Our teacher gave us a task called "secret friends" for the coming week. With our eyes closed. we drew (抽取) a name of a classmate from a basket， We were supposed to do nice things for our friends without letting them know who was doing it. We could leave encouraging notes or cards on their desks or in their schoolbags.
Soon, the task was turned into a competition of giving gifts instead of notes. Everyone was getting cool presents except me. I received nothing but cards with nice words about me.
On the last morning, I finally got a package. When I openedit, the girls around all laughed. It was perfumed powder (香粉),an "old lady" gift. My face went red.
I tried to forget about the embarrassing gift, but when the girls mentioned it again in the washroom, I joined in, "How stupid! My grandmother wouldn't even want it. "The girls laughed and left the bathroom.
"I'm your secret friend. "It was Rachel. "I'm sorry about the gift, " she said to me in a low voice.
From a poor family she was often laughed at by those with rich parents. Yet she just bore (忍受) everything silently.
I was sick to my stomach as my hurtful words ran through my mind. She had heard everything. How could I have been so cruel?
Later I learned that she had felt bad all week about not being able to leave me any cool present and her mum had given up her only luxury (奢侈品).
I told her that I had only said those things to try to fit in (融入).
"We aren't that different from each other, are we?" she smiled understandingly. Her simple words, spoken from her heart, found their way straight into mine.
