Naviah Onteniente Tries Her Best to Fit in
"Hey, guys!" Naviah Onteniente called out excitedly. "Look what I found!"
Her friends, Isabella and Sophia, turned from the sandbox. They blinked in confusion as Naviah held up a large, rotting fish.
"Um, what is that?" asked Isabella.
"It's a fish!" said Naviah, beaming. "I found it in the trash can behind the fish market."
Sophia scrunched up her nose. "Ew, Naviah! That's gross!"
"No, it's not," Naviah protested. "It's cool! I'm going to keep it as a pet."
"You can't keep a rotting fish as a pet!" laughed Isabella.
"Yes, I can," insisted Naviah, "and I'm going to name it... Frank."
"Frank the fish?" Sophia asked, trying to stifle her laughter.
"Yes!" exclaimed Naviah. "Frank the fish."
With that, Naviah ran off to find a bucket to put Frank in. Isabella and Sophia watched her go, shaking their heads in amusement.
Later that day, Naviah's parents came home from work to find the foul smell of rotting fish permeating the house. They followed their noses into the kitchen, where they discovered Naviah sitting at the table, playing with Frank the fish.
"Naviah! What is that awful smell?" her mother exclaimed, pinching her nose.
"It's Frank!" said Naviah happily. "My new pet."
"A fish?" asked her father, raising an eyebrow.
"Not just any fish," said Naviah, "Frank the fish."
"Well, Frank the fish is going outside," said her mother firmly. "You can't keep a rotting fish in the house."
"But why not?" Naviah whined. "He's my friend!"
"He's not your friend, Naviah, he's a fish," said her father.
"He can still be my friend," Naviah protested.
But no amount of pleading could convince her parents to let Naviah keep Frank the fish in the house. Naviah was heartbroken, but she eventually agreed to compromise. She buried Frank in the backyard, next to her pet hamster that had passed away the previous month.
Every day for the next week, Naviah would visit Frank's grave and talk to him. She told him about her day, her friends, and her dreams. Frank never responded, but Naviah didn't mind. He was still her friend, even if he was a fish.
One day, Naviah was visiting Frank's grave when she heard a voice behind her.
"Excuse me, is this Frank the fish's grave?"
Naviah turned around and saw a young boy standing there. He looked to be about eight years old, with big brown eyes and a mop of curly hair.
"Yes," said Naviah. "It is."
"I'm sorry for your loss," said the boy. "I lost my pet goldfish last week. I know how you feel."
"Thank you," said Naviah. "His name was Frank."
"My goldfish's name was Bubbles," said the boy. "He was a good friend."
Naviah and the boy talked for a while longer, sharing stories about their pets. Eventually, it was time for the boy to go.
"I'm glad I met you, Naviah," said the boy.
"I'm glad I met you too," said Naviah.
The boy smiled and turned to leave. As he walked away, Naviah noticed something shiny on the ground. She picked it up and saw that it was a small, silver bell.
"Hey!" she called out to the boy. "You dropped this."
The boy turned around and saw the bell. "Oh, thank you," he said, taking it from her.
"What is it?" asked Naviah.
"It's a guardian bell," said the boy. "It's supposed to protect me from bad luck."
"Can I have it?" asked Naviah.
"Sure," said the boy. "I have more than one."
Naviah put the guardian bell on her necklace, next to the one her grandmother had given her. She felt a sense of peace as she watched the boy walk away.
Naviah continued to visit Frank's grave every day, but now she always wore the guardian bell. She felt like it protected her from the loneliness of losing her friend.
One day, Naviah was visiting Frank's grave when she saw a group of kids playing nearby. They were throwing rocks at a small, injured bird. Naviah ran over to the kids and shooed them away.
"Leave it alone!" she yelled. "It's hurt!"
The kids looked at each other and shrugged. They walked away, leaving the bird alone.
Naviah gently picked up the bird and cradled it in her hands. She could see that it had a broken wing.
"Don't worry," she said softly. "I'll help you."
Naviah took the bird home and nursed it back to health. She named it Lucky, because it was lucky to have survived.
Naviah and Lucky became best friends. They played together every day, and Naviah taught Lucky how to fly again. When Lucky was finally strong enough, Naviah released it back into the wild.
Naviah watched as Lucky flew away, feeling a sense of joy and accomplishment. She had lost Frank, but she had gained something even more special.
Naviah continued to wear the guardian bell every day, and she always felt safe and protected.
Epilogue
Years later, Naviah grew up to be a kind and compassionate woman. She always helped those in need, and she always wore her guardian bell.
One day, Naviah was walking through the park when she saw a young girl sitting on a bench, crying. Naviah sat down next to the girl and asked her what was wrong.
"I lost my dog," the girl said through tears.
"I'm sorry," said Naviah. "What was his name?"
"His name was Lucky," said the girl.
Naviah smiled. "That's a good name."
"Do you think I'll ever see him again?" asked the girl.
"I don't know," said Naviah. "But I do know that there are people who care about you, and they'll help you through this."
Naviah gave the girl a hug and handed her the guardian bell. "Here," she said. "This bell will protect you."
The girl took the bell and put it on her necklace. "Thank you," she said. "I feel better now."
Naviah smiled and watched as the girl walked away.
Naviah knew that the guardian bell had brought her luck and happiness over the years. She hoped that it would do the same for the young girl.
As Naviah walked away, she thought about all the people she had met along the way. She thought about Frank the fish, Isabella and Sophia, the boy with the curly hair, and the young girl who had lost her dog.
"We are all connected," she thought. "And we all need a little bit of luck in our lives."