Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero

Before school, Amma cooks Yusuf his “favorite” breakfast—cinnamon French toast with ghee. At school, there’s another note in Yusuf’s locker. This one reads, “We hate you” (75), and Danial sees it. Yusuf says the note is a joke, but Danial doesn’t believe him. In science class, the note distracts him, so he can’t give an example of an insulator. Jared consoles him, but in social studies, Jared and Yusuf argue about conspiracy theories and whether aliens built the pyramids.

After school, Abba and Yusuf watch TNN, and Abba lets Yusuf join the robotics club. There’s no fee, and Abba thinks it’ll help Yusuf in high school and college. Abba came to the US in his twenties, so he didn’t attend an American college. Abba worries about his store and competing with a nearby shopping center.

Yusuf doesn’t want to open his locker, afraid of receiving more notes. There’s a chart posted that lists the students and their lockers, so the other kids know the locker that belongs to Yusuf.

Ethan Grant plays for the middle school football team, the Frey Coyotes. He bumps into Yusuf with his backpack, and Yusuf says sorry, but then he retracts his apology, realizing it’s Ethan’s fault.