirt.” Alessia tried to explain, before ripping the package open and showing her the multi-colored little gummies inside.
“Ooh, those look pretty cool. We could trade? My momma packed me jellybeans.” Alicia opened the little yellow box she’d been fiddling with, and showed her. Alessia gasped. They looked like the magic beans that Jack would plant to get a golden egg.
“They look like magic.” Alessia whispered, breathless in her awe. Wordlessly, the two girls traded their treats. Alessia shook the little box, and three jelly beans fell out into the palm of her hand. One was blue, the other was red and the last was the bright green of that soda Papa liked, Mount something something.
She lifted them up to her eye, almost expecting them to sparkle in the sunlight. They didn’t, but they were shiny and that was pretty close. Alessia tossed them inside. For a second Alessia froze as flavor burst across her tongue. She quickly scarfed down the rest of that little box. Soon she was licking her lips, a little regretful that she hadn’t taken her time. They were really good. Alessia looked over at Alicia. She was worrying the wrapper back and forth between her fingers like she was hoping there was more.
“You know,” Alessia began, hesitantly. Alicia flicked her eyes up distractedly.
“Mama always packs me candy buttons. We could keep trading if you like ‘em?” Alessia proposed hoping the other girl would agree. Before she even finished, Alicia was nodding rapidly.
“Yeah, Momma always gives me jellybeans anyways. Buttons are much better.” Alicia blurted out. Alessia just shrugged her shoulders happy that her new friend was happy. It was okay to be wrong on some things, especially if it got her more jelly beans.
Alessia grinned as she shook the little yellow box, now empty of its magical jelly beans. “Well, this was the best trade ever. You get candy buttons, I get jellybeans. Win-win, right?”
Alicia hummed, still fiddling with the candy wrapper. “Yeah. You’re kinda like a jelly bean, you know?”
Alessia blinked. “Huh?”
Alicia shrugged. “You’re colorful, all bouncy and sweet, but also kinda surprising. I never know what you’re gonna say next.”
Alessia gasped dramatically, hands clutched over her heart. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” Then she smirked. “Well, if I’m a jelly bean, you gotta be a candy button.”
Alicia tilted her head. “Why?”
“Because buttons are cute, and they stick around, just like you!” Alessia declared.
For a second, Alicia just stared at her, then let out a small giggle. “Okay, Jellybean.”
Alessia beamed. “Okay, Button.”
And just like that, they were officially friends.