Max's First Day in French School

Chapter Four

• On the morning of September 1, 2015, Max said goodbye to his parents and entered the Ecole du Bonheur courtyard.
• Max thought the name of his new school, the School of Happiness, was a cosmic joke.
• Max reassured himself that his first day would be over in seven hours.
• His parents reminded him that he had already done sixth grade once, and it was still elementary school in Belgium.
• He omitted the detail that he was still elementary school when he Skyped with Kevin and Malik.
• Max let himself be funneled past an enormous sliding door into a brick passageway.
• He registered the word "coucou," the word for "hi," or "l'été, summer" in his head.
• It reminded Max of a distant memory under the cool, cloudy sky.
• Most of the words were incomprehensible, giving Max a detached, dreamlike feeling.
• Max looked for the line for 6B as the crowd spilled into the asphalt courtyard.
• The children were running around and giving one another adultlike cheek kisses.

Adjusting to a New School

• Max couldn't see the paper sign for 6B because it was hidden by the head of Madame Legrand.
• Madame Legrand called Max "Mex How-Weird" as she approached him.
• Max initially thought she called him weird but realized she was pronouncing his name in French.
• He answered "oui" and felt stupid.
• A girl with thick glasses and long, dark hair knew he'd done something not quite right.
• Madame Legrand said "Oui, Madame" with emphasis, which Max repeated.
• Max wondered if "Oui, Madame" was acceptable and considered that they might just keep saying it.
• After a bell rang, she waved him into the line and led everyone inside.
• The first hour of class passed quickly as everyone took out new school supplies and organized them.
• Max didn't know the names for most of the school supplies or understand Madame Legrand's instructions.
• He sat behind the girl with the glasses and long hair, named Farah, and copied her.
• The classroom was small and old-fashioned, with rows of desks that opened for storage instead of lockers.
• There were blackboards and chalkboards instead of smart boards, and not a single computer.
• The students were required to use a fountain pen with a cartridge of ink, making Max feel like he'd traveled to a different century.
• Madame Legrand wrote lines on the board, and twenty-nine fountain pens leaped upright as everyone started copying the phrases into their notebooks.
• Max's fountain pen only scratched dryly against the paper, and there was no ink.
• Everyone else was writing.
• Max unscrewed his pen, took out the cartridge, and checked if he had loaded it wrong.
• Max sensed movement and saw a sandy-haired kid staring at his pen.
• The sandy-haired kid unscrewed his own pen, took the nib, and mimed the action of poking the top of the cartridge with it.
• Max understood and mouthed "Merci."
• The kid grinned.
• Max turned back and put the nib of the pen on the paper, and saw a comforting blot of blue ink.
• Suddenly, ink poured out over his paper and fingers.
• The big kid chuckled, but Max didn't have time to shoot him a dirty look.
• The ink was everywhere.
• Max tried to blot his fingers on his blue Oxford shirt and pressed his fingers against the paper.
• The ink stained his nails and was between his fingers.
• Max raised his hand, but Madame Legrand didn't see him.
• He felt sweat down the side of his face and rubbed it before realizing he probably had ink on his face.

Communication Barriers

• Max said "Excusez-moi".
• Madame Legrand turned around looking angry and said, "Où est la toilette?".
• She remembered and added, "Madame."
• Madame Legrand had a lot to say on this subject.
• Her passionate answer was not a simple "Take a left and then turn right."
• Max couldn't understand the answer, so he repeated the question, "Où est la toilette, Madame?".
• The big kid behind him was laughing even harder.
• Max wanted to turn around and kick him.
• Madame Legrand sighed deeply and corrected, "Où sont les toilettes?".
• She added, "At the end of the hall" with heavily accented but perfect English.
• Hearing her speak English made him feel more of a moron.
• Lunchtime wasn't much better.
• Max ate the mystery soup and the plate of sausage, potatoes, and something purple.
• It tasted better than it looked, but a bell rang and everyone rushed to clear the table.
• In the same disorderly way as in the morning, kids mobbed the door for recess.
• One of Max's favorite parts of middle school was that he no longer had recess, only free periods with Kevin and Malik.
• Max was back to having recess, a full hour of it.
• As the hoard pushed Max out the door and into the rain, he realized something else.
• Unlike in America, where rain turned outdoor recess into indoor recess, the School of Happiness didn't cancel for bad weather.
• From the spongy-topped athletic court, Max could see through a fence and over the wall to the backyard of his family's town house.
• His bedroom on the third floor felt far away and unreachable.
• A group of boys began to play soccer and others surrounded Max with expressions of friendly curiosity.
• A boy with curly red hair asked, "Do you speak English?".
• It was a relief to hear English.
• Max returned the kid's smile and replied, "Yeah, you do too?".
• The boy's face lit up and repeated, "Do you speak English?".
• Max nodded and said, "Yes, I said" before the red-haired kid burst out laughing.
• "Coca-Cola!" said the boy next to him.
• The red-haired kid shouted back, swiveling his hips, "Shut up and dance with me! This woman is my destiny!".
• Max recognized the chorus from the Walk the Moon song that had been playing all summer on the radio.
• He realized they didn't know English other than "Do you speak English?," "Coca-Cola" and some song lyrics.
• Max said, "Yeah, guys, good," and "Bonne anglais."
• A cheer went up from the boys, and Max took the opportunity to slip away and insert himself into the soccer game.
• Some of the kids were good, and Max hoped they wouldn't pass to him.
• They seemed to hog the ball more than the kids back home.
• Someone inevitably kicked the ball toward him.
• He tried to stop it, but his foot slipped on the wet foam, and it rolled out of bounds.
• Max gave an irritated look.
• He noticed the sandy-haired kid who had given him the bad tip about the pen staring at him in disbelief.
• Someone shouted, "Oscar!"
• The big kid started to run toward the ball, knocking over a smaller defender.
• His huge foot reared back and kicked the ball so hard that it shot across the court and hit Max in the face.
• Max was knocked backward.
• He saw the gray Belgian sky and raindrops smacking against him.
• His vision filled with faces.
• They said, "Ça va? Ça va?".
• He could feel the throbbing pain now.
• More babble surrounded him.
• An adult shouted, scattering the kids, until only Farah remained.
• She took his arm carefully, like he was an old man.
• The aide led him to the principal's office.
• Even though he was a victim, Max wondered if he was in trouble.
• Instead of the principal, he was delivered to the secretary, who motioned him to lie on a bench and covered him with a blanket.
• She made clucking noises and fetched a cold pack.
• He felt the skin around his eye bruise and tighten.
• Max realized he'd definitely have a black eye.
• He thought sourly, "I'm out of the rain."
• Max came up with a new name for his new school: the School of Misery.

Chapter Five

• On the night of September 1, the temperature had dropped, signaling the end of summer.
• It had been a cool summer, with nights cozy only due to the heat of the bodies in the tent.
• Rain fell in sheets, and water seeped in despite the tarps.
• The hands of Baba's watch stretched up to midnight.
• Ahmed listened to Ibrahim snoring and Bana whining in her sleep.
• Zainab pulled her closer.
• He checked for the three hundred euros his father had tucked into his passport.
• Ahmed kissed Bana gently on the cheek.
• He scrawled a thank you note to Ibrahim and promising to get in touch when he reached Calais.
• He swallowed the lump in his throat and crawled out of the tent.
• A chilly wind was driving the rain sideways.
• The ground was muddy, and his sneaker sole was peeling off.
• He knocked on the window of an idling van to avoid being seen.
• An unshaven man with a prominent Adam's apple waved Ahmed inside.
• Ahmed slid open the door, releasing a cloud of cigarette smoke and Albanian techno music.
• The man said "Ahmed!"

The Smuggler

• The smuggler's first name was Ermir, and he agreed to drive Ahmed to Calais.
• Ermir asked Ahmed for the three hundred euros and counted it.
• The van smelled horrible, like cigarette smoke and old cabbage.
• Ermir locked the doors and pulled the van onto the road.
• The park disappeared behind them.
• Ermir smiled at Ahmed in the rearview mirror.
• Ermir asked for Ahmed's phone and promised to return it in Calais, but could not have Ahmed using it in the van.
• Ahmed hesitated, remembering stories about smugglers collecting phones.
• The van jerked to a stop.
• To gain Ahmed's trust Ermir said he was taking a big risk
• Ermir glanced at the door as if he was starting to think Ahmed wasn't worth the effort.
• Ahmed shoved the phone toward him.
• Ermir pocketed the phone and shifted back into drive.
• He had only seen a little of Brussels beyond the park and the Gare du Nord train station.
• The skyscrapers were dark and deserted, giving way to narrow, curving streets.
• These streets were lined with shabby row houses and shuttered shops behind metal grates.
• Only a few lone men smoking beneath overhangs and neon signs were seen.
• The stores sold alcohol and cigarettes.
• The words on the signs seemed to hint at something darker.
• Ten minutes later, Emir cut off the wailing woman singer.
• Ahmed wished the music was back on.
• The only sounds were the wipers and Emir tapping his cigarette into the ashtray.
• Emir caught Ahmed's eye in the mirror; he was no longer smiling.
• Emir said that the initial agreed upon price of three hundred euros, was not going to be enough.
• Ahmed said, "But you say it is--".
• Ahmed had no idea where they were
• He remembered a tale of a smuggler who'd harvest a refugee's organs if they could not pay.
• Emir stopped at a red light and Ahmed could feel Emir's eyes boring into him.
• Emir commented on Ahmed's watch, calling it a nice watch.
• Ahmed clutched the Seamaster to shield it from Emir's greedy eyes.
• Ahmed shouted to be let out, but the door was locked and Emir stated Ahmed still owes him.
• Ahmed catapulted into the passenger seat and flung open the door.
• Emir slammed on the brakes and grabbed Ahmed by the hoodie.
• Ahmed charged through the open door and landed on his knees and elbows.
• Emir hears the ripping of Ahmed's sleeve in the process.

Running away

• Ahmed didn't feel the pain as he ran from Emir.
• Ahmed heard a door slam and tires squeal behind him.
• Ahmed imagined Emir stomping on the gas and slamming the van into him to take his watch.
• No one answered his shouts for help in English.
• He turned blindly onto a quiet street with large houses behind iron gates.
• One gate was open, so he ran inside, around the house, and into the backyard.
• Ahmed nearly crashed into a brick wall.
• Coughing and gagging, he was drenched to his underwear.
• He scratched his face against the branches of a bush.
• The garden was unkempt with ivy covering the walls and weeds snaking the trees.
• The house overlooking was dark.
• Ahmed slipped through the patchy grass and leaves toward a recessed cement patio beneath an overhang.
• He stood beneath the overhang, shaking as he watched the wall, expecting the smuggler to catapult over.
• At least he could feel his father's watch warm and heavy on his wrist and hear the ticking.
• Ahmed inspected the unscratched watch and felt the scraped skin on his elbows.
• He slowly became aware of his body, needed water, his throat felt try.
• At the patio back leading in the house were glass doors covered by a curtain
• Ahmed quietly turned the knob and the door opened to his amazement.
• He cautiously stuck his head inside and looked around.
• The room was filled with different-sized.

Max experiences initial difficulties with his fountain pen and misunderstands his teacher's pronunciation. He also finds irony in the school's name. Despite the challenges, he navigates his new environment, using French phrases and observing his surroundings carefully.