Georges’s seventh-grade science class is beginning a unit on the sense of taste. Georges explains that this is known as “The Science Unit of Destiny.” At the end of the unit, the entire class will undergo a taste test to see if they can detect the taste of a certain chemical. For genetic reasons, only certain people are able to taste this chemical, and long-standing school lore amongst the students holds that the results of the test will somehow reveal the “personal fate” for at least one student: “true love or tragic death” (1). At the moment, however, the unit begins with Mr. Landau, the science teacher, showing the class a poster of the tongue inaccurately mapped by type of taste bud—sour, salty, sweet etc. Georges wishes that the map was more accurate because he finds the idea of everything having a “right place” to be comforting.

In the last class period of the day on Friday, Georges gives his gym teacher a high-five to celebrate getting all the way to the end of the week. Georges says they do this every week because they both hate being there. On this day, the class is playing volleyball.