iAmGabi

The ‘Yes’ Girl
by Gabi, age 9

     There once was a girl named Shira who could never say “no.”

     “Shira,” her friend Abbie said, as they were sitting on an airplane one day, “would you go

sit on the plane’s wing? There’s nothing good on TV, and I need to see something

entertaining.”

     “Sheee­ra!” called Ben, holding up a shirt with a target plastered on it, “Will you put this

on?”

     “Why?” asked Shira, looking at the shirt curiously.

     “Because I need you to wear something with a target so I can practice my soccer shots

on you.”

     Many bumps and bruises after that, her friend Elena said, “Do you want to come and

have some worm sandwiches and toad eggs with me?”

     “Y­yes,” moaned Shira. “That sounds ­­ wonderful.”

     One day, Shira’s school held a talent show.

     “Maybe I could sing something,” Shira said wistfully, “Something of my own creation.”

After a few hours of work, she finally came up with a short song and a dance. She called

it “’I’m Just a Girl Who Can’t Say ‘No.’”

     When the night of the performance came, her legs were shaking, her stomach was aching

and her head felt as though there were a million hungry crabs inside of it pinching her. But

she knew she had to sing. She trembled her way onto the stage and froze there for

about 20 seconds, then out the song came:

     “I’m Just a Girl Who Can’t Say ‘no,’ Do you want to bury me under a ton of snow? Even if
you did, I wouldn’t say a thing, ‘cause I’m just a puppet on a string. You may think this
sounds bad, but it’s just that I hate to make people mad. And so here I am, your servant-
to-­be. So whenever you wonder whether you should say ‘no,’ just think of me.”

     The audience was quiet after Shira sang her last note. Her song had been so touching

that no one could think of anyone but her. And from then on, no one ever asked Shira for

a favor again.