Natalia and Yesenia

By Alexa Mae

    A middle school-aged girl named Natalia experiences conflicts with her so-called "friends". They force Natalia to help them harass a shy classmate named Yesenia, who has just immigrated to the United States from Colombia only several months ago. Natalia doesn't find the tormenting of Yesenia right, especially to the extent that her friends make it. Natalia decides to take action and start a better relationship with Yesenia despite obstacles coming her way.

    Later on, Yesenia gets to know Natalia and another girl called Raelyn. Based on her treatment from the bullies in America, Yesenia feels shy to talk in her group since she is worried about the girls judging her. But she tries to foster a good friendship with the two by introducing her Latin American culture to them.

    Can Natalia find a way to make Yesenia feel welcome in this country? And can Yesenia find a way that her culture brings her and these girls together rather than set them apart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Greater Flamingo Publishing
• Release date: Aug 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223745563

Alexa Mae

Alexa Mae is a young teenager who lives in California and enjoys writing books for girls her age. She's also passionate about yoga, fashion, and learning about different cultures.

Book preview

Part I: Natalia

Chapter 1

Come on, let’s pull on her hair! Lyra urged her triplet sisters and me. They liked being mean to this one girl named Yesenia, who was poor and not from this country.

Why can’t they just leave her alone, I thought. She has feelings, just like all of us.

Ya, let’s go, Lora said, following her to the bench where Yesenia was sitting. Lara walked close behind her, and I came too just so I wouldn’t have to argue with them.

When the four of us were behind Yesenia, Lyra reached out her arm and yanked on her brown ponytail.

Yesenia quickly turned around. Ow, what you guys trying to do? she asked in her thick accent.

What’s wrong with your voice? Lora asked. It’s literally the most annoying sound that exists.

I’m from Colombia, and I have an accent, okay? Yesenia sighed sadly. I felt so bad for her.

Lyra yanked on her ponytail again, this time with more force.

She rubbed her head from the pain. Please just go somewhere else, please.

Do you seriously think weakly telling me to stop is going to make me? Lyra scoffed.

Yeah, what are you going to do to us if we don’t? Lara smirked.

Yesenia fidgeted with the sleeve of her pink sweatshirt. I find someone to get you in trouble.

"Don’t you mean I’ll?" Lyra corrected rudely. These girls were so mean to her!

Yeah, sorry, Yesenia looked hurt.

It happens, I reassured her. You’re still pretty good at English.

Yesenia gave a small, shy but happy smile in return.

At that moment, Lara punched my shoulder real hard and whispered firmly, Natalia, don’t say anything nice to that loser! You know why!

The reason was that the triplets would reveal all my secrets to the school and damage my reputation. And trust me, I do not want any of those secrets to spill. Okay, I won’t, I bit my lip nervously.

You’d better not! she threatened.

I just wished that I could live the life I could live without the Triple L’s. I could have a kinder friend who cared about me, and I would most likely be much happier.

It was the next day during lunch, and I was brushing my long blonde hair in the bathroom mirror when I saw someone rush into a stall and then heard a high-pitched voice start to cry in there. It sounded a lot like Yesenia.

Stop imagining things... it’s probably nothing; don’t worry about it, I told myself.

But the minutes passed, and the cries got more and more emotional. I couldn’t help but worry.

Finally, as I was adding the last touches to my hair, the person came out. As I guessed, it was Yesenia, and tears were dripping from her eyes that had now become red.

Are y— I started.

Yesenia took one look at me and started crying even harder.

Are you okay? I repeated, fluffing my hair.

Yeah, don’t worry about it, okay? she sobbed, sounding extremely upset. Go hang out with your mean blonde friends.

What? I asked, confused.

You know what happened! she hiccupped.

Before I could tell her anything else, the bathroom door suddenly opened and the triplets came in.

Ew, did somebody die in here or something? Lyra exclaimed. Because that’s what it sounds like to me!

No, I replied.

Then what? Lora asked.

Yesenia hiccupped again. I should have never even come to this country!

Yeah, my ears would be happier without having to listen to your shrill voice! Lora rolled her eyes.

Yesenia said nothing in response and just splashed her face with water.

By the way, what’s the entrance to the club? Lara whispered to me very quietly. I had to answer this every week to prevent them from punishing me.

Yesenia is the stupidest and ugliest person to ever exist? I answered a tiny bit too loudly.

She looked up from the sink, hearing what I said. Her eyes filled up even more. You are so awful!

I realized what Lara had done. This time, she didn’t just ask me for the code—she also tricked me into saying something hurtful to Yesenia, which was not at all part of my intentions!

Yesenia then scurried out of the bathroom, and all three of the sisters cackled. Now I didn’t know what to do. If I went after Yesenia, the triplets would torture me. If I stayed in the bathroom, they would find another way to torture me.

Fortunately, though, the bell rang to transfer us to the next period. I ran out of the bathroom as soon as I could, relieved to get away from the Triple L’s.

Chapter 2

I lay in bed that night and reflected on everything that happened ever since I first arrived here.

It all started this year when my father got an opportunity to make more money from his successful business, so my family and I moved from Nevada to California. I didn’t have any friends yet, but I met a set of identical triplets. One was in cyan and named Lara, the second one was in pink and named