Nate opened a package of gluten-free crackers and shoved a handful in his mouth. “I don’t know. They think I’m a troublemaker, probably, but I’m not.” A slight pause and then Nate said, “Hey, have you seen Revenge of the Sith?”

“No.”

“Aw, man, it’s so good. Special effects are awesome. Reese and I rented it the other night from Blockbuster. I want to buy it so bad. What’s your favorite movie?”

David thought a minute and before he could come up with an answer, Nathan had suggested three movies he ought to see and why he should see them.

When Nate paused to take another bite of his sandwich, David said, “Who’s Reese?”

“My sister. She’s in third grade. She’s a pain. You know how sisters can be.”

“No, I don’t have any.”

“You’re lucky. She bosses me around and then gets me in trouble. Maybe she’s the reason they put me near the teacher.”

“Is she the one who passed you in line this morning?”

“Yeah, long brown hair.” Nate held out his arm. “Sharp fingernails. Don’t get too close. I don’t think she bites, but you can’t be too careful.”

The next day when he got on the bus, David’s stomach was in knots. His parents walked with him to the bus stop, then watched from a distance. The door opened and he climbed the steep steps and saw the bus was packed. The kids in the first few rows turned their heads and looked away as he was swallowed into the rows.

“Sit down!” someone yelled.

“Yeah, sit down so we can go,” another chimed in.

David turned and saw the bus driver in the mirror watching him. That’s when he heard someone yell his name.

“David, back here!”

David moved toward the voice and finally caught sight of Nate’s red hair above the sea of faces. He made it to the row and Nate scooted over enough for him to sit and the bus moved forward.

“Thanks.”

“You’ve got a seat back here any day.”

They passed his parents and David turned to look out the back window and wave but they didn’t see him.

A girl turned and looked at him. She was cracking her gum loudly.

When she turned around again, Nate said, “That’s Reese.” He lifted a hand like it was a lion’s claw and brought it down. “Be careful.”

As David got off the bus at the end of the day, his mother was there to meet him. They walked up the street to their house in the plume of exhaust.

“I was talking with your teacher today, Mrs. Hayes.”

“You were at school?”

“No, she called. How do you like her?”

“She’s nice.”

“She told me you’ve made a new friend. That sounds exciting.”

“I guess.”

“Nathan, right?”