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The New Boy Who Lived Upstairs
School was over for the day. Ivry walked slowly back to the apartment building that was his new home. He was ready to play. But who could he play with? He shouted to the first floor window where Lawrence, one of his classmates, lived. "Hey, Lawrence. Come out and play!" The lights were on in Lawrence's apartment but Lawrence didn't open his window. And Lawrence didn't open the front door. Ivry looked at the tiger stickers on Lawrence's window. When he couldn't stand the freezing cold any longer, he raced upstairs to find his mother. “I never see Lawrence after school. I'm just the new boy who lives upstairs. The boy no one wants to play with," Ivry said. His mother patted his head. "It's cold and snowy. People stay home." Suddenly, Ivry saw Lawrence walking in the snow. He grabbed his coat, scarf and mittens and dashed outside. "Hi, Lawrence," Ivry said breathlessly. "Hi, Ivry," Lawrence said. "Let's play in the snow!" "I can't. I'm going to the library. My mom is waiting for me," he said. Ivry looked at Lawrence's mother who opened the car door impatiently for Lawrence. That's it! Ivry thought. "I'll go to the library!" At the library Ivry shouted, "Hey, Lawrence, let's make a snowman on our way home!" "Shhh!" said the librarians. "I can't," Lawrence whispered. "I have to do my homework." Why doesn't Lawrence want to play with me? Ivry thought. Ivry followed Lawrence to the books on superheroes. “Lawrence, let’s make a SUPER snowman!” Ivry jumped with excitement. “I have to choose a book for a school report.” He pulled a book from the shelf. A picture of a tiger caught Ivry's eye on a nearby book shelf in the play section of the library. It was a puzzle! Lawrence loves tigers! Ivry thought. "Hey, Lawrence, look! A tiger!" They found a brand new Bengal tiger puzzle. They quietly roared! As soon as Lawrence put two pieces together, he separated them. "What are you doing?" Ivry asked. "That's the tiger's face!" "This is the tiger's hand," Lawrence said firmly. Suddenly Lawrence wailed, "I can't put this together." "I know the trick," Ivry said. "First, you find the lines of the tiger's face." Lawrence fitted two pieces together. "I found it. Here's the pieces – the tiger's face!" Ivry helped Lawrence fit those pieces together. They worked until all the pieces were in place. "Yea! We put that puzzle together!" Lawrence shouted. Lawrence gave Ivry a big hug. They rushed outside in the deep snow. Lawrence rolled a big snowball. Ivry rolled another.Ivry thought. I'm so glad Lawrence did that puzzle with me. He must be my friend now! "This was fun." Lawrence said. "Let's play again tomorrow." Ivry said, "But I'm just the new boy who lives upstairs." "You're not the new boy who lives upstairs. You're my new tiger friend," Lawrence said. "You mean, a Bengal Snow Tiger friend." They roared all the way home in the deep snow.
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