The Boy at the Back of the Class

Throughout class that Tuesday morning, Alexa can’t stop glancing at Ahmet, her new classmate. She thinks his wide eyes are a fascinating color and just as compelling to gaze into as a lion’s eyes. During recess, Alexa looks for Ahmet but can’t find him. He doesn’t participate in PE either. Instead, Ahmet sits off to the side and stares at his backpack, which is saggy and dirty.

In PE, Alexa (who is nine and three-quarters years old) pretends that she’s training to go on adventures, although she’s not yet as fast or tall as she wants to be. Alexa tries to jump over a vault to impress Ahmet, but he’s not watching her. Later, during lunch, Alexa and her friends search for Ahmet again so they can keep him company, but he’s nowhere to be found.

In the afternoon, Ahmet does activities by himself and with Mrs. Khan while the rest of the class studies in small groups. Alexa’s classmates whisper that there must be “something wrong with him.” By the end of the day, all the students are wondering who Ahmet is and why he hasn’t said a single word yet. On their way to the bus stop after school, Alexa and her friends hear a girl named Jennie say that Ahmet is dangerous, and that’s why he didn’t join the rest of the class during recess and breaks. Alexa and her friends don’t believe Jennie.

At the bus stop, Alexa looks around for Ahmet and sees him on the playground with Mrs. Khan and a woman in a red scarf. Without thinking, she runs up to Ahmet and holds out her lemon candies for him to take. Ahmet steps away nervously and hides behind the woman in the red scarf. But the woman thanks Alexa and encourages Ahmet to accept the candy. Mrs. Khan smiles and winks at Alexa, which makes her happy. Alexa decides she’s going to give Ahmet as many winks as she can to make him feel happy too.