It was Anna Maria's first day at her new school. She didn't know whom to talk to at recess, so she walked up to the nearest group of girls. "It's
my first day here. What are your favorite books?" she asked, trying to
seem casual. "Mine's Black Beauty. I think it's so great. I love horses."
She waited for a response for what seemed an eternity, trying to read
their faces. Finally, one of them gave an unenthusiastic answer, and
then they went back to gossiping about people she didn't know.
Anna Maria was embarrassed; but she tried again with a different
group, and after a few awkward conversations, she found a group of
friends who loved books and horses as much as she did. Even though
their interests changed, they remained best friends into adulthood.
Which statement best expresses a theme of this story?