The Invisible One

That Thursday and Friday, Pablito experienced a season of peace that he began to enjoy. No one belittled him, insulted him, or pushed him. During recess, he sat and ate quietly, watching his classmates play soccer and the girls chatting.

He saw some couples flirting with each other, and others who, like him, were also alone. But he never approached to them. What could he say to them? His only escape was his imagination. He remembered that trip to Los Cabos with his family. The trip to Córdoba, Veracruz, still made him smile. Now, with the Holy Week vacations approaching, he had to plan his budget.

He had managed to save a few pesos, with which he planned to buy rolls of film so he could take photos of his next trip. He had to manage his savings carefully, though. Some for the rolls, some for the trip, and of course, for developing the photos as well.

He imagined the activities he could do, the food he could taste, and maybe even making travel friends and exchanging phone numbers. He was still in touch with one or two friends he had made in Córdoba. His father allowed him to make one or two calls per week to talk. If his grades were good, he could speak for up to ten minutes.

"Long-distance calls are expensive," his father would repeat. "But maintaining friendships is more important."

By that Friday, his parents noticed a change. He looked calmer, happier, and above all, had a better attitude. Although he didn't talk about friendships or plans with classmates, the first step had been taken. Perhaps by April, he could start making friends, using his photos as an excuse and talking about his travels.

His mother talked about photography courses; his father spoke about summer classes. He knew people who sent their children to soccer camps. Maybe that way he would start to get healthier and lose weight.

The family decided to celebrate by going out for burgers at Pablo's favorite spot and then to the movies. They truly felt they were starting a new chapter in their lives now that the bullying had ended for good.

For Héctor, reality was different. He had to take the pesero and travel at least thirty minutes home, all alone. He was always hungry, and to avoid receiving the same bullying he gave to people like Pablito, he had to struggle to keep up appearances: he learned to wash his own school uniform, sometimes he stole just to eat, and he preferred to spend all day wandering the neighborhood.

That day he was tired; he wanted to go home to rest, to sleep. As soon as he entered,  some empty beer bottles were kicked. The smell of dampness and dirt was unbearable, and the silence was what scared him most. It meant his father was either asleep or out. At any moment, he would be interrupted.

Surely his mother had taken extra shifts at the maquila again just to avoid coming home. His father wasn't home; he was likely at the nearest canteen talking trash and insulting his family. "Four more years and that's it," Héctor thought. He believed that when he turned 16, he could escape, just like his sister did.

He turned on the TV and watched that show where that annoying kid and his yellow rat traveled. If only he could travel too. Not to catch strange animals, but to see the cities he dreamed of. Even a trip to Texcoco or Xochimilco would be enough for him. He even imagined himself visiting Chapultepec.

Héctor woke up with a heavy hit to his shoulder that made him scream. His father had returned and was demanding he get up and do something.

"You lazy damn kid!,” said his father, who smelled strongly of beer. "Get'up already, you starving brat!; if you're going to be here, at least make something to eat."

With the ingredients he could find, Héctor made a sandwich for his father and nothing more. He went up to his room just so he wouldn't have to look at his father's poorly shaven face.

The following Monday, the situation didn't change. But Pablito began to notice something different. It was true he had peace and quiet, but when he tried to ask for help, there was a clear attitude he didn't like.

"Tina, could you help me?" Pablito asked with a shyness that was reflected in his voice. His body looked rounder because he was shrinking into himself to avoid a hit or a shout. "My pen isn't working anymore; can I borrow yours?"

Silence. Tina said nothing. She kept solving the questions in the physics book. She didn't turn around, but a certain distaste was evident in the way she wrinkled her nose.

"I'll give it back at the end of the day, I promise," Pablito insisted. Nothing. Silence.
Pablito tried with two other classmates who also pretended he wasn't there. Emily watched from afar. She was at the other side of the classroom; she wanted to get up and help, but something stopped her. Her feet wouldn't move; her body didn’t obey.

She felt like she was being watched; for a moment, she felt like they were pointing at her and criticizing her again for her hobbies. She decided to concentrate on her exercises. She thought about the possibilities: help Pablito and get close enough to prevent what she saw, or stay seated. If she got up, something could happen: she might trip because someone tripped her, or the teacher might ask why she stood up. 

“Dammit!," the teacher whispered with annoyance. "Pablo, that's enough. Here, take this, but go back to your seat and do the exercises."

Pablito returned to his desk and began taking notes. During chemistry class, he felt it again. Some chemical formulas were written on the blackboard. Some students took notes, others made jokes about the names of the elements.

"Teacher, I have a question," Héctor said, raising his hand. "On the periodic table, do Daniel's farts go next to Hydrogen? Or are they next to Helium?"

Laughter erupted in the room. Pablito, shyly, also laughed. He was no longer the victim of the jokes. He could even tolerate everything else. Daniel laughed along with the group while blushing a little. Even the teacher laughed a bit before correcting her mistake and giving a speech about bullying.

When the lesson resumed, the teacher erased some chemical formulas and moved on to another topic. At the end of class, Pablito tried again to ask for help.

"Tina, could you lend me your chemistry notebook?" Pablito noticed how his classmate walked faster. She didn't turn to look at him; she simply moved away like someone moving away from something that smells bad or unpleasant. 

Immediately, Pablito decided to change his strategy as he saw another clasmate: "Emily, wait!"

Pablito's classmate stopped and turned to look at him, which pleased the one asking for help. He smiled a little, seeing that finally, someone was looking at him.

"Is there a problem, Pablo?" Emily asked as she tried to look him in the eye—something Pablito avoided. He didn't like dealing with girls.

"Look... it's... it's just..." he began to stutter, but he stopped upon seeing Héctor behind him.

Héctor put his arm on Emily's shoulder and, smiling, told her it was strange that she was talking to invisible friends.

"Leave that to the kindergarteners," Héctor added. "Or are you telling me you're talking to one of your ghosts?"

Héctor led Emily away to another spot, distancing her from Pablito, who stayed there watching his two classmates. He trembled a little, finally understanding what was happening: they were ignoring him.

Pablito looked at the ground; he could barely see the tips of his shoes. It felt as if the floor were moving, sinking. He felt like he could sink into the pavement. The wind brought him back to reality, and he felt an itch in his nose. He sneezed. Nothing. Not a "bless you," not an "are you okay?"

"It's okay, I'm fine," he thought as he filled his lungs with air to calm himself. "It's better this way. At least there's no hitting or pushing.”

Welcome to mexican vocabulary. 
Pesero: The pesero is an iconic form of public transportation in Mexico City, consisting of minibuses or vans (combis) that run on fixed routes. Its name comes from the 1970s, when they charged one peso per person.
Maquila: is a production model where a company (maquiladora) manufactures, assembles, packs or processes products on behalf of another, using inputs temporarily imported without paying import taxes, and then exports them. It is a key industrial pillar in Mexico, especially in the textile, automotive, and electronics sectors.