TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Like many other local students, Cenel Castillo, 13, walked from the bus stop to his south Bakersfield home on a recent weekday afternoon.

But, for Cenel, whose face and body were badly burned more than a year ago, the routine act represented one more step toward normalcy.

"I wanted to go back," he said as he neared his palm-tree covered yard. "I was tired of being home all day."

Last year, The Californian wrote about Cenel's experience after a fire severely burned a large swath of his body. When he and some friends poured the contents of a gas can over toy cars, flames engulfed his body and burned the lower half of his face.

The process of replacing Cenel's thick, red scars started by growing extra skin in a bulge below his neck. Doctors used a tissue expander, a balloon-like device filled with saline, to slowly inflate the area. As they gradually injected more saline, the skin stretched.

In December, doctors at Bakersfield's Grossman Burn Center removed the tissue expander, pulled up the extra skin, and reconstructed Cenel's face. The surgery replaced an ugly scar with normal skin, making his face appear more natural, said Dr. John Diaz, a plastic surgeon.

"During adolescence, so much of our self-esteem comes from interactions with friends," Diaz said. "My hope is that, by making that area look more normal, people will be listening to what he's saying, instead of staring at his scar."

Eventually, Cenel could need additional surgery to create a more defined chin, his mother said. And, he'll need another surgery to help him open his mouth fully. But Cenel and his family say they're grateful the procedure has given him the chance to regain a normal teenage life.

THE FIRST DAY

More than three weeks ago, Cenel joined an eighth grade class at a new school, Greenfield Middle School. His family had moved, and Greenfield signified new opportunities -- and the added hurdles of making friends again.

"I was nervous," Cenel said.

The first day was tough. He sat by himself on a bench on school grounds. At lunch, he joined a table of students and made small talk about his previous school.

The question on everyone's mind, though, was clear: What happened to you?

Cenel must wear a plastic guard around his face to compress the scars and protect the skin. With the mask and his facial scars, students are curious. Cenel said at least a couple people ask him every day.

"I just tell them I got burned," he said. "They're like, 'Oh, man!' I just tell them and then I go on with my day."

Sometimes, though, he tires of the incessant inquiries. On those days, his response becomes more terse: "Don't worry about it."

EDUCATING STUDENTS

Kids can be cruel. That's why Jacqui Engstrand, the nurse manager at the Grossman Burn Center, is planning a presentation for Greenfield students. She'll show them videos of Cenel explaining what happened that day. She'll also talk about the healing process and the pain, and advise them on how to treat Cenel.

"When you walk by Cenel, or any other kid who has been burned, look at them in the eye, say hi, and smile," she said. "Don't just stand and stare."

She has role-played with Cenel, too, helping him rehearse a three-sentence response to succinctly address that curiosity: "I got burned. I'm doing great now. Thanks for asking."

Engstrand said she tells kids like Cenel to hold their heads high, and not to cower.

"If other children see vulnerability, they may pick on him," she said.

While Engstrand said she's heard good things about the students at Greenfield, whom she hears are protective of Cenel, bullying in general is a growing issue that needs to be preemptively addressed.

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Cenel and his family moved into a new home last summer. Gaby Castillo, his mom, said she selected the house, in part, because of its large backyard pool. Cenel's burns made it hard for him to fully extend his arms and she thought the pool would be therapeutic.

"I thought maybe it could help him, and it did," she said.

After school, Cenel likes to play with his pet, a Chihuahua named Gizmo that chases him around the yard. He plays video games with neighbors and hangs out with his sister Berenice,18, and her boyfriend.

Berenice says she notices a change now that her brother is back in school and his face is healing. He tells her he's making friends.

"I see him as more outgoing, talking more," she said.

Still, Gaby can't help but wonder if the traumatic events have made her already quiet son more withdrawn. She worried when she saw him wearing a hooded sweatshirt one day, and wondered if he wanted to hide his face. She peppers him with questions such as whether he's fitting in or making friends.

"My son doesn't open up," she said. "It's hard for me and I can't imagine how hard it is for him. I'm not the one who has to go to school and get questions."

She knows Cenel is strong and things can only get better.

"I'm hoping this summer, he'll have friends over with the pool," she said. "I want him to be himself again."

Cenel admitted the experience has changed him. He used to be drawn to kids "who are bad." He no longer seeks them out, opting instead for better influences. More than anything, though, the transformation is internal.

"I see things differently now," he said, softly with intense, unblinking eyes. "I'm stronger and I'm more mature."