I called up my Mom at work and told her I didn't have any friends because everyone else's clothes were more exciting than mine. Mom told me to use the Visa card. She called ahead to a local store to let them know I had permission. "Next time, call Dad at work," she said, "not me."

When I walked into the juniors section, I didn't see anything that I had seen other kids wearing, and even though I knew I could have whatever I wanted in the store, what I really wanted didn't seem to be there. So I bought a pair of rainbow socks that seemed nice in the store, but when I brought them home they didn't look special any more, and I knew they would never win me friends.

Once, a teacher asked me to stay after school. She was my favorite teacher ever, and I was hoping she would ask if I wanted to be her daughter. I had gotten stars on every test that year. Instead, she asked why I came to school bruised all the time. She said she thought maybe someone was doing something that ordinary parents don't do. I thought about the question for a few seconds, and then I looked down at my socks.