Cheating for the Chicken Man by Priscilla Cummings

gathered their books and notebooks. Pens clicked. Backpacks were scooped up from the floor and sweatshirts whipped off the backs of chairs.
    Kate fled down the hallway quickly, quietly, avoiding eyes by looking down. Of course, this way, she couldn’t help but notice everyone’s feet and the fact that most girls did not have sneakers on. She did, however, see one girl wearing a pair of bright green Crocs and another with socks and sandals. That had to be worse than plain old off-brand sneakers, didn’t it?
Who decided these t
hings?
    She hurried because it was a long walk from her English class to the cafeteria. She and Jess had the same lunch period, and they had arranged to meet outside the girls’ room closest to the cafeteria before going in. She’d talk to Jess about the shoe thing then.
    But Jess was waiting with a new girl named Olivia, and the three of them had to rush to get in a long line for hot lunch.
    â€œOlivia moved here last month from Catonsville,” Jess said.
    â€œWelcome,” Kate responded, trying to be friendly, but wishing she could have had some time alone with Jess. “Where’s Catonsville?”
    â€œUp near Baltimore,” Olivia said. “Not that far.”
    Olivia seemed like a nice girl. She was a little bit heavyset and had long black hair that she’d pulled back into a French braid. She also wore beige flats with tiny gold-colored studs on them and, Kate couldn’t help but notice, thick violet mascara that made her eyelashes look heavy.
    â€œWe’re in Latin and US history together,” Jess said.
    Kate was a little jealous. She was going to miss being with Jess. They had only one class together, and that was geometry.
    â€œYou should see the homework we already have,” Jess went on. “Hey!” She turned to Kate. “Olivia played field hockey last year at her middle school. Do you think Coach Dietrich would let her join the team late?”
    Kate shrugged. “I don’t know.” Why was Jess so gung ho about Olivia, whom she had just met?
    Hot lunch didn’t look so great. Some kind of macaroni with tomato sauce and
ground
beef
on it. At least, Kate thought, there was a tiny green salad and a roll with butter. By the time they filled their trays and found a seat, however, there wasn’t much time left to eat anything anyway—never mind talk about shoes.
    â€œHey, I see J.T.,” said Jess, who was sitting directly across the table from Kate.
    At first, Kate acted like she didn’t hear. On top of everything else, she did not want to have to worry about her brother again.
    â€œKate,” Jess repeated, tapping the edge of Kate’s tray with her fingers, “I see J.T.”
    Unable to avoid it any longer, Kate looked up. “Really? Where?”
    Jess indicated with her fork, and reluctantly, Kate turned to see. Just as she’d feared, J.T. was alone, at a small table with four chairs. The scene tugged at her heart. She wondered if she should get up and go sit with him.
    â€œThat’s your brother?” Olivia asked.
    Kate didn’t respond. The cafeteria was jammed with kids,some walking around, trays in hand, looking for seats, and yet those three chairs around J.T. remained empty. He was an island in a busy stream.
    â€œWhat year is he?” Olivia asked.
    When Kate didn’t answer, Jess did. “He’s a sophomore.”
    Sadly, Kate watched her brother. She had made him a peanut butter sandwich that morning (she should have made one for herself), and he seemed to be eating it quickly. Why wouldn’t anyone sit with him? The sight was so painful that when Kate finally turned back to her own lunch, her appetite was gone.
    â€œOh, no!” Jess suddenly exclaimed, putting a hand to her mouth. Her eyes were fixed in J.T.’s direction.
    Whipping around, Kate saw her brother push back from the table and stand up, milk dripping down the front of his