Merida stood by the locker, nervously adjusting her new glasses, feeling the weight of the whispers around her. "I hope they don't think I look silly," she thought, trying to muster the courage to walk past them.

Suddenly, Max, a quirky boy known for his eccentric style and boundless enthusiasm, approached her with an unexpected grin. "Hey, I love those glasses! They look like the ones my favorite superhero wears," he exclaimed, his sincerity shining through.

Merida hesitated before speaking, "Thanks, but I'm worried everyone will make fun of me," she admitted, her voice barely audible over the din. "Don't worry about them. Being different is what makes you special," Max replied, his eyes twinkling with encouragement. "Besides, who wants to be just like everyone else?"

Merida started to feel a newfound confidence bubbling within her. "Maybe you're right. I should embrace who I am," she said, smiling genuinely for the first time that day. "Absolutely! And I'll be right here to remind you, just in case you forget," Max added, giving her a playful nudge.

With each stroke of her brush, Merida felt the worries of the past fade away. The world around her became clearer, not just through the lenses of her glasses, but through the lens of acceptance and friendship.

Merida glanced at the note Max had slipped into her hand earlier in the day, which read, "Never forget how awesome you are!" Smiling, she pinned it to her bulletin board, a reminder of the journey she had begun and the friend who helped her along the way.