A Work in Progress

On Thursday, May 5, Will wakes up looking forward to school. He only has water for breakfast. He waits behind the auditorium for Markus. As time passes, he grows more self-critical. Markus finally shows up and skates for 15 minutes before sitting down and eating his lunch. He asks Will the story of why he doesn’t eat in the cafeteria. Markus sees Will’s art and leans closer to look. Will panics, closing the notebook and snapping at him, asking him to tell why he is behind the auditorium first.

Markus says his family moves a lot for his dad’s job, and the longest he’s been in one place is 14 months. He used to try to fit in at his new schools, buying the types of clothes the kids there wore. It worked, but he felt a “fake” and unhappy. One day, he decided to buy the types of clothes he liked instead. The more he was authentic, the harder it became to be fake.

The bell interrupts Markus’s story, but neither leaves. Will thinks Markus opened a door for him. Will can choose to walk through. This scares Will, and he leaves, though he wonders what would have happened if he’d stayed and told his story.