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[GRADES.jpg in the first comment]

Jorge's dad patted his back several times, grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him closer.

"Very nice, son! That's how I like it: only A's and B's!"

"He's so smart," said Jorge's mom.

"Of course he is," the dad said. "He's just like me, a genius. Don't ya think, miss Vero?"

Miss Vero was Jorge's teacher, and she was smiling uncomfortably.

"Yes, he's a great kid, very well-behaved and all. But, again, he has a lot of trouble expressing himself and working in teams—hence all the bad grades in the lower part. He needs the help of his paren—

"He's just like that," Jorge's mom interrupted her. "Very quiet."

"And those subjects don't matter," Jorge's dad said. "Art, P.E., Socioemotional Education—wow, that's a new one. But I think miss Vero is kinda right. Son," Jorge's dad looked down to Jorge and patted his shoulder. "Do your best even on those subjects; they're lowering your grades."

Jorge nodded and said nothing (What was to say?)

"No, but he really need his parent's support," miss Vero insisted, "because," miss Vero kept talking, but no one was listening to her.

"Where's my little genius?!" someone exclaimed and made her way through the classroom. Yes, it was Jorge's aunt. She, as soon as she saw Jorge, she approached him and gave him a kiss on the cheek that left him a mark which wouldn't go away until the next day. "Oh, honey, congrats! And you're so big and handsome now! All the girls must have a crush on you, huh? My sweetie," she pinched Jorge's cheek, and then she talked to Jorge's dad. "And how are his grades?"

"See it for yourself," Jorge's dad gave her the grades. She checked it consciously.

"Wow!" Jorge's aunt turned towards Jorge and raised both eyebrows. "But there are a few B's in english. Don't ya think I didn't saw 'em, huh," she put her hand over Jorge's head, and ruffled his hair; then she turned towards miss Vero. She seemed a little annoyed now. "And what's about this Socioemotional education BS? He really gets graded on stuff like this?"

"Yes, that's what I was saying to Jorge's parents," miss Vero replied. "Hi. Miss Vero. Nice to meet you," Miss Vero extended her hand towards Jorge's aunt, who shook it with fake courtesy and didn't say a word. "It's just that Jorge can't really express himself, and—

"He's just a little shy, that's all," Jorge's aunt interrupted her. "And why we want him to be as chatty as the other kinds? They're really annoying. And he's fine, he's a good kid, and he's really good with math and stuff. Let him be."

"He's so Smart," said Jorge's mom.

"Yes, but he really needs to express himself," miss Vero insisted, "to feel he can talk to you, guys, and—

"We didn't had to deal with those subjects, and look at us now," Jorge's aunt interrupted her again: "we're just fine. He's fine."

Jorge's dad patted Jorge's back a couple times.

"Come on. You go play."

Jorge nodded and left. Around him, there was a bunch of adult he had never seen in his life, and classmates he had never spoken to. As always, he ignored all of them and kept walking until he found Rodrigo, his only friend. He was surrounded by a bunch of kids.

Jorge got near them. They were talking about Dragon Ball Z, a cartoon that everyone, Jorge included, watched religiously.

Rodrigo was talking at that moment.

"But the best part was when Goku helps Frieza and leaves, but Frieza gets mad and attacks him, and Goku turns over and yells:"

"YOU FOOL!" everyone but Jorge yelled (he didn't know everyone was going to yell that at the same time. Also, yelling curse words while surrounded by adults didn't seem like a good idea.)

"Yes," Rodrigo continued. "And he throws Frieza an energy blast, and Frieza's like 'AAHH!' and dies."

"No, he doesn't die," Memo corrects him. "He comes back with robot parts, but a guy from the future comes, transforms into Super Saiyan and kills him."

"That's dumb," Pepe says. "And they never show what happens next. They always come back to Raditz."

"No, yeah, a cousin told me that," Memo insisted. "He told me that happened in Japan, and there Goku can transform into Super Saiyan 3."

"You're lying," Rodrigo said, and, from that point on, everyone but Jorge started talking (he had only talked to Rodrigo, who was talking to someone else, and it's rude to interrupt people while they're talking.) So Jorge, as always, just listened to everyone else.

"Jorge, let's go!" Jorge's dad exclaimed, and Jorge went with him. "Come," Jorge's dad patted him on the shoulder, "let's go to McDonald's to celebrate."

And they, alongside Jorge's mom and aunt, got out of the classroom and headed to the car.

Jorge sat in the backseat, and the car started. Jorge watched the cars and the streets Jorge was now used to. And he smiled. Unlike the few classmates whose grades were higher than his, he hadn't put in a bit of effort on them, and yet he received constant praise from his demanding parents and everyone around him.

Life was good.

And easy.