I spent the rest of the day in the LC. Other groups of kids came in and out. They sat at the back table with a teacher or jumped on the trampoline or made stuff at the huge art table. But I kept working on my compare-and-contrast essay. The nice computer lady read everything back to me and helped me fix all the mistakes.

I took a break to jump on the trampoline. I closed my eyes and pretended I was at the Bounce House at the fair.

When I went back to my spot, Ms. B. came over to me. “So, I asked Ms. G. to share the computer file with Friday’s test.” She clicked a tiny sky blue square on my screen, and it opened up. “If you want to give it another go.”

She gave me a piece of paper and a pencil. I wrote my name at the top. I put the headphones on.

“One,” the nice computer lady said. “You are monitoring the hallway. You see a second grader running. What is your first line of action? (A) Yell at the student to stop. (B) Remind the student to walk. (C) Blow your whistle. (D) Find a teacher.”

I wrote down a number one. I wrote down a B, all neat and curvy and even.

“Two,” the computer lady said. “Before asking a class to clear their trays in the cafeteria, what should you be sure to give them? (A) More milk. (B) Extra napkins. (C) A five-minute warning. (D) Your whistle.”

I wrote down a number two. I wrote down a C, all big and round and substantial.

“Three,” she said. “When guiding pedestrian traffic through a sidewalk intersection, which of the following elements are important? (A) An audible signal with your whistle. (B) Clear hand gestures. (C) Polite greetings. (D) All of the above.”

Before I knew it, I was done.

“I’m done!” Dee announced from the doorway.

“You sure?” Ms. B. asked him.

“Three sames. Three differents. Four paragraphs. Two pages. Print it, please.” He set his laptop down too close to mine and went to jump on the trampoline again.

I couldn’t believe Dee had written two whole pages—typed out, too. All I’d seen him do in Ms. G.’s room was scribble.

“Who was your partner?” I called across the room, but he didn’t seem to hear me.

“Let’s give it one last read before we print, okay?” Ms. B. said.

Dee finished jumping. Then he came over and started reading his essay out loud.

It wasn’t like he was reading to me. It was more like he was reading near me. But it still felt like he was reading to be sure I would hear him.

“There are several ways in which Austin (a new, big kid) and I (an old, normal kid) are similar. However, there are also several ways in which we differ. Please indulge me as I elaborate.”