Faith In Humanity In Small Doses

(I am fifteen at the time, and have been going through a tough time. I guess other people sense a dark cloud over my head and give me a wide berth. I’m waiting for my mom to finish changing in the locker room. A young kid that looks about eight comes up to me. He doesn’t seem to be with anyone. Note that I have never seen this kid before in my life.)

Kid: “Hi!” *smiles*

Me: “Hi…” *attempting smile*

Kid: “What’s up?”

Me: “Nothing much…”

Kid: “Well, my name’s [Kid]. What’s yours?”

Me: “…[My Name].”

Kid: “Wanna go play video games in the arcade for a while?”

Me: “Okay…”

(We played for a while and I kept looking around for the kid’s mother, but there was no one that seemed like they might be with him. He talked to me, a girl twice as old as he, like a friend, and I was shocked at how comfortable he seemed with me. Needless to say I cheered up and forgot my troubles and when my mom came out, the kid waved goodbye and disappeared. Now, nearly a decade later, I still remember! Thank you, kid, wherever you are, for brightening my day up when I was down. Everyone seemed to avoid me and you didn’t!)