As you walk to the park with your friends, you find yourself trying to ignore their conversation. All they do is argue. Sometimes you even wind up participating in their quarrels. Both have valid points. You don't want to hurt their feelings. But as each tries to pull you to their side, you feel hopelessly stuck in the middle. Some days you just walk along with them in silence, asking yourself if these two are really friends worth having.
Hybrid's Tale: Many of us have friends who act like that. Scary thing is, we can become that way if we're not careful. Hybrid was getting pretty fed up with Iron and Splitfin at their sleepover. They fought non-stop, and tried to get Hybrid to take their side. They even wanted to do things Hybrid and her parents didn't approve of. Iron and Splitfin were not acting like true friends at all.
If you ever find yourself getting frustrated with a classmate or a friends, remember that if the argument isn't helpful for solving a bigger problem, attempt to keep the peace. Be nice to both of them, and remind them gently that it's OK to disagree as long as we do it respectfully.
A Dragon's Quest: If you're tempted to argue with a friend over something that's not nearly as important as your relationship (and how many things are?), defuse the conflict. Pay that person a compliment instead. File away this experience for future reference so you'll remember how it feels to keep the peace.
