“I am,” Tristan said. “Bonus point for you.”

Kenzie, though, piped up with, “I like the hair-horns thing, Tristan. I never got it before now but I think it’s neat.”

“Thank you, Kenzie,” Tristan said. “This is part of why you’re awesome.”

Kenzie’s expression didn’t change much, but she had one leg crossed over the other, and the free-dangling foot bounced. Like a dog wagging its tail.

Chris said, “Getting an ‘I like it’ from Kenzie is like getting a participation medal from a school event. Everyone gets one.”

“That doesn’t make it worthless,” Kenzie said. She flashed a smile at Chris. “I never lie, I’m always honest when I say I like something. What makes me different is that I say it instead of keeping it to myself, because I think the world needs more positivity.”

“I like it,” Rain said. “I could never do it, because it takes a weird sort of social courage, but I like it.”

“Thank you,” Kenzie said.

“I think you lose this round, Chris,” Tristan said.

“How do I lose? I wasn’t playing.”

“And,” Tristan said. Again, that one word, almost a pronouncement, volume and emphasis shifted just a bit to get attention. “On the topic of rounds and games, I feel like Mrs. Yamada is up to something, so I’m going to play this on a meta level and I’m going to shut myself up. I recognize I’ve been trying to win this conversation with Victoria and I’ve been monopolizing things by jumping in every time there’s an opportunity. I’m supposed to be listening more and trying to ‘win’ social interactions less, so I’m going to shut myself up. The others should chime in, I trust them to say what needs to be said.”

“I’m proud of you, Tristan,” Mrs. Yamada said.

Tristan nodded.

Rain said, “I’m less proud and more amazed by the fact that your thought process went from ‘I need to try to win social interactions less’ to ‘this is a meta-scenario I can win’ in, what, twenty words?”

“What, did I?”

“And the fact he used so many words to say he was going to shut up,” Chris said.

Tristan frowned at Chris. “You guys are harsh.”

“It’s what we’re here for, isn’t it?” Sveta asked. “We moderate each other. Hopefully while not being too harsh on each other.”

“It’s part of it,” Mrs. Yamada said. “I think the ‘participation award’ comment was a little much, Chris. You have a tendency, which has been remarked on by others in the past, to think a clever put-down is a good thing because it’s clever, when most people will take away the fact it was a put-down.”

“Alright,” Chris said. “I didn’t think it was a good or bad thing. Sorry Kenzie.”