Social Issues
My name may be smart, but I'm sure not. Not at school stuff, anyway. I could be, my teacher tells me, if I would 'apply' myself. Apply myself to what? It sounds like I need a giant tube of glue.
I tried one more time to get to sleep, but now my eyelids didn't want to behave. Did you ever notice how your eyelids futter back and forth really fast when you're trying to be still so you can sleep? The more you want them to stop moving, the faster they jump around. Same with your brain. The more you want it to slow down, the faster ideas and pictures come storming through. Like right now, ripped notes and slimy worms and broken steps were playing hide-and-seek in my head.
My legs felt heavy. Now I understood why Lucy hated running. But I couldn't quit. I had to get to the finish line, and running would get me there faster.
Where were Stephanie and Emma? Probably at the finish. I pulled the corner of my shirt up to mop my face, and when I was done, I realized I was alone. Where was everyone else? Was I lost? Was I last?
DJ looked at the other boys in Cabin Six. Raj, Ernie and Andrew were sprawled on the floor, making their journals. DJ had finished his yesterday. He had also made a monkey mask, a bucket hat and a rock paperweight. He was tired of crafts.
DJ glanced at the rain-streaked window. Wait a minute. Something yellow peaked through the trees. DJ shot to his feet. "The sun's out!" he shouted.
Chris opened the door. "Look's like it's clearing up. Get your rain gear, guys. We're going for a hike."
Cold fear twisted in my stomach. I couldn't argue now, not with José lying on the ground, shaking, while Mamá and Marcos tried to hoist him up. But how could I talk to the patrón? A man who yelled at his workers about any little thing would never listen to a kid, especially a kid whose English was sure to come out all wrong. It always did when I was nervous or upset. And yelling the names of vegetables in Spanish wasn't going to help me one bit this time.
