A Difficult Choice
The school science competition was only a few days away. Lily worked hard every afternoon, while Emma quietly prepared for the art contest. Although she wanted to focus on herself, jealous thoughts still appeared from time to time.
One afternoon, Emma found Lily's notebook on a classroom desk. It contained all of Lily's ideas for the competition. For a moment, Emma thought about hiding it. If Lily couldn't find her notes, she might lose the competition.
Emma held the notebook tightly. Her heart beat faster as she stood alone in the empty classroom. She knew no one would ever discover the truth if she hid it.
After a long moment of silence, Emma took a deep breath and walked to Lily's locker. She carefully placed the notebook inside and left without saying a word.
As she walked home, she felt something different. She had defeated her jealousy for the first time. The battle inside her was not over, but she had taken her first real step toward becoming a kinder and stronger person.
