Marina's Clever Connection

Marina loved school, especially the quiet corner with the big colourful puzzles. Her clever mind loved to fit pieces together, making whole pictures appear. She also loved to draw, filling her sketchbook with bright kangaroos and wobbly wombats. Every morning, she would hum a happy tune as she walked into class, ready for a day of learning and creating.

One sunny Monday, a new girl arrived. Her name was Chloe, and she had bright, curious eyes. Marina watched from her desk as Chloe explored the classroom. Then, Chloe stopped right at Marina's favourite puzzle corner. Not only that, Chloe pulled out a sketchbook just like Marina's, filled with drawings of Australian animals! Marina's heart did a little flip-flop. She wanted to say hello, but a shy whisper told her to wait.

Chloe sat down and started working on a challenging puzzle, a big map of Australia. Marina saw a tricky part: the border between Queensland and New South Wales. Chloe seemed a bit stuck. Marina knew exactly which piece went there! She really wanted to help, but her shyness made her toes wiggle inside her shoes. She just smiled a tiny, secret smile.

Chloe sighed, holding up a piece that didn't fit. Marina took a deep breath. She remembered how much fun it was to finish a tricky puzzle. Thinking quickly, Marina walked over, not directly to Chloe, but to the puzzle box. "This one looks like the Great Barrier Reef," she said softly, pointing to a blue, wavy piece in the box. "It might fit near the coast."

Chloe looked at Marina, then at the piece Marina pointed to. A small, nervous smile touched Chloe's lips. Marina smiled back, a little nervously too. Chloe tried the piece, and *snap*! It fit perfectly. "Oh! You found it!" Chloe exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise and happiness.

"I love puzzles," Marina admitted, feeling a little braver now. "Especially the big, tricky ones." Chloe nodded enthusiastically. "Me too! And drawing!" She showed Marina her sketchbook, full of vibrant kookaburras and koalas. Marina gasped. "I draw animals too!" she said, pulling out her own sketchbook.

They sat side by side, looking at each other's drawings and pointing out favourite parts. The shyness quickly melted away like ice cream on a hot day. Soon, they were giggling about a particularly goofy-looking wombat Marina had drawn and planning which puzzle to tackle next.

By the end of the day, Marina and Chloe were laughing and chatting like old friends. Marina realised that being smart didn't just mean knowing answers; it also meant knowing how to share a helpful idea, even when you felt a bit shy. Her clever idea about the puzzle piece had made a wonderful new friend!

They decided to draw a giant, colourful mural of all their favourite Australian animals together the very next day. Marina went home with a skip in her step, already thinking about all the fun adventures she and Chloe would have.