I wish I were invisible. Wearing Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak or Frodo Baggins’s Elvish ring. Whether shrouded in fabric or slipping on gold, it wouldn’t matter to me. I’d be gone. Disappeared.
I stare at my hands. Nighttime dark. They have a life of their own. Clenching, unclenching. Fist then no fist. I keep my shoulders relaxed; my face, bland. My hands won’t behave. No science fiction or fantasy is going to help me. I live in a too real world.
Sitting, I stare at the black specks on the white linoleum. A metaphor? That’s what they’re teaching me in English. Metaphor. Except I won’t believe I’m just a black speck. I’m bigger, more than that. Though sometimes I feel like I’m swimming in whiteness.
Most of the students at Middlefield Prep don’t look like me. They don’t like me either.
I look up. The secretary, Mrs. Kay, even the assistant headmaster, Mr. Waters, with his tartan tie, avert their eyes. They’ve been staring, wondering:
How come he gets in so much trouble? Why can’t he be good like his brother? Helpful? Obedient.
Under my breath, I curse. My stomach twists.
Be invisible.
My insides burn. Anger builds. This has nothing to do with me. I’m not here.
Comprehension Questions
1. What is the narrator's wish?
A. To be able to understand English better.
B. To be invisible.
C. To have more friends.
A. He feels like he doesn't fit in and people are judging him.
B. He really likes fantasy characters and wants to be more like them.
C. He is playing a game of hide-and-seek with his teachers and classmates.
Your Thoughts
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.