I picked at the corner of my sandwich, tearing off tiny pieces even though I wasn't hungry. Across from me, Johnny was eating like nothing was wrong, barely noticing that I hadn't touched my mashed potatoes.
"How's school?" he asked, like he already knew the answer.
I sighed, shaking my head. "Not great. I'm falling behind, and the teacher doesn't really care." I stared at my tray, idly pushing my 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."
I stared at my tray, completely losing my appetite.
