“Mami, it really isn’t that bad,” he said, and his heart sank a bit. Maybe that wasn’t a lie. Maybe it was wishful thinking. “I’m just trying to do my best.”

She reached over and grabbed his hand. “That’s all we ask of you, me and your papi. You know that, right?”

Héctor squeezed back. “I know.”

It’s not the right time, he thought. He wondered, though, if she would get it. Maybe she was the best person to be honest with.

Nah. He would tell someone, though.

Eventually.

After he figured it all out on his own.

That morning, Héctor did not have to wait for Mike to reveal himself. He and his Minions were standing next to the concrete steps that rose up into Orangevale Middle School. Héctor hadn’t even noticed them because he’d been so distracted by almost spilling the beans to his mami. Frank—who had his greasy hair shaved into a really, really bad fade—waved at Héctor.

Just ignore them, he thought. There’s no winning otherwise. He had tried to be friendly with them; he had faked confidence; he’d told Ms. Heath the truth. Had any of it worked? No. Never. So what option was left?

He ascended the steps.

Heard the footfalls behind him.

Knew they were following.

So he ran. Because what else could he do? It was what he knew.

He heard Mike call out to him from the bottom of the stairs: “Hey, Flower Boy! Where you going?”

Héctor rather liked flowers and floral prints, so did that really hurt him? No. So ignore, ignore, ignore . . . and run. He flung open the front doors. Ms. Heath was thankfully not at her post just inside the school, which was a small victory for Héctor.

He paused for a moment. Was the closet nearby today? Would it show up where he needed it? Where was he supposed to go? Not wanting to waste time, he fled to the left.

In those few seconds of hesitation, though, Héctor’s hope for escape was destroyed. Ms. Heath came around the nearest corner, and her voice boomed down the hallway, the echo of it crashing into Héctor’s ears.

“NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS!”

Héctor froze. No! Where was the closet? Had he gone the wrong way? In less than ten seconds, Ms. Heath would be at his side, and there was no way he could avoid getting in trouble this time.

“Mr. Muñoz, not another step!”

Should he run? Would that only make things worse?

He grimaced as Ms. Heath strolled up to him, this time wearing her all-red tracksuit. He glanced back, and sure enough, Mike and the Minions had slowed and were now creeping up to watch this confrontation.

Héctor wished that he was anywhere else.

Ms. Heath sighed, exasperated. “Why can’t you just follow the rules, Mr. Muñoz?”