He was surprised to see Braden enter the room with Isaac Torres, who’d won first place the year before with his Angus steer. Isaac came from a fairly affluent family, one with a pretty nice-size spread out west of town. However, he was an overweight kid, kind of shy, and didn’t have many friends, despite his family’s wealth.

“Hey, Mack,” Braden said, and then his face turned scarlet red. “I mean, Mr. Cooper.”

“It’s all right.” Mack grinned. “The kids in 4-H and FFA usually just call me Mr. Mack. Are you interested in 4-H?”

“Maybe,” Braden replied. “Isaac said I could come to the meeting with him and see what it’s all about.”

“Well, then, thank you, Isaac, for inviting a new person to the club,” Mack said.

Isaac ducked his head and blushed right along with Braden. “He said that he likes your goats. I thought he might like 4-H. Maybe next year he can show a goat.”

“That would be great,” Mack said as several more members brought their lunch into the library and took a seat. “Looks like we’re all here. This is an informal meeting today. We’re here mainly to talk about the spring livestock show here in Comfort and to make sure you have the forms to fill out. They’re right here on the desk. You need a separate one for each category you plan to enter. Say hey to Braden Anderson while you’re at it. He’s just moved here from Austin, and he might be joining 4-H.”

Everyone turned to look at Braden. Some nodded. Some said hello. Since he was sitting with Isaac, one of the geeks in the middle school, no one said much to him. At the end of the period, Isaac hurried to the bathroom, and Braden stopped by the desk where Mack was still sitting.

“Isaac is my new friend. Why do the other kids treat him like something is wrong with him? He’s super smart and he’s really fun to talk to,” Braden whispered.

“Yes, he is, and he’s a hard worker, too,” Mack told him. “He really takes time to train his show animals, and that’s why he does so well. I’m glad he’s your new friend.”

“But why do the kids treat him like they do?” Braden pressed for an answer.

“Number one.” Mack held up a finger. “He’s smart, and that makes them feel inferior.” Another finger went up. “Two, he’s a little overweight and kind of shy, so they put him down to make themselves feel all important.” A third finger popped up. “And three, they’re jealous.”

“Well, that’s just mean.” Braden slung his backpack over his shoulders. “I don’t care what they think. Me and him have fun together, and he’s my friend.”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Mack said. “Someday maybe the other kids will come around and see what you do. You better get on to class now before you’re tardy.”