1 "I hear it's someone's birthday today," remarked Ms. Perkins, the secretary, as Benjamin exited his m disadvantage of having your mom as your school principal- the faculty knew everything about you.
2 "I'm eighteen today," Benjamin replied with an embarrassed grin.
3 "Well, you don't look any different than you did yesterday," Ms. Perkins joked as she signed his hall
4 Later, Benjamin caught his reflection in the cafeteria window and thought about what Ms. Perkins
officially an adult, but he didn't look any different. He still had the same dark, disheveled hair and the
that were so large they sometimes seemed disproportionate with the rest of his face. He was the sam
the same prominent chin.
5 He also didn't feel particularly different. Benjamin could vividly recall the exhilaration he'd experie
his tenth birthday. He'd bounded out of bed and basked in the knowledge that he was now one of th
as if he could do anything in that moment, but he didn't feel that immeasurable sense of joy today-
wonder why.