"Ready, set...GO!" Grandma shouted, and Scarlett took off running! She zoomed past the swings, past the sandbox, right to the biggest slide on the playground.
Scarlett loved the playground! There were so many colors: red slides, yellow swings, a blue sandbox. And so many other kids to play with! But today, Scarlett wasn't sure if she wanted to play with the other kids. She just wanted to slide!
Climbing the ladder, Scarlett saw a little boy at the top. He had a big, fluffy dog with him! The dog wagged its tail excitedly.
"Hi," Scarlett said.
"Woof!" the dog barked happily.
"This is Sparky," the boy said. "He loves the slide!"
Sparky barked again, as if to agree. Scarlett wanted to go down the slide, but she felt a little shy. What if she went too slow? What if she got stuck?
Grandma always told her to believe in herself, so Scarlett took a deep breath. "Do you think...Sparky could come with me?" she asked the boy.
The boy smiled. "Sparky loves making new friends!"
Scarlett carefully sat down on the slide. Sparky hopped right in front of her, his tail wagging so fast it looked like a furry blur! And then...WHOOSH! Down they went!
The slide was so much fun with Sparky leading the way! Scarlett laughed as the wind whooshing past her ears.
When they reached the bottom, Sparky gave her a big, wet lick on the cheek. "He likes you!" the boy said.
Scarlett felt happy. She had been a little scared, but she went down the slide anyway! And now she had a new furry friend.
All afternoon, Scarlett and Sparky played on the playground. They went down the slide again and again, each time getting braver and faster. Scarlett even tried going down backwards (it was a little bumpy, but still fun!).
Grandma watched from a bench nearby, smiling as she read her book. She loved seeing Scarlett having so much fun and making new friends.
As the sun started to set, it was time to go home. Scarlett gave Sparky one last hug goodbye. "Thank you for being my slide buddy!" she said.
Sparky barked happily and licked her face one more time.
Walking back home with Grandma, Scarlett felt proud of herself. She had faced her fear on the slide and made a new friend.
"Grandma," Scarlett said, "I learned something today."
"What's that?" Grandma asked.
"Being brave is fun!" Scarlett said, grinning. "And slides are more fun with furry friends!"
Grandma chuckled and gave Scarlett a hug. "That's my girl," she said. "Always believe in yourself."
And as they walked home, Scarlett knew that she always would. She was brave, she was strong, and she loved going down the slide!
