Sergio Quintana takes a splotch of Axe gel and rubs it between his fingers. He then runs it through his hair, sculpting it up like a pyramid.
He puts in his six earrings, three in each ear. He is ready for school.
Hundreds of students pass Sergio every day, and that’s all they notice: the hair and the earrings. They think he’s cocky. They taunt him when they see him because he dresses and acts differently. But they don’t notice any more than that.
They don’t notice that when he struggled with school, his parents would just criticize him.
They don’t notice that in elementary school, he was the one who picked on kids.
They don’t notice that he’s been on the other side ever since.
They don’t notice that when he has a hard day, he puts in his headphones, closes his eyes, and relaxes.
They don’t notice that if you give him respect, he’ll give it right back.
They don’t notice that he wants to major in criminal psychology because when he looks at people, he understands their situation, rather than writing them off, just like he wants others to do to him.
They don’t notice that he doesn’t try to get attention; he just looks differently because he believes “that’s just how I am.”
They don’t notice that he doesn’t care anymore.
They don’t notice that he tells his two younger siblings to be who they are.
They don’t notice that his mother abandoned him when he was 13 and took his younger sister away from him.
They don’t notice that he hasn’t seen them in five years.
They don’t notice that every day he tries to think of how he’s going to tell his mom how he feels.
He puts in his headphones, closes his eyes, and relaxes.