Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish

Marcus is big for his age. Kids at his middle school usually either mistake him for an adult or run away in fear he’s going to beat them up. He’s used his size to build a business: He protects kids from school bully, Stephen—for a fee. He also collects fees for keeping kids from being cited for school policy infractions, like littering and cell phone usage. It isn’t nice that kids pay him just so he won’t tattle, but it’s nice to be able to add to the Cookie Monster Cash and help his mom with emergencies at home.