Chapter Thirty-Six
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
Jae
I’m flat on my back, arms at my sides, staring at my decidedly starless ceiling. There’s a knock, and Ms. Rosette with her shiny Afro puff peeks into the room. She puts a finger to her lips, steps inside, and closes the door softly behind her.
I sit up. “What is it?” I ask, looking to the hand she’s hiding behind her back.
“I heard everything,” she whispers, owl-eyed, her words slow and deliberate. “The window was open in the dining room.”
“You were spying on me?”
She nods excitedly. “I know what the boy was talking about. Look.” She pulls out a small stack of papers from behind her back.
“I saw it there in his office, you know? And I thought, Oh-oh, has mista found a mistress? But it was not for him.” She holds the stack out to me, but when I reach for it, she pulls back.
“You found them, not me. You found them in his office. On his desk. Far left corner. When you looked for a pen. You understand?”
I nod.
“Maybe I am becoming American,” she says, shaking her head as she slips out the door. She has just betrayed Uncle Rowan, or, the village raising the child.
I stare down at the small stack of papers wrapped in twine, with one stem of purple wisteria tucked inside, wilted. I pull out the stem, press the soft petals between my fingers, unwind the twine.
Creatures —Derek
It’s a sleepover night
Miguel’s got
A stack of comics, a flashlight, contraband candy
Valeria’s got
Her stuffed corgi
(They’re not allowed to have pets for real)
It’s a sleepover night because
Mr. and Mrs. Montero are fighting
We hide under a big fort made of
Old worn-out sheets and boxes
And pretend
All sorts of things
We are creatures of the night
Bats, vampires, things with fangs and
Immortality
Nothing can hurt us
If we just pretend
We sneak Popsicles from the basement freezer
Blue sugar on Valeria’s ribbons
Green on Miguel’s tongue
Teeth glowing colors in the dark
High on sugar until
Miguel cries
“I think they’re getting a divorce.”
I put my arm around his shoulder
Hug him tight
We could do that back then
Say
I’m afraid
And now
We hide everything so no one knows
We cry
At some point you get too old or too cool
To say the truth
Even though
Scared is all you ever are
We are creatures and
Nothing can hurt us if we just
Pretend
Travel Light—Derek
Jingling keys.
Engine on.
Headlights shine.
Car reverse.
Swerving lights.
Dad’s last night.
“You okay?”
Deep brown skin.
Not okay.
Hold it in.
Smiles at me.
Hope again.
Breaking up.
Memories.
Heavy hurt.
Gravity.
I am small.
Atom. Quark.
Can’t move on.
Baggage full.
Set it down.
Standing still.
Emptied out.
Starless sky.
Say goodnight.
Say goodbye.