“That’s Patty,” Dee said. “And Duncan.” She nodded at the stocky boy across from him, who was catching the eyes of friends in other clusters around the room and trying not to laugh. O fixed his gaze on him, and when at last they made eye contact, Duncan stopped smiling.
Osei packed his things into Dee’s case, though now that they had made the swap he felt a little regretful about giving away something of his sister’s. The strawberry case had accompanied them to so many places, and had been a familiar sight on whatever kitchen table Sisi had done her homework on. During summer vacations she had even taken it to Ghana, where it was coveted by the cook’s daughters she played with. Really it should go to them, though perhaps they were too old to care about such a thing now. Still, it felt like losing a little piece of family history.
Now Dee was running her fingers around each strawberry, just the way Sisi had. O liked to see her doing that. And when she smiled at him with her welcoming face, the fire he had felt when he first saw her flared up again.
O and Dee, sittin’ in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love, then comes marriage
Then comes Dee with a baby carriage!
Blanca made a beeline for Mimi as she came onto the playground at recess. Mimi’s head was still reeling from the Xs and Ys Miss Lode had introduced them to that morning. “Technically you don’t start algebra until eighth grade,” she’d announced. “But seventh-grade math will include some elements of algebra, and I don’t want my students from this school looking blank when your future teachers begin to teach it. Besides, Mr. Brabant has already begun having his students work on equations. You don’t want to be left behind.”
Miss Lode was sensitive to the perception that the other sixth grade class, with its more experienced teacher and bright students like Patty and Casper and Dee, was more advanced than hers. Mimi could have told her, though, that for every Patty in Mr. Brabant’s class, there was also a Blanca: Blanca with her tight top and her lips stained red from the Now and Later candy she’d been sneaking during class. Her breath smelled of synthetic cherry as she grabbed Mimi and cried, “Dee gave her pencil case to the new boy—I saw him with it!”
“What—Snoopy?” Like many girls, Mimi could itemize her friends’ wardrobes and possessions, especially the things she coveted: Blanca’s polka-dot flamenco shoes, Dee’s owl necklace, her older sister’s shiny red raincoat. She knew who had the Partridge Family lunch box, the pencils with tiny troll erasers on top, the smiley-face pin. Of course she knew what Dee’s pencil case looked like, just as Dee would know hers was made of old jeans and had a pocket on the outside where Mimi kept an emergency wintergreen Life Saver.
“I couldn’t believe it!” Blanca rested her arm on Mimi’s shoulders as if they were best friends. She always assumed an intimacy that the other girls did not feel.
Mimi moved out from under Blanca’s arm. “So what’s Dee going to use instead for a pencil case?”
Blanca shrugged. “No idea. And they were sitting together, and talking the whole time! I bet they held hands under the desk.”
“Did you bring the ropes?”
“Dee’ll bring them. Let’s go wait on the ship.”
The pirate ship was made of wood, with a cabin to wriggle through and a deck tilted as if it were sailing through a stiff wind. There was a tall mast and a crow’s nest at the top, which you could climb up to on rigging or using a rope ladder. It had been built in honor of Mrs. Hunter, the school principal for twenty-five years, who had retired a few years before. The girls liked to lie in a row on the sloping deck, propping their feet up on the cabin and seeing who could blow the biggest bubbles with their gum. They weren’t allowed to chew gum in class, so they waited till they got to the ship to cram their mouths with pieces of Big Buddy bubble gum, in pink and red and purple. Only Mimi couldn’t, as gum got stuck in her braces.
Two fourth grade boys were climbing on the rigging, but took one look at Mimi and Blanca and jumped off. Mimi sighed as she settled on the deck. “We’ll be the youngest in the playground next year,” she said, closing her eyes and turning her face toward the sun. “There isn’t even anything to play on in the junior high playground. No swings, no slide, no ship. I bet they don’t jump rope either.”
“True. But I’m ready.” Blanca snapped her gum and drummed her long bare legs against the deck. “I’m sick of this school. I wanna meet new people.”
Mimi smiled, her eyes still closed. “New boys, you mean.”
“It’s Dee who’s got the new boy. I’m not sure I’d want him.” Blanca made it sound as if she could’ve had him if she chose to.
“Why not? You don’t even know what he’s like.”
“I know, but…it would be strange.”
Mimi opened her eyes and looked at Blanca. “What would be strange?” She enjoyed watching Blanca squirm.
“Well, like, what would it be like touching his hair? Isn’t it—greasy or something?”
Mimi shrugged. “Does it matter? Do you touch Casper’s hair?” Blanca had been going with Casper on and off all year; Mimi wasn’t sure if they were on or off now. It usually depended on how irritated Casper got with Blanca’s attention—though when they were on they seemed to be more genuine than any of the other “couples” who had tried going together. They certainly seemed more real than she and Ian did.
“It would still be weird.” Blanca blew a pink bubble and let it collapse over her generous lips.
“Maybe he’d think you’re weird.”
“I’m not weird! You’re the one who’s weird!”
Their bickering could have escalated, but Dee joined them then and they directed their attention to her. “Where are the ropes?” Blanca demanded.
“Oh. I forgot.” Dee looked dazed, as if she had just been asleep.
Blanca began to laugh. “I can’t believe you forgot! Somebody’s in loooooove.”
Mimi glanced over at the jump rope area, where the pavement was smooth. It was already full, with two single ropes and a Double Dutch squeezed in. Two of the groups were fifth graders that they could kick off if they wanted to. But Dee was settling down next to them, and neither she nor Blanca looked eager to go back inside and get the ropes. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. “I was showing Osei where the boys’ bathroom is.”
“Osei?” Mimi repeated.
“The new boy. He said we can call him O. I’ve been looking after him this morning. Though he doesn’t really need it—he’s used to new schools. He’s been to three other schools in the last six years.”
“What’s he like?”
“Really nice. Really. And smart. He’s from Ghana, by the way. I got that wrong before. Did you hear his accent? It’s so cute. I could listen to him all day.”
She’s got it bad, Mimi thought. “Why’s he in DC?”
“His father is a diplomat and got posted to the embassy downtown.”