The Approval System
When I set the photocopy of my in-state residency transfer in front of my mom, she was absorbed in watching Calvin Pierce’s son, Noah Pierce, play video games.
I recognized the T-shirt Noah was wearing. I had seen it in a mall display window just last week. The price tag had four digits on it.
In contrast, the sweatshirt on my own body, which was washed so many times that it had faded, already had frayed cuffs.
"What does this mean?" Mom picked up the paper, her brows knitting into a tight knot.