“As much as it pains me, I will be forced to postpone or even cancel our annual eighth-grade trip”

Miri took a deep breath, ready to take on Shoshi’s dare. “Um, can you please pass the rice?”

She held her breath and waited, then looked at her mother after a few seconds.

“Uh, Moshe,” Mrs. Weiss’s surprised voice was sprinkled with delight. “Miri’s talking to you.”

Mr. Weiss looked up from his plate. “Oh, I’m… uh, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t realize.” Miri had never seen him at a loss for words. It made her smile inwardly.

“Yes, Miri? What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted the rice.” Her face felt hot. “Please pass it.”

The corners of Mr. Weiss’s eyes crinkled. “Of course.”

He reached for the dish and passed it her way. “So, tell me, Miri, how was your day in school?”

“Good.” Miri helped herself to a spoon of rice. “We saw a video about first aid, it was a little gross, but very interesting.”

Mr. Weiss touched the knot of his tie and cleared his throat. “Really?”

“Yes.” Miri took a sip of juice. “In my other school, we didn’t learn first aid. I kind of like it.”

Mr. Weiss leaned forward and placed his arms on the table. “What do you like about it, Miri?”

“The videos and that we get to practice all these cool techniques. It’s really fun.”

“What’s so gross about it?” Benny said.

“Like, in one video,” Miri said, “a kid falls off a bike, and his elbow is all bloody. It looked totally gross. A lot of girls were screaming.”

“Big deal,” Benny said. “Once, Chaim, this kid in my class, fell off the slide and had a gash in his forehead as long as my thumb. It was gushing all over the place. Girls are such babies. They always scream. Even for bugs!”

“We do not always scream!” Malky said, “One time, a girl in my class got her finger stuck in the door. Her whole nail came off! I didn’t scream when I saw it.”

“Oh, yeah!” Benny shouted. “That’s nothing. Listen to this!”