Read Online Show and Prove by Sofia Quintero - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sofia Quintero
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crowd.
Pedro asks me something, pointing to her as she crosses the gym to talk to Big Lou. I can’t understand his words, but his sad eyes say it all. He’d rather have the crab for a counselor.
All things being equal.
I knew it. Barb did give Cookie the promotion because she’s Puerto Rican. Just like Barb. Just like her husband Big Lou, the crew chief of the Champs. When push came to shove, Barb gave Cookie the job because she’s one of her own. So why shouldn’t I go work for Qusay?
Because Qusay doesn’t have a job for me yet, that’s why. And for all his
Whatever,
Nike would take it as another betrayal, like my decision to transfer to Dawkins. When I realized I could only be Smiles on the block and Raymond at Dawkins, Nike was the one person I thought I could be my whole self with. Now that I’m wondering if going to Dawkins is a mistake, I’ve got no one to talk to about it.
I can’t quit. I don’t want to quit, really. I love this camp, man. You’d think after three years, I’d be bored of going to the same places all the time. But every summer there’s a Pedro who makes it feel like the first time. Riding the subway, visiting all the different parks and pools, and going to the zoo and movies through his eyes? I’m psyched! And who’ll teach the boys to play skully and crack up the girls by playing Chinese jump rope with them? Ain’t gonna be Nike.
I tap Pedro on the shoulder and start down the bleachers. “¡Vámanos!” I say like I’m the Rican Mister Rogers. It’s corny, but it’s the best I can think of now.
Besides, it works. After a second of surprise, Pedro jumps up. “Okai!”
“See!” I put my arm around him, and we head down the bleachers. “I knew you had to know some English.”
I don’t know why we have to take these Garanimals to the Central Park pool on the first day of camp. There be glass in that water! If we’re getting on the train, we might as well go to Astoria. It’s worth the hour and a half to get there, because the water’s always perfect.
At least we’re not going to the pool at Saint Mary’s Park. Gloria and Vanessa are bound to be there. All I need is for Vanessa to figure out that Sara’s going to be my new girlfriend and start trouble before I can even rap to her.
Cookie blows her whistle. “All right, Champions, let’s motivate!” We file out of the church, and even though the Cypress Avenue station is only a block away, Big Lou marches us to the next one, on Brook Avenue, chanting like we’re in the army.
Your left, your left
Your left, right, your left
Yourleftyourrightjustpickupyourstep
Your left, your right, your leeeeft
“Dude thinks he’s that Black guy in
An Officer and a Gentleman,
” I say, taking a sip of my milk. “Sergeant Foley?”
“Nah, he thinks he’s Jimmy Snuka.” Smiles imitates Superfly, growling and flexing his biceps like the Incredible Hulk.
“You’re gonna pay, Don Muraco. I promise you this, my brother. You’re gonna pay!”
I almost spit out my milk, ’cause Big Lou
does
look like Superfly, with all those muscles and that Jheri curl. “Oh, snap!” I wipe stray drops of milk off my chin. “He could go out for the WWF, word.” Now that’s the Smiles I know.
Shorty Rock gets out of line and tugs at my shirt. “Yo, why we gotta walk all these blocks?”
I shove him back in line. “Some of y’all can stand to burn some energy.” If Big Lou thinks I’m such a bad counselor, why did they assign me the camp badass? This demonio traumatized his counselor last year until the sucker quit. Rumor has it the poor kid ended up at Bellevue Hospital, and Big Lou got stuck having to watch Shorty-Rock. Sometimes I think Big Lou likes having excuses to dock me. Maybe the money the camp saves by not paying me a full check for one stupid reason or another goes into
his
pocket. “Stay in line.”
“Stop beggin’!” Shorty Rock yells, bouncing out of the line and onto my new shell-toe Adidas.
“Watch
Pedro asks me something, pointing to her as she crosses the gym to talk to Big Lou. I can’t understand his words, but his sad eyes say it all. He’d rather have the crab for a counselor.
All things being equal.
I knew it. Barb did give Cookie the promotion because she’s Puerto Rican. Just like Barb. Just like her husband Big Lou, the crew chief of the Champs. When push came to shove, Barb gave Cookie the job because she’s one of her own. So why shouldn’t I go work for Qusay?
Because Qusay doesn’t have a job for me yet, that’s why. And for all his
Whatever,
Nike would take it as another betrayal, like my decision to transfer to Dawkins. When I realized I could only be Smiles on the block and Raymond at Dawkins, Nike was the one person I thought I could be my whole self with. Now that I’m wondering if going to Dawkins is a mistake, I’ve got no one to talk to about it.
I can’t quit. I don’t want to quit, really. I love this camp, man. You’d think after three years, I’d be bored of going to the same places all the time. But every summer there’s a Pedro who makes it feel like the first time. Riding the subway, visiting all the different parks and pools, and going to the zoo and movies through his eyes? I’m psyched! And who’ll teach the boys to play skully and crack up the girls by playing Chinese jump rope with them? Ain’t gonna be Nike.
I tap Pedro on the shoulder and start down the bleachers. “¡Vámanos!” I say like I’m the Rican Mister Rogers. It’s corny, but it’s the best I can think of now.
Besides, it works. After a second of surprise, Pedro jumps up. “Okai!”
“See!” I put my arm around him, and we head down the bleachers. “I knew you had to know some English.”
I don’t know why we have to take these Garanimals to the Central Park pool on the first day of camp. There be glass in that water! If we’re getting on the train, we might as well go to Astoria. It’s worth the hour and a half to get there, because the water’s always perfect.
At least we’re not going to the pool at Saint Mary’s Park. Gloria and Vanessa are bound to be there. All I need is for Vanessa to figure out that Sara’s going to be my new girlfriend and start trouble before I can even rap to her.
Cookie blows her whistle. “All right, Champions, let’s motivate!” We file out of the church, and even though the Cypress Avenue station is only a block away, Big Lou marches us to the next one, on Brook Avenue, chanting like we’re in the army.
Your left, your left
Your left, right, your left
Yourleftyourrightjustpickupyourstep
Your left, your right, your leeeeft
“Dude thinks he’s that Black guy in
An Officer and a Gentleman,
” I say, taking a sip of my milk. “Sergeant Foley?”
“Nah, he thinks he’s Jimmy Snuka.” Smiles imitates Superfly, growling and flexing his biceps like the Incredible Hulk.
“You’re gonna pay, Don Muraco. I promise you this, my brother. You’re gonna pay!”
I almost spit out my milk, ’cause Big Lou
does
look like Superfly, with all those muscles and that Jheri curl. “Oh, snap!” I wipe stray drops of milk off my chin. “He could go out for the WWF, word.” Now that’s the Smiles I know.
Shorty Rock gets out of line and tugs at my shirt. “Yo, why we gotta walk all these blocks?”
I shove him back in line. “Some of y’all can stand to burn some energy.” If Big Lou thinks I’m such a bad counselor, why did they assign me the camp badass? This demonio traumatized his counselor last year until the sucker quit. Rumor has it the poor kid ended up at Bellevue Hospital, and Big Lou got stuck having to watch Shorty-Rock. Sometimes I think Big Lou likes having excuses to dock me. Maybe the money the camp saves by not paying me a full check for one stupid reason or another goes into
his
pocket. “Stay in line.”
“Stop beggin’!” Shorty Rock yells, bouncing out of the line and onto my new shell-toe Adidas.
“Watch
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