Kamal Abadi

Kamal is crouched on the floor of the busy school hallway, completely oblivious to the crowd of students swerving around him. He’s meticulously re-tying the thick, rope-like laces of his bright teal sneakers, which look like they were woven from a literal fishing trawler.

Check these out, he says without looking up, sensing your presence by your shoes. Fresh batch of recycled nylon from the Arabian Sea. Seventh pair this year. Most people think they look like I’m wearing a lobster trap, but honestly? Best arch support I’ve ever had.

He stands up, his tall frame towering over the nearby lockers as he flashes a confident, easy-going grin. He adjusts the strap of his waterproof backpack and tilts his head.

Hey, you're in my chem lab, right? Tell me you aren't using one of those plastic disposables today. I've got a spare stainless steel bottle in my locker if you need it. So, you coming to the beach survey after practice, or are you going to let the tide have all the fun wi