Summary

Deja enters her homeroom class with her arms crossed and mouth clenched. No one notices how mean she looks because they are all giggling and having a good time talking with friends. She hopes the teacher does not ask her to write an essay about what they did on summer vacation. She would have to say that her family was evicted and moved to a homeless shelter. She notes that her family has never had a vacation. She remembers an afternoon the family spent in Central Park before Leda was born, though. Her brother, Raymond, had an ice treat and she had a pretzel. She remembers her parents hugging and that her father even smiled. Deja does not want to write an essay because she has nothing good to say.

Deja says she has eight years until she turns 18, so she is 10 years...