Macy sits down in her regular seat next to mine, and I think—I think—she looks over and sort of smiles, just a tiny curve at the corner of her mouth. I lift my hand off my desk in an equally tiny wave.

Today we are watching a video about rovers exploring Mars, and ordinarily I would actually be interested, but Ms. Avery turns the lights off, which makes me feel instantly sleepy. I don’t dare fall asleep again, though, because who knows what might happen this time.

The person narrating the film has a super-boring voice—I try to focus on their words. I take some deep breaths, in and out, like an accordion. But none of my techniques are helping today.

I glance around and see that Macy is busy creating another of her origami creatures, silently folding the paper over and over at different angles. I wonder if anyone is actually paying attention to the movie. When Macy looks at me, I quickly dart my eyes away in the direction of the screen.

But then I feel something tap the edge of my desk.

I pick the origami form up and examine the tight folds of valleys and edges—it’s in the shape of a butterfly. I look up and smile at Macy, and mouth the words, Cool, thanks.

She shakes her head and mimes with her hands like she’s unfolding, and she whispers, “Open.”

I begin trying to figure out how to unfold the butterfly—it takes several different tries because it’s so complicated—but finally the folds begin to open, and I can see that inside of the paper are words written in thin, swoopy letters:

Hi, Sadie—

I just wanted to tell you I liked your drawing. I wish they would have let you keep your desk like that. It was a lot more interesting that way. I felt bad that you had to go to the office yesterday.

I personally think they should let us decorate our desks however we want. But I know they won’t.

—m.m.m.

I read her note a few times, amazed at how nice she’s being to me. Under her words, I write back:

Thank you! I also really like your origomy origamy (?) paper animals. I wish they would let us decorate our desks too. I felt feel like an idiot for falling out of my seat. Oh well, I guess

☺—Sadie

I try to fold the note back up, but I have no idea where to start, so I just make a couple of folds and (careful not to let Ms. Avery see) reach across the aisle to set it on top of Macy’s desk. I watch her unfold and read my note.