A school yard teaches lessons beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic, especially to those little boys inclined to copy the hardened heroes they see on TV. And no, not your average chosen hero who arrives at the last possible second, but the tried and true boys in blue. Cops. Robbers. The good, the bad, and the indifferent.

That’s where Humming decided to play a little game with a kid who had a penchant for dramatic outbursts. His target, a boy by the name of Fernandez, played about the yard making a nuisance of himself so often the other boys often avoided him. He was a little big, and they made fun of him for that. Ever since he said he liked tacos, they referred to him as taco muncher behind his back. Humming was proud since he came up with that one himself. Though, it was time to show the other kids how much he did know.

He got together a few of the younger boys, waited until the teacher’s backs were turned, and circled him—cutting him off against the building. The look on Fernandez’s face went from a smirking smile to a stone quiet stare.

“Very funny. Can you let me out now?”

“Let’s skip the pleasantries, shall we? You and I both know we aren’t here for small talk. Boys, hold him down.”

The boys secured him on both sides, their arms holding his against the brick. Fernandez tried to call to the teacher, but he seemed to have disappeared.

Again, he turned to Humming. “What kind of nonsense is this? Tell them to let me go.”

“No. I’m afraid we can’t do that. We’re with ICE. You’re never seeing your family again.” He then whispered to a kid beside him, “That’s what they say, right?”

Fernandez scoffed. “This is so racist. Makes sense coming from you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You guys call me taco muncher behind my back. You think I can’t hear it? You practically scream it sometimes.” Fernandez looked again for the teacher. No dice.

“I’m not racist. You’re a taco muncher. You like tacos. Said it yourself. Now, if you excuse us, we have a job to do. Boys, haul him off.”

The boys kept his arms about as they walked him across the grass, then onto the gravel before they came in view of a teacher, Mr. Fauna.

The teacher waved them down. “What are you all doing?”

“Mr. Fauna, these kids say they’re ICE officers. According to them, I’m a taco muncher.”

“Let go of him. Who started this?”

The boys let him go. They all stood there. Humming stood with a giant tooth baring grin that let the teacher know, but they all knew the code. The first one to narc, even Fernandez, would face social isolation. No one liked to talk with a narc. They might tell him them, so Humming said, “Snitches get stitches, boys.”

The teacher told the boys to leave with the exception of Humming. They left.

“I know I can’t get you to tell the truth, but I’ve got some truth for you. You’re going to the principal’s office.”

“What did I do? Shouldn’t you send all of us?”

“Fernandez didn’t do anything. You, on the other hand, you were seen rallying together that group. A few minutes later, you come through with them carrying off the only biracial kid on the green.”

“This is unfair.”

“Yeah, well, there is no fair for Fernandez after that. Seems like it should be both of you.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you owe him an apology. ICE? Really?”

The teacher walked Humming to the door and let him in. He walked off to the office. He waited while the principal finished a talk with a parent, then went in.

“Mr. Robin. Why are you here?” He straightened his desk, put a paper in his drawer, and put his elbows on the desk.

“Mr. Fauna sent me.”

“Okay. Why?”

“Look, I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Why’s that, Humming?”

Humming looked at his shoes. “I might have done something I’m not proud of.”

“I hope so. And Humming?”

“Yes, sir?”

“I hope it wasn’t calling Fernandez a taco muncher.”

“How do you know about that?”

“It doesn’t matter how I know. You do things one day and they come back to bite you. The walls have ears. You reap what you sow, and there are some things that can’t be taken back.”

Humming knew the drill.

He took a seat in the room next to the principal’s office. Though, he wasn’t sure what would happen to him. Fernandez wasn’t going to be happy with him the next time he saw him. And without a doubt, he took the only lesson that mattered to him, as many children do. The walls have ears.