Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

Rafe describes some of the minor characters in the middle school with the assistance of a two-page drawing (70-71) that shows the cafeteria’s three cooks as witches stirring a giant kettle. Rafe draws himself at a table, dumping masses of candy for appreciative students. The next two-page illustration (72-73) shows Senõr Wasserman, his Spanish teacher, punishing students with banderillas—bullfighters’ spears—while Rafe listens to music. The third set (74-75) shows Mr. Lattimore, the gym teacher, as a military drill instructor with Rafe riding a scooter around the track as other students jog.

Rafe hears a message on the home answering machine. Mrs. Stricker tells Jules to call the school. Rafe erases the message.

Georgia and Bear both go to sleep by 9pm on Friday night. Rafe gets one of Bear’s poorly concealed Zoom colas, turns on a movie, and falls asleep on the couch. Jules wakes him when she comes home. She asks if he has had any conversations with Leo recently, and he says he has not. She tells him he can talk to her about anything anytime.

The next Wednesday, Miller forces Rafe’s face into the water fountain. Miller tells Rafe not to try to be the school’s bad boy because that is his job.