by Ron Tatum, age 16

This piece is one of a series written by students at the Hutch School. The Hutch School, which spans grades K–12, seeks to meet the educational needs of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance pediatric patients. On his trips to Seattle, Dave Eggers visits the school to work with students on various projects. During a recent trip, students wrote in response to Jamaica Kincaid’s short-short story "Girl." The students then read their stories aloud at a reading at the Elliott Bay bookstore, on October 2, 2002.

This is how you should look on the first day of school. This is how you should look every day afterwards. This is how you dress to fit in, this is how you dress to make a statement. Don’t do your hair like that. Wear it like this to fit in. Don’t bring your lunch to school, and never buy the school’s burgers. Eat outside if you are too good for the rest, eat inside if you’re outgoing or popular. Eat inside, but not at a table, to show everyone that no one likes you. Hang out at a corner in the hall if you are, or want to be, black. Smoke in the bathroom if you think you’re cool, even if everyone else says your stupid. Do your homework and you’re a loser, don’t and you’re a moron. Play a sport if you-re an over obsessed jock, but don’t if you’re a pathetic sissy. Ride the bus if you have no friends, drive with friends if you are scared of people. Park here and you’re lazy, here if you’re a loser, or here if you’re rich. Stay after school if you’re teachers pet, leave on time if you’re antisocial. Hang out at Subway if you’re a band nerd, hang out at Howie’s if you’re a gothic band drummer, or go bowling if you’re popular. Go to girls houses if you’re a player, and hated by most girls.* Go to friend’s houses if you have any and show off, and are hated by all. Don’t go anywhere if you’re a loser. Go to football games if your Friday night is boring, don’t go if you hate your school. Go to school if you’re a geek, skip if you’re a reject. Obey all the rules of fitting in if you’re a poser, break em all to be cool. Hang out with the popular kids and you’re just a wannabe, START the popular crowd and you will be admired by all, and hated by all. Be yourself and you will love yourself, be popular and you’ll hate yourself. Obey all this and you will be cool, and you will be a loser.

* Go out with a girl and you look too romantic, don’t and you look gay.