That day of high school had been the best day of school Juan had ever had in his entire life. The musty smell of the math room. The sight of the social studies poster. The taste of the food. The feel of his English desk. To top it all off, the sound of his favorite new teacher, Mr. Bono, talking about science.

After just one day of high school, he could tell Mr. Bono was an incredible person. He was a teacher who worried about his students outside the classroom as well as within, and he made it clear on the first day that he would be ready to help anyone with any thing if they asked. Juan thought Mr. Bono was the coolest teacher he had ever met. He was an older man, kind of short and not much to look at. He wore a gray suit, and slumped over a little bit. He also wore glasses with thick black rims, which made him look older then he really was. Still, Mr. Bono had a way of speaking that gripped Juan, it was like the voice of God.

Still full of the vivid day of science, Juan walked over to the field where football tryouts were being held. He went near the locker rooms and saw a group of cheerleaders and football players hanging around by the gym. Juan walked up to the group and instantly recognized two people: Lucas, the star football player and team captain, and Carmen, the top cheerleader for the team. Lucas seemed to be in control of the situation. He started out by addressing the group: “Ok everybody,” he said in a loudly but clearly, “Coach is feeling sick today so he sent me to give you the basic of what we are doing. Everybody trying out for the football team will meet in the locker room immediately after school, change, and be out of the field in 15 minutes. Carmen will tell you about the cheerleaders.”

Carmen was tall and skinny with brown, brown eyes, and an amazing tan. In the modern world she would be described to most people Juan’s age as, very very very very hot.

She spoke, “Ok girls, we will meet out in the park at the same time as the boys meet on the field. I think that’s it.”

Lucas looked around the crowd of eager faces. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He calmly opened the pack and put a cigarette in his mouth, several others followed his example. Some freshman gawked at first, but quickly hid their feelings. Juan stood close to Lucas and stared at the cigarette.

Lucas broke the growing silence, “Anyone got a light?” he asked. Instantly lighters flared up and hands reached out. Lucas took a light from a senior near him. He looked around and noticed Juan.

“Yo, freshman!” he said, taking a cigarette from the pack, “Why don’t you give one a try, my main man?”

Several juniors and seniors mouths hang open. They have been waiting forever to get a cigarette from Lucas and this freshman gets one right off the bat?