Diego and the Kid From Somewhere Else
The new kid showed up on a Wednesday — always the worst day for being new. She stood at the front of the classroom in a floating island high above the clouds, her name written on the board in letters nobody could pronounce: Ximena.
"It's hee-MEH-nah," she said quietly, and a couple kids snickered. Diego didn't snicker. Diego remembered being new once, standing at the front of a different classroom, feeling like an alien who'd landed on the wrong planet.
At lunch, Ximena sat alone with food that looked different from everyone else's — tacos de canasta wrapped in a blue cloth, just like her abuela made them. Diego sat down across from her without asking. "What's that? It smells amazing."
Ximena looked surprised. "You want to try one?" The taco was the best thing Diego had ever eaten — warm, soft, filled with potatoes and salsa verde. "My abuela's recipe," Ximena said, almost smiling. "She says food is how you say 'welcome' without words."
The next day, Diego brought Ximena a samosa from the Indian restaurant down the street. "My turn to share," they said. Over the following weeks, they traded lunches every Thursday — Ximena's abuela's food one week, Diego's family recipes the next. Sushi. Empanadas. Falafel. Jollof rice. Each meal came with a story about where it came from.
By the end of the month, Thursday Lunch had become a school tradition. Kids brought food from home and shared with anyone who was curious. The cafeteria, once divided into cliques and clusters, became the noisiest, happiest room in the building. And it all started because Diego sat down across from someone who looked lonely and said, "What's that? It smells amazing."
Talk about it
Diego noticed someone lonely and shared food, making a new friend.
Three questions for lights-out
- Why do you think Diego sat with Ximena when she was alone?
- What was special about sharing lunch together every Thursday?
- Have you ever felt new or lonely like Ximena did?
Words worth knowing
- floating island
- a magical place high above the clouds where Ximena's classroom is
- abuela
- grandmother in Spanish
- recipe
- instructions for how to make a special food
- tradition
- something special a group does together again and again
- cliques
- small groups of friends who mostly stick together
Is this story about accepting people who are different?
Yes. Diego and Ximena come from different places, but when Diego shows genuine interest in her world, they discover they have more in common than different. Their friendship starts with curiosity and kindness.
Why does the story focus so much on food?
Food is how families share their stories and culture. By trading lunches, Diego and Ximena teach each other about where they come from. It's a gentle way to show that different doesn't mean distant.