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Show Monday afternoon in the lunch line, Kim purposely let Isabel and Maureen in front of her so she wouldn't have to stand next to Pilar. So far, she had managed to keep her distance from the Mexican even though it meant using the hall bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her hands. She guarded the the washroom door and kept it closed, even when Mimi was using the washroom. Several times Mimi commented that it seemed odd to insist on having the door shut all the time, but Kim managed to convince her that there was a draft from the washroom to their room which bothered her. After taking a tray from the buffet table, Isabel whispered over her shoulder to Kim, "I don't blame you for not wanting to stand next to Pilar. I'm not overly fond of her myself. She's such a pain. All the teachers bow and scrape to help her as though she were some kind of invalid, instead of a foreigner who can't learn the language." "That's not what I have against Pilar," Kim whispered. "What do you have against her? Her nationality?" "No. I don't dislike Mexicans." "Maybe not in tortilla ads, but I'll bet you resent having to compete for grades with her." Kim shrugged. The dining room smelled of steamy dishwashing detergent and overcooked beans. She passed up the bean salad and took some jello. 71 |