The school bell rang, not too loud but loud enough that Nathan knew what it meant. Time to go home. He quietly packed his crayons, his little sketchpad, and the bent-up robot drawing he made that day into his small blue backpack. He zipped it all up with a neat tug, hoisted it onto his shoulders, and walked out of his classroom.
His feet automatically took him to the classroom across the courtyard—Maya's class. He always picked her up. Well, not picked up like grown-ups, just… waited so they could walk out together. It was how they always did things. He peeked through the slightly open door and saw her still talking with a boy in a red hoodie. Julio.
Nathan leaned against the wall next to the door with his arms crossed. He wasn't annoyed or anything, just waiting. Maya finally came out, smiling like she always did, with Julio trailing behind her like a little duck.
Julio grinned and waved. "Hi, Nathan!"
Nathan gave a little nod, polite but calm. "Hi, Julio."
