First Day
“Hurry up! You’re going to be tardy on your first day of school,” yelled Justin’s mom as Justin shuffled out the door and climbed into the passenger seat of the truck.
“It’s not going to be as horrible as you think,” said his mom, maneuvering out of the driveway.
“I don’t know anyone in this stupid town,” said Justin. “I want to move back to the ranch.”
They pulled up in front of the school. Justin glanced down at his cowboy boots to make sure they weren’t scuffed. He wanted to at least try to make a good impression. He crawled out of the truck and looked around at the rest of the kids in their baggy jeans and sneakers, thinking that he was never going to make any friends.
Justin huddled by himself, waiting anxiously for the bell to ring.
A group of boys sauntered up and Justin steeled himself for the worst. He could take these guys.
“Are you really a cowboy?” asked one of the guys.
“Yeah,” said Justin, “so what?”
“That’s awesome,” he said. “We’ve never met a real cowboy.”
Justin started to relax. Maybe this place wasn’t going to be so terrible after all.
2. Based on your background knowledge, why do you think Justin is so hesitant to go to school?