"So, what grade is your sister in again?"
Alfred took a bite of his sandwich, looking at Ivan questionably. By the fifth grade, Ivan could speak nearly fluent English, so having conversation with Ivanw was no problem.
"She's in college. My littlest is in pre-school, and the middle one is in Russian Immersion. You have sisters, right? What about yours?"
Alfred finished chewing and swallowed thickly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
"They're twins, so they're both in grade six," Alfred answered, then paused.
"And mom says that Amelia ought to get a sport scholarship to college, she's so good."
Ivan gave a little "mm," of interest before taking a spoonful of pelmeni, nodding for Alfred to keep talking.
"Maddie's a good reader, so I bet she'll get a scholarship too. Amelia's the best, though, 'cause she teaches me baseball."
Alfred flashed a proud grin before staring at what Ivan was eating.
"Is that Russian?"
"Da. It's pelmeni. Here, have some."
Ivan didn't wait for a response before shoving a spoonful of pelmeni into Alfred's mouth, giggling a bit at Alfred's reaction. Alfred quickly grabbed hold of the spoon and took it out of his mouth, keeping the pelmeni in.
"Yeah," he muttered through a mouthful of food, "it's good. Did your sister make it? The oldest one?"
Da," Ivan answered softly, suddenly looking down at his feet and seeming to become uninterested in conversation.
Suddenly, the school bell rang, and both boys walked inside their classroom.