A few days passed. Pires practiced looking at people's eyes. He did it with teachers. He did it with the lunch lady. It was getting a little easier. But talking was still hard.
On Friday, Brain found Pires at his locker again.
Lesson two is today," Brain announced. This is a big one.
Pires closed his locker door. What is it? More eye contact?
No, Brain said. That was baby stuff. Today, we change how you look.
Pires looked down at his clothes. He wore a simple gray t-shirt and blue jeans. What is wrong with what I wear?
Nothing is wrong, Brain said. But it is boring. It is invisible. You need to wear clothes that make people see you.
Brain took Pires to the mall after school. They went to a store Pires had never entered. The music was loud. The lights were bright. The clothes were not simple.
Trust me, Brain said. He started picking things off the racks. He held up a dark red shirt. This color is good for you. It makes you look... interesting.
Pires touched the shirt. It felt soft. I always wear gray or blue.
Exactly. That is the problem, Brain said. You need to look like a guy who has stories to tell.
An hour later, Pires stood in front of a big mirror. He was not wearing his old clothes. He wore dark jeans that fit him well. He wore the dark red shirt. He even wore new shoes.
He looked at himself. He saw a stranger. The guy in the mirror looked more confident. He looked older.
Do you see it? Brain asked, standing behind him.
Pires nodded. He could not look away from the mirror. I see it.
This is step two, Brain said. When you look like a new person, you can start to act like a new person.
On Monday, Pires wore his new clothes to school. He felt nervous walking in. People would look at him. He was not used to it.
He saw Mark first.
Whoa, Pires! Mark said, his eyes wide. You look different! You look cool, man
Pires smiled. Thanks, he said. He felt a little taller.
Then he saw Anna, the girl from last week. She was at her locker. She saw him and did not look away. Her eyes went from his head to his new shoes. She smiled.
Hi, Pires, she said. You look nice today.
This time, Pires looked right back at her. He did not count to three. He just looked.
Thank you, Anna, he said. His voice did not shake.
He walked to his class feeling a new feeling. It was not just pride. It was power. For the first time, he felt like he belonged in the hallway. He was not just the shy boy against the wall.
Brain found him after class. He was smiling widely. I heard! Anna talked to you! She said you looked nice!
How did you hear that?" Pires asked.
I have ears everywhere, Brain said with a laugh. See? The clothes work. Now you look like someone worth talking to.
Pires thought about the boy in the gray t-shirt. The boy who hid in the library. That boy felt very far away. This new Pires, in the red shirt, liked the way people looked at him. He wanted more of it.
He did not know that he was starting to disappear. The real Pires was fading away. A new Pires was being built, piece by piece, by Brain. And Brain was not a careful builder.