The morning the girl began to notice her place in the world, she was late leaving the house.

Not terribly late. Just a few minutes, lost while she stood in front of the mirror trying to decide whether her hair looked better tied back or loose. She pulled it up, let it down, gathered it again, and finally left with half of it tucked behind one ear and the rest falling over her shoulders.

On her way to school, she remembered the notebook she had been drawing in the night before. She had left it at home. For a moment, she considered turning back, but she had already walked too far. She quickened her pace, hoping her friend would be waiting in their usual spot.

They had known each other for years. They had never made an agreement to meet every morning, yet somehow they always found each other by the large window at the end of the hallway. From there, they could see the schoolyard, the trees, and the gate through which the children arrived.