[Macey](DRLDC5XX) loved to dance and sing at home. Her long brown hair twirled as she spun around in sparkly dresses, pretending she was on a big stage.

But outside the house, [Macey](DRLDC5XX) felt shy. At school, she spent recess alone, wishing she had someone to play with.

One day, a group of girls approached [Macey](DRLDC5XX). They were talking and laughing loudly. 'Come and sit with us,' they said, but [Macey](DRLDC5XX) noticed their teasing smiles.

'We want you to do something,' one of the mean girls said. They made [Macey](DRLDC5XX) carry their lunchboxes and run errands for them, even though she didn't want to. She felt small and sad.

That evening, [Macey](DRLDC5XX) told her parents what happened. They hugged her and said, 'You can always say NO when someone asks you to do something you don’t want to do.'

The next day at school, the mean girls tried to make [Macey](DRLDC5XX) carry their books again. But this time, [Macey](DRLDC5XX) stood tall and said, 'No, I don’t want to do that.'

The mean girls walked away, and [Macey](DRLDC5XX) felt proud of herself for standing her ground. She realized she was braver than she thought.

That afternoon, a kind girl named [Ella](TJ2XC7JP) invited [Macey](DRLDC5XX) to play jump rope. 'You can jump with us anytime!' [Ella](TJ2XC7JP) said with a big smile.

[Macey](DRLDC5XX) felt so happy to have a new friend. She learned that being herself and standing up for what’s right helped her find people who treated her kindly.

From then on, [Macey](DRLDC5XX) kept dancing, singing, and being true to herself. She felt proud to say YES to kindness and fun—and NO to things that didn’t feel right.