Quality Friends

"She has to go back," said Gina, as they walked to their next class.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked.

"I saw you in class. You like her, don't you?" Gina said. "Well, don't get too attached. She has to go back."

"Don't you like the Scream?" Kate asked.

Gina replied, "Of course. He is really cool. He gets all excited about things. He is a lot of fun. If he sticks around there is this thing at the mall. They are looking for someone to scream for a movie. I know he will get the part!"

"Well, why do you want him to audition for a part? What happens if he disappears when they need him? How are you going to explain to movie producers that he just happened to disappear back to his painting?" stated Kate.

Gina didn't answer her question. Instead, she changed the subject. "I think Will should enter that scream contest. Will is a good screamer," noted Gina. Kate did not know how her friend knew this. She looked at Gina, wondering if she had a little crush on Will. "Well, he can. I dared him to!"

Kate shook her head at Gina. It was just like her to dare someone to do something strange.

"You like Will don't you?" asked Kate. Gina just winked but would not answer.

Just then, Will appeared, as if he knew they were talking about him. "The Thinker is getting me in trouble in all my classes. He raises his hand, and then he starts thinking about the answer, deep in thought. He is real boring. I wish I never painted him!"

It was Mona Lisa who interrupted. "How dare you! What would we do if we weren't painted or sculpted? We wouldn't exist. We were painted because some artist felt something and wanted to share it with the rest of the world. They wanted to recreate something, whether it was a person or just a mood. You have to appreciate that The Thinker is here for a reason, just like I am. Why did you want to paint The Thinker? I would like to know."

Will looked a little sad, as if he would rather not admit the real reason. He said, "I thought The Thinker looked smart, and I wish I were smarter. Then maybe I would be more popular."

Mona Lisa no longer looked upset with him. "Life isn't just about being popular and people liking you. I don't even live in this century but I am sure about that," she said.

Kate and Gina both put their arms around Will. They both gave him a hug, not caring that they blocked the hallway or that the whole class saw them hugging Will. "It isn't the amount of friends anyway, it is the quality," said Kate. "And your friends think a lot of you."