Does Dayton thinkyou’regay?
You’re not. You really don’t think you are.
Then again, you’re not Muslim, either, and that hasn’t stopped people making assumptions.
Dayton calls your name again, but thankfully you spot the pale blue of Maman’s minivan pulling into the drive, and you run for it.
Dayton might not have called you anything to your face, but he’s just as bad as the kids saying it in the halls. Maybe worse.
At least they’re too ashamed to show their faces.
Dayton showed his to the whole school.
You get in the middle row of the minivan, even though your legs are longer, because Jina always wants the front, and you don’t have time to argue with her today, not if you’re going to get in the car in time to make your escape. You push the button and the door slides closed so agonizingly slowly, you want to yank it closed yourself, but doing that messes up the motor.
“Hi, maman,” your mom says, then switches to Farsi. “How was school?”
“Fine,” you answer in English, staring back through the safety of the tinted window. Dayton’s still out there, talking to someone you recognize. Brody Connors. He’s in a pair of yellow gym shorts that are tight around his thighs, no doubt to show off his gains. You don’t get it. Even when you ask Nadeem to help you lift weights in the gym down the block from the Bahá’í Center, your legs never look like that. Maybe you have bad leg genetics.
Brody’s legs fill out his shorts. He’s probably been doing squats or something. He looks athletic and strong. He looks…
God, what if they’re right about you?
But they’re not. They’re not. You just need to be more dedicated.Maybe find a gym that’s closer so you can go every day. Get a more reliable trainer than Nadeem, who drives home from Lawrence only once a week.
“Farshid? Farshid? Hello?” your mom asks in English.
“What?”
“Did you hear about your test?”
“No! I told you I’d tell you. Can you just drop it?”
Why is she so hung up on your quiz anyway? You told her you passed it. You told her the grade would be posted. She can log in to the portal just as easily as you can.
Why is she on your case?
Your mom goes quiet, listening to Jina complain about her trigonometry class, and faces forward as the line finally starts to move. You’re not sure why you snapped at her like that. She always worries about your grades. She always worries about everything. You should be used to it by now.
You don’t feel guilty for how you acted. She needs to learn to back off.
You’re fourteen now.
She can’t keep treating you like a child.
7DAYTON
You watch Farshid practically throw himself into his mom’s car when you call his name. You loaned him a pencil just last week. He let you borrow his notes. You’ve never had a problem with him, and he’s never had a problem with you.
All you wanted was to ask a question about your assignment in US history. He sits right in front of you. Now he’s avoiding you.
You thought, or maybe hoped, that people would forget about you over the weekend. Or at least have moved on. Now would be a great time for someone to go through a messy breakup in the middle of the cafeteria. Or start a fight in the halls. Or vandalize a teacher’s car.
Anything to get the attention off you.
ISS was quiet, and boring, except for the times when Ms. Anderson stepped out and you and Brody could talk a little. He’s a funny guy, Brody. You’re not glad to be in ISS, but you’re glad he’s there with you, because it doesn’t feel so bad being punished if there’s a friend with you.
Brody feels like a friend, even though you’ve only known him for one day. But seven hours spent hunched over a cubicle desk,quietly scratching away at your work, can bond two guys quicker than just about anything.
