Amari picked at the corner of his sandwich, tearing off tiny pieces even though he wasn't hungry. Across from him, Johnny ate like nothing was wrong, barely noticing that Amari hadn't touched his mashed potatoes.
"How's school?" Johnny asked, like he already knew the answer.
Amari sighed, shaking his head. "Not great. I'm falling behind, and the teacher doesn't really care." He stared at his tray, idly pushing his fork around.
"This place is different. At my old school, the teachers actually cared and pushed us to do better. Here? It's like they don't even expect us to try."
Johnny snorted and flicked his empty juice carton into his tray. "That's 'cause this school ain't like your old one. It's for kids like us—no money, no connections." He leaned back, crossing his arms. "No one expects us to make it anywhere."
Amari stared at his tray, his appetite completely gone.
