CIRCLE OF 5 FRIENDS

A group of four friends stood at the door of their friend's grand house, knocking eagerly. The door swung open, revealing Mrs. Thompson, a woman in her early forties, her face lit up with a beaming smile as she welcomed them—all except Yvette Wilson."Good morning, young stars!" Mrs. Thompson exclaimed."Good morning, ma'am!" the four chorused, smiling brightly.Eyeing Yvette coolly, she added, "How are your mothers?""They're fine, ma," they replied."I wasn't talking to you, bad luck," Mrs. Thompson snapped at Yvette. "I was talking to my stars."Just then, Azan, her son, stepped out from the big house. "Mum, I've told you not to call Yvette 'bad luck.' She's our friend too.""She'll never be part of you," his mother retorted. "There's a difference between you and her."Irin, one of the girls in the group, glanced at her watch. "Let's go before we're late for school."They turned to leave, and Mrs. Thompson waved goodbye. "Bye! Drive carefully, and don't let the bad luck among you infect you. Avoid her!"In the car on the way to school, the five friends cheered and laughed—except for Yvette, who sat quietly in the corner, tears streaming down her face. Azan noticed first. "Are you crying, Yvette?"Irin leaned in. "Is it about Mrs. Thompson's behavior toward you?""See, guys," Yvette said, her voice breaking, "I want out.""No, you don't," Nicole protested."I want out of your circle," Yvette insisted. "I really don't want to be part of the Young Stars anymore. Your parents hate me with a passion. Ever since I lost my parents, I've been working hard to pay my bills and keep my scholarship. That's enough for me to bear. I'm just seventeen, working as a waiter at a bar. My rich friends' parents don't want me around their kids, and I understand. I get how you rich people see us from the trenches—like we don't have lives. But we do. We're human too. We might be poor, but where there's life, there's hope.""Yvette..." Azan started softly."I hate being mocked or insulted," she continued, "but your parents make it their priority. Every time they see me, they call me 'bad luck.' I don't blame them—I blame my parents for leaving me. For two years, I've worked to make ends meet. No family, no relatives. You guys are the only friends I have, but you don't need to disobey your parents for me. I'm tired of being your charity case. Let me leave this clique and find people like me.""Don't be silly," Nicole said. "Our parents might not want you, but we do. We all love you. And you're not a charity—are we complaining?""You're not a charity," Lucas added. "You're a good friend.""A great teacher," Azan chimed in. "I'm sorry my mum said that, but she was joking.""That's not a joke," Yvette shot back.Irin nodded firmly. "If you leave, we'll be back to square one. You're the pole we all lean on—without you, our parents would toss us out for our bad grades.""You're not bad luck to me," Lucas said. "You're a heroine.""You're just saying that to make me happy," Yvette murmured."It's not about making you happy," Azan replied. "We should accept you with open arms. Your mum died because a patient in her hospital sneezed on her, giving her Ebola. Your dad died serving the country in the military. You weren't always like this—if your parents hadn't died, things would be different.""I wish our parents had this kind of thinking," Nicole sighed. "Where's their brain? Can't they even see it?""Stop crying, Yvette," Irin said, patting her back gently. "It's okay.""What about ice cream at the school cafeteria?" Lucas suggested, trying to lighten the mood."I've got no money," Yvette replied. "You guys go—I'll eat the fish my madam gave me last night.""I thought I told you not to work on weekdays," Azan said.Yvette bowed her head playfully. "I'm sorry, my Lord."They all burst into laughter."But you need rest," Lucas added. "You're looking older than your age.""Poor people don't rest," she quipped."Stop calling yourself poor," Irin scolded. "Do you know what poor really means? Total poverty—no food, no money, no shelter. That's poverty."The driver pulled up sharply. "Hello! Get off the car, kids!"The Young Stars grabbed their bags and piled out, ready to face the school day ahead.