Read Online No Laughter Here by Rita Williams-Garcia - Free Book Online Page B

was all right, but Mrs. Anderson poked me and said, “March, young lady.” The last I saw, Victoria hadn’t moved from our spot.

Another Juwan Episode
    While I was waiting for Miss Lady to pick me up, Vice Principal Skinner called Mom at her job. All they told her was there had been a fight and that she or Dad had to come to school before I could return to class. When they came home from work, Mom and Dad asked if I was all right. I said yeah. But no one asked me what happened, which was okay because I couldn’t put it into words. Not without justifying hitting Juwan, or betraying my vow to Victoria.
    Dad was mad. He didn’t want to wait for the morning meeting in Vice Principal Skinner’s office. He had had enough of Juwan Spenser’s “fatherless antics” and wanted to have a talk with Miss Spenser about her son.
    â€œWhere does that boy live?” he demanded.
    â€œAnd accomplish what, Roy?” my mother said. “Where do you think the bad seed sprang from?”
    â€œThat boy needs to learn how to treat a young lady.”
    Mom sighed heavily. She was more tired of Dad than upset about the whole Juwan thing. “We’ll handle it at school, Roy. That’s why we received the phone call. Toiron it out with a school official. That’s the right thing to do, and we do what’s right.”
    She had been through this too many times to get excited. In Pre-K Juwan spilled a carton of green paint all over my picture because mine looked better than his. In the first grade he smashed my hard-boiled Easter egg for no reason. Each year, except for the third grade, there was always an incident between Juwan and me.
    Dad finally gave in. “You’re sure you’re okay, puddin’?”
    â€œI’m okay.”
    â€œThat’s my Girl Warrior. Brave and beautiful. Show me that left hook.”
    â€œRoy.”
    Â 
    I wasn’t sure what would happen in Vice Principal Skinner’s office the next morning. As far as my parents were concerned, this fight was just another Juwan episode. During those parent meetings in the vice principal’s office, Mom spoke calmly and politely to Miss Spenser. But underneath her calm was an attitude that said, “I don’t expect anything more from your child.” Mom is sort of a snob. She always points out other kids’ public behavior—mostly black kids—and says, “There’s no reason for you to behave like that.” That’s why she likes the Ojikes, besides their being from Africa. She thinks the Ojikes are quiet, refined people. Mom describes Mrs. Ojike as Queen Nefertiti herself. Graceful and regal. Victoria giggled when I told her. Victoria said,“Doesn’t your mother know that Queen Nefertiti was Egyptian? And dead?”
    I giggled, hearing Victoria’s voice in my head. Then I realized, I wasn’t the only one nervous about tomorrow. Victoria was probably worried about what I’d say to justify my socking Juwan. Victoria knew that my talking is like my essay writing: once I get going, I can’t stop myself.
    I had to let her know that I wouldn’t break my vow, no matter what. I got on-line before I went to bed and sent an e-mail to QueenV3: “If I should tell, I will die.”
    Â 
    That Thursday morning we were all standing in the hallway outside the principal’s office. Miss Spenser and Juwan. Mom and me. Mom told Dad to go to work. There was no need for all of us to gang up on Miss Spenser.
    After awkward greetings between our mothers and a long silence in the hallway, Juwan’s mother said, “I suppose you think my child started it.”
    Mom was sure Juwan had thrown the first punch. So sure she didn’t even ask for my side. Mom just said, “We shouldn’t have this discussion in the hallway.”
    Then Vice Principal Skinner, a tall, light-skinned man with wavy, combed-back hair, opened the door and welcomed us in