“Are you and Ian—”
“We just broke up.” Mimi thought of the exchange—strawberry case for breakup—and a pang of guilt twisted her stomach. She should tell Dee. Did she have the nerve to?
Dee turned to look at Mimi. “Oh! That’s—” She appeared to gulp back a word, but she seemed relieved—which hurt Mimi more than she’d expected. Clearly her judgment had been in question, even if Dee hadn’t said anything about it these past few days.
“That’s good,” Mimi filled in. “I know. I don’t know what got into me to go with him in the first place.”
“Well…” Dee smiled for the first time. “We kind of wondered. He’s so different from you.”
“I guess I was flattered. No boy has wanted to go with me before. Because I’m weird.”
“No, you’re not!”
“Yes, I am. You know I am. I’ve always been on the sidelines. I’m not very good at anything. I don’t get good grades, I can’t run fast, I can’t draw or write or sing. I get these silly headaches. Everyone thinks I’m a witch or something. Sometimes I’m amazed that I’m your best friend.” Especially when I give your things away and lie to you, she added silently.
“Don’t be silly, you’re the most interesting person I know—apart from Osei, now.”
Mimi felt the sharp tooth of jealousy bite, and was tempted to yank hard on the braid she held. Instead she reeled herself in and, giving the braid only a gentle tug, she announced, “There. Do you have a ponytail holder?”
Dee dug into her jeans pocket. “You’re also very good at turning Double-Dutch ropes,” she said, handing Mimi a purple elastic.
Mimi wasn’t sure how serious Dee was and decided it must be a joke. She laughed. “Yes, I am good at that.” She dropped the braid. “Done.”
“Thanks.” Dee leaned her head back against the wall, then winced and shifted to rest her cheek against her hand. “Hurts.”
“The bump?”
“Yeah.”
“You hit it pretty hard. Do you feel dizzy or sick?”
“No.”
“Good. That probably means you don’t have a concussion. That’s what the nurse will be worried about.”
They were silent. Now was the moment when Mimi should confess to her friend about the pencil case. She swallowed, opened her mouth—but nothing came out. It was so hard to admit to bad behavior. And with her hair back in a braid, Dee looked calmer, more herself. Mimi was reluctant to upset her.
Then another song came on, and the moment was gone. Mimi and Dee sat up.
I heard he sang a good song
I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him
To listen for a while
Even the tinniness of the radio couldn’t disguise Roberta Flack’s rich voice. The girls had been crazy about the song ever since it came out over a year ago. A fifth grade girl with a strong voice had won the school’s talent show this year with it, though Mimi had overheard Mr. Brabant mutter to Miss Lode that it was a wholly inappropriate song for a ten-year-old to sing. Dee began to hum along.
Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song…
She broke off. “Oh, Mimi, I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you like Osei?”
“Yes. A lot. It felt so good being with him. He’s so different from anyone else here.”
Mimi was silent, trying not to take it as a criticism.
“He’s been so many places and has things to say. He makes everyone else seem boring. And me boring too, living in this boring suburb. It makes me want to do more adventurous things, like go downtown more often. When was the last time you went into DC?”
“Easter—we took my cousins up the Washington Monument.”
“I was going to ask Osei to take the bus with me this weekend—to Georgetown, maybe.”
“What about your mother?”
“What about her?” The defiance Dee had displayed earlier with Mr. Brabant was rearing up again.
“Never mind. You can say you’re with me if you want.”
“I won’t need to if he stays mad at me. I feel like we have to make up or break up.”
“Did he push you just now?”
Dee didn’t answer.
“?’Cause if he did, that’s bad, isn’t it?”
“It was an accident. He didn’t mean to hurt me, I’m sure.”
“Are you?”
“I’m more worried about how he acted with me before that, during the kickball game, and even before that. Why did he change so fast? Seem to care, then suddenly so angry and distant?”
Mimi shrugged. “I don’t understand boys. And they don’t understand us.”
“Ow!” they heard inside; then, “Jimmy, I’m almost done. Sit still!”
He sang as if he knew me
In all my dark despair
And then he looked right through me
As if I wasn’t there
Dee was crying again. Mimi knew it was best to leave her alone.
Maybe she could get the strawberry case back from Ian before he did anything with it—sold it or whatever he was planning. She would steel herself and ask him.
There were scuffles in the office, and Dee managed to wipe her eyes before the door swung wide and a young boy limped out, patched up on his knee and elbow, followed by Miss Montano, who wore a white coat and a face set permanently to unperturbed.
“Back you go to class, Jimmy,” she said. “Next time look where you’re going. Honestly—boys,” she muttered, before turning to Mimi and Dee. “All right, then, girls. Another headache, Mimi?”
“No, Miss Montano, I’m just accompanying Dee. Miss Lode asked me to. She’s bumped her head.”
“Have you? Dee, come in and I’ll look you over.” She nodded at Mimi. “You can go back to class. If nothing’s wrong, Dee can see herself back. If she’s hurt herself, I’ll send her home.” Miss Montano’s briskness was comforting, as responsibility was deftly removed from Mimi. Let the adults take charge.
She squeezed Dee’s hand. “See you later.”
Dee nodded and rose to follow the nurse inside. “Thanks, Mimi.”
“Sure.”
Mimi remained seated after they had gone inside, waiting for Roberta to finish singing out her pain, wondering what the next song would be and if it would provide a sign. She didn’t tell Dee and the others, but she looked for signs in things sometimes if she was confused. Her brain was fizzing now; she needed to feed it with knowledge that would make sense of the day.
When Dr. John began to sing about being in the right place at the wrong time, Mimi nodded. The sign made sense to her: this whole day felt like the wrong time. She couldn’t wait for it to be over.
My mommy told me
If I was goody
That she would buy me
A rubber dolly
My sister told her
I kissed a soldier
Now she won’t buy me
That rubber dolly
Now I am dead
And in my grave
And there beside me
A rubber dolly