I'm friendly with a girl at my school who has Down Syndrome. Everyone makes fun of her and teasingly go up to her and say, "Hey, Debbie! Be my best friend!"
But they don't know
That she doesn't see that they're poking fun
That she really likes that one boy, and she doesn't realize that he's leading her on
That she accepts when boys jokingly ask her out because she doesn't see how mean they're being
My classmate decided to befriend her last year. They have lunch together, they gossip, and do what you and your best friend would do. It's so sweet. Girls like that give me hope. Hope that my other classmates can see that Debbie is just like them. So what if she has a croaky voice and doesn't wear tight denim underwear as shorts? She's just like you. She likes to get her nails done and have sleepovers and chat. Maybe she looks different, and maybe she might not try to grow up as quickly as the rest of you. But Debbie has feelings, like you. Debbie is a teenage girl, like you. Debbie goes through puberty, like you. Debbie likes movies, like you. I think the one difference between you and Debbie is that Debbie has a heart. And Debbie is kind. Debbie, you are wonderful <3