Emma+L

=Lily= By: Emma Linden

I don't have any friends here. Back home in San Fransisco I had lots of friends. Here in Cleveland it's really gloomy. My mom and dad are from Germany, Europe, but I was born in San Fransisco. The city has been my home for 9 years and I miss my friends so much!!!! What is the point of moving if your dad already had a really good job back home, plus, lots of friends! Really there is no point, but as a kid you have no choice but to go with the flow.

The only interesting thing in the neighborhood is the garden! It is green and lush and had lots of different plants growing in it. The garden is in a vacant lot and there used to be so much trash there! I beg my big sister Sara to come with me to see if we could plant something! I loved raspberries, so I brought down a packet raspberry seeds and Sara brought a packet of blueberries. When Sara and I reach the garden I see a little patch of soil in the middle of the garden. Sara, can we plant over there? I asked. ''Sure, why not! It looks like there is enough room for both of us,'' Sara replies. We walk over to the soil and I pull out the packet of raspberry seeds and start to plant.

Sara and I start to dig small holes for the seeds when I notice a little girl planting lima beans. I walk over to talk to her. ''Hi, my name is Lily and I am 9 years old? What is your name?'' My name is Kim and I am also nine years old. She didn't sound to confident and sounded lonely. Would you like to be my friend? That brings a smile to her face and we start planting together.

Over the next few days Kim and I continue to plant together while Sara plays with her new friends. Kim, why did you choose to plant lima beans? Well, because I learned how to plant them in my class last year and I thought that it would be easier if I knew how to grow a plant than if I learned something new, Kim replied. Why did you choose raspberries? I like to think they have their own little mind and that they stand proud and strong through everything! I tell Kim about me and how it was moving here. It turns out that she is from Vietnam and that her dad is dead.

Now me and Kim are best friends and always help each other with things. I don't think that Cleveland is all that bad anymore and I am begining to get some other friends too. For example another girl named Sara (not my sister!) and she is really kind! I am also helping other people with their garden like Leona and Lateesha!