Anecdotes of a Hobo [[on hold]]

Nine - Pet Names

A/N:

lintek- Filipino swear word; a word used to express annoyance or disapointment. it depends on how the user say it

Click vote if you like Leo

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Meira's only response to Leo's term of endearment for his beloved school was a wide-eyed, quizzical look.

"Hello? Earth to Meira?" Leo said this as he waved a hand in front of her.

"You call your school Loser...velt?"

"Yes, that's a nickname my friends and I use everytime we make fun of our school." Leo explained, "You know, like normal teenagers do."

"Of course!" Meira was back to her normal self now. As she continued her kutsinta task she added "But, if you go to Loservelt, doesn't that mean you're a loser too?"

"Haha! You're damn right. Oops." Leo further studied Meira's face that was still fascinated with his stories.

"There's Loservelt, Nerd Side, and Lame Tech, but my Filipino friends at church call it Lintek. Now you know."

Roosevelt, North Side College Prep, and Robert G. Lane Technical College Prep-- Meira recognized the word play. All three schools were on magnet status, which meant that their students did well on the ACTs and SATs, which further meant that magnet schools were awarded with more funds from the city government. Tita Ruby suggested that Meira apply to Roosevelt and Lane Tech, but both schools didn't take her in. She was rejected due to technicality. Meira would have applied at North Side, but like the first two outcomes, she knew she would have been rejected again. The school required all applicants to take the ISAT, a test given every year to evaluate elementary and middle school students. Plus, the magnet schools didn't take transferees like Meira. But, the neighborhood high school did, and this is how Meira ended up going to Ridgeway Heights High School, a school inhabited by gangsters, wanna-be gangsters, immigrants, and the usual average kids. RHHS was a pretty diverse school.

"You know, Ridgeway used to be a magnet school," Leo further informed.

"Really? Then what happened?"

Leo gave out a quick laugh. "I knew you were gonna ask 'what happened' because most people do."

"Well?"

"Okay, my honors Biology teacher told us that in the nineties, things got pretty bad in this neighborhood."

"And you didn't know this, that's why your family bought your house and moved here right?" Meira added.

"Exactly! But it's not so bad here. Besides, our house is awesome!" Leo said with a giant jolt of energy coming from his stocky, tan body,"How did you know that though?"

"Oh nothing. I'm just psychic." Meira said with a wink.

"Really? Can you read my palm?" Leo said as he held out his right hand in front of Meira, palm up.

Meira grinned. "Just kidding! Andy told me!"

The disappointment that Leo felt when he found out that Meira wasn't really psychic was evident in his face, "I know, I just wanted to tell you that..." He patted Meira's left shoulder with his right hand,"I just pooped before coming up here."

"Awww! Leo!!! That is so gross! TMI and eww!" Meira jerked Leo's hand away from her shoulder.

Leo was laughing now. "I... was... kidding... Meira!" the boy said between giggles.

"Aaaarghhh!!! Whatever!" Meira shut the second Pyrex container close and picked up the two containers. She then shoved them in front of Leo's face. The boy was guarding his abdomen. The kind of position someone gets when his/her stomach hurts from too much laughter.

"Here's your stupid gift!"

"Hahaha! Meira! You should've seen your face!" Leo said as he grabbed the two containers.

"I don't care! I'm putting on a clean shirt!" She said as she walked out of the kitchen, "I don't want your germs on me!"

"Germs are nothing Meira! Hahaha! Other girls worry about another microscopic... thing, if you know what I mean."

Meira knew Leo followed her out of the kitchen because she could still hear his uncontrollable outbursts of laughter. Halfway to the living room Meira turned left into her bedroom. She took out an orange shirt. Outside, she could hear Andy talking to Leo, "What was that all about" he said and Leo tried to explain what happened in between laughs like he did earlier.

She knew Leo was kidding, and she smiled even though he just made fun of her reaction. The truth is, she was only comfortable being herself in her own house, where she was safe from the cold Chicago winter, and the strange people she met at school, Filipino or not. Very, very unaware, she was experiencing what many people call, a culture shock.

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A/N:

Culture shock- it's more than just seeing a person covered with clothes from head to toe, or tattooed and pierced in parts of the body, you never imagined. 

For me, the shock challenges your whole essence: the way you were raised in this world, and the values you hold close to your heart, be it modesty or cold hard honesty.

I am more open minded today, because it is offensive when you can not accept others for who  they are, appearance and all. And of course, I have my own opinions on some issues, but that doesn't stop me from respecting everyone else's.

i hope you do too, my readers. I hope I open your eyes.

about to break into laughter from the seriousness of my own note,

Marie L. Arce