Serendipity Down the Block

Chapter 4: Mercy

***José was name changed to Andrés for those who are longtime readers

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"Carmen Sanchez?" 

     The teacher saw the little girl standing in the hallway staring into the classroom, dead-eyed.
"Come in," the teacher directed Carmen to step into the classroom—a small room with green colored walls.

     She was surprised to see a new student this late in the day; new students usually come in when school is about to start. Carmen's hair was cut short and disheveled. Her eyes shown large through her glasses like a neglected little chihuahua. Carmen hurried over to the teacher's desk that was stationed in front of the room. No one was paying attention to her as they were working on a project. Carmen looked around the classroom, not finding anywhere to fit in.

     The principal, who was standing in the doorway, motioned for Mrs. Castillo, a 5th grade teacher, to come over.
"Carmen Sanchez is in a transition to congregate care. There were some—," The principal started, and Mrs. Castillo stopped him.

"Please, I don't need to know anymore. To me, she is a normal little girl."

     Mrs. Castillo walked over to Carmen and put a hand on her shoulder, "Listen class, we have a new student. I am going to let her introduce herself."
The whole class looked up to hear what Carmen had to say. "Hi," Carmen let out, and her hand raised up to a weak wave at everyone. Everyone went back to what they were doing.
"Go on, and tell them your name," Mrs. Castillo said, trying to encourage her.
Carmen looked at her shoes.

"My name is Carmen," she mumbled to a room with only a few others paying attention.
     Mrs. Castillo said, a bit louder, "Her name is Carmen. It would be good if everyone would welcome our new student. What do we say class?"

     Everyone in the class, again, lifted up their head, and a disjointed, "Hey, Carmen" came form various parts of the room. The students went back to their projects. Carmen rubbed her sweaty hands together still looking around for a group. This was more nerve wracking then when her mother would hide her in a closet.

     Mrs. Castillo kneeled down by Carmen's ear and said, "You see that little boy and girl over there?" Mrs. Castillo was pointing to a table where a girl with curly dark hair and a boy with a short ponytail were arguing over a protractor.

"That's Sierra and that little boy is my son, Milo. Maybe, you should get in a group with them."
     Carmen walked closer to their table.

"That's not how you do it, Milo," Sierra said taking the protractor away from him.

"Hey!" Milo said accidentally making a mark on the paper, "You made me mess up."

"That was not right. That angle is too skinny to be 135 degrees."

"How would you know? I am the one who measured," Milo said grabbing the protractor back.

"Well, you obviously don't pay attention. Your mom has examples on the board, and we were lucky to get one on our worksheet."

"Oh," Milo squinted at the board before he started to erase the angle he made. Instead of using the protractor, he started to free hand the 135 degree angle from the board. Sierra rolled her eyes at him, and took the protractor and tried to figure out the sides for the next angle they needed to make.

"Hi," Sierra said noticing Carmen standing in front of her. Carmen took a seat at their table slouching down in the chair. She silently watched Milo become more and more frustrated with the angles to the point he accidentally rips the paper with his pencil. Sierra chuckles, and Carmen grins to herself. But, Milo notices Carmen.