The Friend Who Changed My Life Vocab Activity.

I was tall for my age and already wore a size nine shoe ? an awkward ____________________ .

My brown hair was kept ____________________ off my face with hair clips .

I wanted to fit in , but I wore my ____________________ like a new pair of white shoes , all too ready to be scuffed up .

She was tiny , ____________________ , and loud , with blond bangs and tightly pulled - back hair .

At first , I wondered if this was some sort of new - kid ____________________ , but she didn ? t let up . I could expect a wallop when I least expected it ? while I was standing in line after recess , on my way out of the girls ? bathroom , or as I pushed my lunch tray along the counter in front of the cafeteria ladies . Bam !

I used to lie in bed every night dreading going to school and hoping that things would get better . I tried to figure out ____________________ routes to walk from one place to another so Theresa couldn ? t get to me easily . I

I stopped ____________________ and turned around , unaware that Theresa had been running full - speed toward me . She didn ? t expect my sudden stop and slammed into me and fell to the ground .

I had visions of having a personal hero to protect me ? fantasies of Mary Lou escorting me around the school with a protective arm over my shoulder and ____________________ anyone who came near me .

I walked back to the playground with Mary Lou ____________________ following behind . I couldn ? t see a way out of the situation . In front of me was Theresa , and in back of me was Mary Lou .

Theresa stood in a huddle of girls . Mary Lou nudged me toward her . I had never ____________________ a fight before in my life . I had never hit anyone and didn ? t have an inkling of what to do .

When Theresa saw me approaching , she set her mouth in a grim line , marched toward me , and swung her leg back to haul off and kick me . I jumped back to avoid the kick . I made a fist and ____________________ my arm wildly , in some sort of ridiculous motion .

I don ? t remember what happened next . I know we ____________________ on the blacktop . Gritty sand scraped the skin on my arms , and I would notice the burns later . As we rolled over and over , tiny pebbles got embedded in my face .

One of them made a substantial ____________________ that didn ? t heal for weeks . In a matter of minutes , someone had retrieved the yard - duty teacher , and she corralled and ceremoniously walked us to the principal ? s office . Devastated , I hung my head .

Theresa leaned toward me and whispered , ____________________ , ? I guess we should be benched for two weeks . ? She felt worse than I suspected .

? I could read what the yard - duty teacher put on the slip . Upside down , ? I said . ? Wow , you can read upside down ? ? said Theresa , her ponytail swinging like a ____________________ .

It was ____________________ the Bad Kids ? Bench . Kindergartners and first graders had to file by to get to their classrooms , and they always gave us a wide berth , the orderly line snaking away from us , then back in formation , as if our badness might be contagious .

The yard - duty teacher could keep an eye on us , too , in case we decided to jump up and sneak in a game of hopscotch . Indignant , I refused to talk to Theresa , who didn ? t seem to have any ____________________ about being chatty .

Before I could ____________________ ____________________ , and with sincere awe , I said , ? You ? re lucky . ? I was suddenly jealous of Theresa , but I didn ? t want her to know how much . I reverted to giving her the silent treatment .

The week was over soon enough . The principal never called my parents . The other kids didn ? t seem to care that I had been disciplined on the Bad Kids ? Bench . In fact , I actually detected a ____________________ from some of my classmates . From then on , Theresa left me alone , and Mary Lou was my acknowledged ally .

Mary Lou must have felt the same , because she moved closer to me . We huddled together behind the ____________________ listeners with our pillows almost covering our faces . There was no way not to listen .

Already anxious , I couldn ? t imagine how I would get through the night . I suddenly wanted to be in my own house , in my own bed , with my parents down the hall and my trusty bedside lamp . There didn ? t seem to be any way out of the situation that wasn ? t ____________________ . At least Mary Lou was by my side .

Mary Lou was , and still is , my hero . If a person believes in the domino effect , the premise that one action triggers another , then I am deeply ____________________ to her . If she had never made me stand up to Theresa , I would have existed on the outskirts of our fifth - grade society , always defenseless .