You were told to do community service after school, for something. You’re in middle school. You speak mostly Spanish. You were told you’d be with kids who are “like you”. When you opened the door to the school kitchen after school. They were all different. Dayara, the tough kid. Miguel, the jock. George, the brain. Sara, the loner. And Nico, the rich kid. Nico was just on his phone, Dayara was cracking her fist, Miguel was dribbling a basketball, Sara was messing with stuff in her backpack. George waved at you. You were probably thinking “Kids just like me? I’m not anything like them!”

George: “hey, I’m George!“

there was the grumpy lunch lady who thankfully wasn’t there. Her name is Mrs. Grouser