{"product_id":"chlorine-sky-isbn-9780593176429","title":"Chlorine Sky","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"An absolute masterpiece.\" -Elizabeth Acevedo, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Poet X\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the first ever poet-in-residence at Lincoln Center comes a bold coming-of-age story told in verse about a young woman who loses a best friend, but finds herself in the process. The joys of basketball, the tumult of high school, and the bonds of family are lyrically woven together in this must-read novel.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith Lay Li I don’t have to think too hard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI’m the friend of the star\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u0026amp; I don’t mind, not at all\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIt gives me time to think about my dreams \u0026amp; the WNBA\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBut when I call Lay Li \u0026amp; she don’t pick up\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eA pit in my stomach grows like a redwood tree\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eSky is used to standing in the shadow of her best friend. Lay Li is the sun everyone orbits around. But since high school started, Lay Li has begun attracting the attention of boys, and Sky is left out in the cold. The only place Sky can find her footing is on the basketball court. With each dribble of the ball, Sky begins to find her own rhythm. Lay Li may always be the sun, but that doesn’t mean Sky can’t shine on her own.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWith gritty and heartbreaking honesty, a critically acclaimed poet, delivers her first novel in verse about broken promises, fast rumors, and learning to generate your own light.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“A story about heart and backbone, and one only Mahogany L. Browne could bring forth.” –Jason Reynolds, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLong Way Down\u003c\/i\u003e\"A profound reminder that sometimes the most revolutionary thing a girl can be is herself. \u003cb\u003eI couldn't put it down.\u003c\/b\u003e\" \u003cb\u003e—Nic Stone, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eDear Martin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cb\u003eA story about heart and backbone, and one only Mahogany L. Browne could bring forth.\u003c\/b\u003e\" —\u003cb\u003eJason Reynolds, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLong Way Down\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Browne’s \u003cb\u003esearing and poignant writing\u003c\/b\u003e will undoubtedly bring readers back to her stories again and again.\" \u003cb\u003e—Renée Watson, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cb\u003eA searing voice\u003c\/b\u003e that commands attention.\" \u003cb\u003e—Dhonielle Clayton, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the Belles series\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eChlorine Sky\u003c\/i\u003e is a vivid literary balm that animates the English language with \u003cb\u003erhythm, heart, and radical truth telling love.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003eAja Monet, Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam Champion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A remarkable, compelling voice.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe Bulletin,\u003c\/i\u003e Starred Review \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A coming-of-age novel for Black girls\u003c\/b\u003e who have been told they’re too much and yet never enough.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eMahogany L. Browne \u003c\/b\u003eis the executive director of JustMedia, a media- literacy initiative designed to support the ground-work of criminal justice leaders and community members. This position is informed by her career as a writer, organizer, and educator. Mahogany has received fellowships from Agnes Gund, AIR Serenbe, Cave Canem, Poets House, Mellon Research, and Rauschenberg, and she founded the diverse literary campaign the Woke Baby Book Fair. She is also the author of \u003ci\u003eChlorine Sky, Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice, Woke Baby, Black Girl Magic,\u003c\/i\u003e the poetry collection\u003ci\u003e I Remember Death by Its Proximity to What I Love,\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e Vinyl Moon\u003c\/i\u003e. Mahogany is based in Brooklyn, New York, and is the first-ever poet in residence at Lincoln Center. You can find Mahogany online at mobrowne.com and @mobrowne.\u003cp\u003eMe \u0026amp; Lay Li ain’t talking\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecause she think she cute\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecause she think I ain’t.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMust be pretty boy Curtis\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eall in her head\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eall in her mouth\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emaking her forget\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eher home training.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaking her forget\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eher daddy got a gun for a living.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; her mama gone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; this is why I think\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eshe ain’t got no sense, nohow.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCause ain’t nobody but fast girls\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003echecking for Curtis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; he keep her name close\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; she don’t come home\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe same way no more.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe must think she cute!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMust think I ain’t!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike she ZendayaSkaiStormMeganNickiBeyoncé or something\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike she long curly hair movie star perfect\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike she perfect pink nail salon pop queen perfect\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike she all new Macy’s rack \u0026amp; Adidas shell toe perfect\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike she glossy magazine cover most beautiful girl perfect\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike she ain’t never had a bad day in the sun perfect\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike she ain’t never had a bad picture kind of perfect\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike she got a life don’t nobody judge cause she’s so perfect\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI mean,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elook how she keep me waiting like\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI’m supposed to wait on Curtis\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eor something\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; I hate his light-skinned self!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEspecially because he ain’t as funny\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eas he think.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEspecially when he calls me black\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; ugly \u0026amp; stupid!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; Lay Li stay grinning\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elike he the sun\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elike we ain’t friends\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethey boyfriends see Lay Li\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s like they see the best parts of they favorite movie \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; they favorite movie got they favorite soundtrack \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; they favorite soundtrack make them feel strong \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; they swing they arms around \u0026amp; show off to whoever is looking \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI mean, sometimes I get caught looking but I ain’t got n o t h i n g to say\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Lay Li \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe act like she never lookin’\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe must think she cute \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut she ain’t just cute\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li pretty \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; they boyfriends at the skate rink \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eforget they home training around her. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo when Curtis say the things \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI’ve already said about myself \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; she laugh \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI know deep down inside \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eshe ain’t never care about me at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li the sun\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; she called me best friend \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCalled me smart \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCalled me her ace \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCalled me her right-hand sis \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li called me my name \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAin’t never call me nothing but my name \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen everyone else call me nothing \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe say best friend--like sis-patna-friend \u0026amp; she laugh bright bright\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause Lay Li the sun \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003enow I know she just said them lies \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eto keep my shadow \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eall up \u0026amp; around her sunshine smile\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike that time we skipped school\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efor the pool party \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; all the girls wear bikinis \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebut I got my one-piece on \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewith a white T-shirt on top. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; the boys just looking \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elike they mama ain’t taught them nothing worth knowing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li got that good hair \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eso she don’t care if it’s wet \u0026amp; loose. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut my hair ain’t close to being good \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eso I keep it in a real real real tight ponytail \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003euntil the sun get so hot \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI jump in \u0026amp; cool my sadness down.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s like I already know.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo I let my shoulders sink low \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elike my heart be \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; I watch Lay Li \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehow she walks \u0026amp; everybody stops \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; I’m trying to learn \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehow to walk in a room \u0026amp; turn their heads \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehow to move in a crowd \u0026amp; be the light \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehow to keep a boy’s interest \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebut not just any boy \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea boy who remembers my name \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emaybe a cute one with long eyelashes \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; gentle hands \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe kind of hands that keep to themselves \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehow to keep my sister, Essa, from talking bad to me \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emy older sister tell you “don’t mess up my name,” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eshe go so far to move her mouth \u0026amp; show her perfect white teeth \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eit’s “EEEEEE-SaaHHHH like mantra, like a prayer” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehow to move through the world \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003estanding tall \u0026amp; demanding to be named properly \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehow to be more than a baller \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehow to be someone that keep ’em guessing \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehow to stop stressing because ain’t nobody \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003egot time for the kind of shade I got \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebut everybody got time for some \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003es u n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li smile at Curtis\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; he only a little bit cute \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebut he ain’t funny or smart \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eso that’s how I know her grin is a lie.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; I pretend I don’t hear his slur \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI pretend I don’t see his hazel eyes \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhen he say “lose her ugly black ass” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; Lay Li laugh. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaugh like a knife in the back or laugh hysterical like the girl running from the scary man in a hockey mask or laugh like kids being followed around the mall by security or laugh like I do when my sister, Essa, makes me the butt of the joke. See I laugh \u0026amp; laugh \u0026amp; laugh \u0026amp; laugh \u0026amp; \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eshe say “Shut up, Curtis” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebut it sounds like   “Come here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI dunk my head underwater slow \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; wait \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ejust wait \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI wait even longer \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efor her to say a n y t h i n g like:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“don’t talk about my friend, I don’t care how pretty your eyes is!” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut she just say “shut up” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; she l a u g h \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe kind of laugh that make me forget \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewe even friends \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe kind of laugh that make me forget \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewe even \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; I think \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI could stay here \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhere it’s all a blurry aqua blue, \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI could stay here \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhere my eyes \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003edon’t hurt as much \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; it don’t feel \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elike I’ve been looking at the sun \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eall day l o n g.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOkay, so boom. This is how Lay Li \u0026amp; I met. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the end of summer, when we ready to head into the first semester of freshman year, I got a problem \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewith the boys who keep slapping the water. Tyrone \u0026amp; Adam slap the water at me \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhen I swim by them. Because everybody knows I’m better than them on the basketball court. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStill, I keep calm. I play cool. I see a girl at the edge of the pool. Red swimsuit \u0026amp; long wavy ponytail. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer right eyebrow lifted skylike: She ready for the joke. But she ain’t laughing. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe boys slap the water. I swim under the current. I head to her side of the pool. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; so do they. They slap the water but her mouth ain’t like mine. It ain’t closed \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elock-like \u0026amp; tight, until I’m on the court with a nasty dribble. It ain’t safety pin safe \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elike my grandmother taught me. Her mouth curse them until their eyes water. Her lips \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecurl \u0026amp; she cross both her arms “\u0026amp; you betta not do it again!” They laugh \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; she don’t. This girl I never seen before got a name: Lay Li. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI wipe my eyes, stinging from the blue water. “Thank you,” I say, pretending it don’t burn.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo years later \u0026amp; Lay Li bathing suit\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIs way better than mine \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI hate my royal blue one-piece\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s a hand-me-down \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s ugly\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI rather wear my basketball shorts \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebut they’re the only pair I got \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ekeep dry when I walk home\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEverybody who know somebody \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewill skip class for the pool party \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; everybody will have a cute bathing suit on: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrawberry red \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eor bright yellow \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eor periwinkle blue\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e or one of those two-pieces with candy cane stripes\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut not me\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI put a T-shirt on top\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; try to hide \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethis ugly-ass basic blue swimsuit \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMines is long in the crotch \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eso long the water drains slowly down my leg \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eafter I climb out the deep end.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI put a T-shirt on top \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; try to hide the history \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eof where my people from \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe ones that got a pit bull with a chain around its neck \u0026amp; smoke clouds everywhere\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI put a T-shirt on top \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; try to hide where I come from\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe kind of folks that park on the lawn \u0026amp; clean they car \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewith the Gap Band blasting out the door speakers\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI put a T-shirt on top \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; hope no one asks where my dad works. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere my dad is? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy my sister, Essa, \u0026amp; I always fight on the lawn?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI just want to swim\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ein the teal green sorta blue bubble\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; forget all the things that make me different\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efor a little while.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBasketball Drills #1\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eboth hands grip the orange world\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eridges in black talk back to my fingertips \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJames \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBird \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBryant\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCatchings\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJordan \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeslie \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurry \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHammon \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJackson \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIverson \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJohnson \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor every letter of their name \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI plant my feet aim \u0026amp; shoot \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eif I flick my left wrist perfectly \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI’ll soar like the greats.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter my drills\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li \u0026amp; I both sit in the shade \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eon the front lawn of the neighborhood candy house \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiss Irene got white hair \u0026amp; a permanent scowl \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe got white hair, a little white lapdog \u0026amp; wear a dusty muumuu \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe smokes cigarettes, the white stick hanging from the cliff of her lip \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike a daredevil\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMiss Irene say she ain’t got time for us kids \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; don’t let nobody curse on her front yard \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut she got a Costco card \u0026amp; charge pennies on the dollar \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efor our favorite sweets\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe get a dollar worth of candy in a plastic sandwich bag \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethat we share\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter my basketball drills, I walk around the barbed gate \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eof the neighborhood pool \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI climb into the blue green water and float for days \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReally I only got an hour before the pool closes \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut I don’t care when I’m floating \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt lets me think \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy eyes closed or searching the sky for animal figures \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIce cream cones \u0026amp; airplanes that skip across the blue blue up\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe aqua water carry my arms \u0026amp; legs \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA body of girl \u0026amp; whoosh \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen I’m too tired to move my calves \u0026amp; arms \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI climb out the water \u0026amp; feel less rubber band \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; more light light \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost days the water burns everything \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emy nose \u0026amp; eyes \u0026amp; even my hair is too dry \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebut I feel clean \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI feel more me than when I arrived\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li meets me after the pool \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe ain’t get in the pool but she still wears \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eher tube top bikini, a towel draped around her shoulder \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elike a comma. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe bites at her cuticles \u0026amp; I already know\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s been almost two years since silly boys slapped water in the pool \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNow the boys are gone \u0026amp; it’s just me doing floating like a log \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhile Mommy \u0026amp; Me classes happen in the shallow end\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003emy muscles hurt after playing Horse alone \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA girl on the basketball court ain’t no different \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethan any other baller, if you work hard enough \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethat’s what my cousin Inga say \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe the first one to teach me to hold the globe with both hands \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eto use my right hand to guide the ball.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinally out of the pool \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI can see the harsh water peels my skin \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI don’t have any cocoa butter on me \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo I pull my legs up, crisscross-applesauce \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; focus on Lay Li. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen she bites her nails it’s not because she’s nervous \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore like anxious and angry \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; always it’s about her mama \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“So what happened?” I ask \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; she frowns at her hands \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen covers her face from the dipping sun\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe shrugs\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; instantly I feel bad \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI know what it feels like to have \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eToo much to say \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo much you can’t speak \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI make noise when I’m nosy \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI slap the mosquitoes gnawing at my legs\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s been a year since we last talked \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eabout her mama but that’s the only \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ething that bothers her enough \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eto bite-ruin her perfect nails\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut Lay Li don’t sweat it \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eshe don’t swing at the mosquitoes \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eshe don’t even miss a beat.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“That woman been gone so long \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI can barely remember what she looks like.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI can’t imagine\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhat it’s like to forget my mother’s face \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI sit quiet \u0026amp; wait for her story to unfold\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy mama still on drugs \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; my daddy ain’t got time for all that \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe don’t want us girls to see her like that \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe says every child deserve to be the sun \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo know they come from the sun \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; if the sun snuff itself to dusk before its time \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; no shine is left to see \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLet it be\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne day we woke up \u0026amp; she was already \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea cloudy shadow of herself \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen one day we woke up \u0026amp; she was \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003egone\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe only come home when she clean \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe only call home when she sorta sober \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe ain’t never remembered my birthday \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eor my sisters’ birthday \u0026amp; I’m like whatever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen you live where we live \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou say what it is \u0026amp; if you can’t say what it is \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOr if it hurt too much \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOr maybe it’s too confusing \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou just say “whatever.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat way you ain’t no lie\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDon’t nobody Want to Call It\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEspecially when it got more faces than any solitary name \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebut if I’m honest \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI want to know if Lay Li seen the zombies too\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe ones who take over my uncles’ bodies\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eafter weeks of playing ghost \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eonly to return him to our front door \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewith his clothes all crumpled \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; eyes brimming red\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li is the only one I can talk to about \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe smell of hot ash \u0026amp; burned glass \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You know what it looks like.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe stands up from the grass\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eswinging her dry striped towel in the air \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“It looks like the walking dead.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the way to my house\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI need to rinse the chlorine off my skin \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI need to remember who I am \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li say, “Where’s your cocoa butter?” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; I know she wants to call me ashy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen I walk through the front door \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI’m surprised no one is home \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI turn on the television \u0026amp; tell Lay Li I’ll be right back \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRight out the blue Lay Li calls to me already running up the stairs\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I’m just tired of crying \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eover someone \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethat’s been gone so long.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li laughs\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elike the joke’s on everybody but her\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esquints into the mirror \u0026amp; pouts \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eapplies more lipstick than a little \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003etakes my lip gloss as backup just in case \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li say \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“It’s so boring here. Let’s call Shawn.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI laugh like the joke is on Shawn \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe’s her old crush \u0026amp; first real boyfriend \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSince her mama left the house \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut then I realized she just called my house boring\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; now my feelings are hurt. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li say \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Don’t be like that. I ain’t mean nothing by it.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003epull my ponytail a little \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLay Li \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eis forgiven \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eagain.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI move\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eher hand \u0026amp; brush at my hair \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI mimic the mirror \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReach to take back my lip gloss \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; my pride \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efrom Lay Li’s hands \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s the inexpensive kind from the neighborhood CVS\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe pretends she’s gonna keep it \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003elike a child \u0026amp; its pacifier \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eher arms swing above both of our heads \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ehelicopter style\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOut of my reach\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe is pleased with herself \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; giggling to my hands \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewaving in the air \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efire the roof is on fire\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebut it ain’t\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; I don’t crack a smile\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis makes her laugh even harder\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll her teeth showing\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll my steam moving like a cloud when I cut my eyes\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe sighs \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003erolls her eyes \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethen tosses it to me before she grabs the phone\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026amp; dials with one last perfect pink nail\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esame color as Essa’s (I think) \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut I don’t say anything\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJust pucker my lips as \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eshe watches me with boring eyes apply the sheen\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike an impostor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ember","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305159250149,"sku":"NP9780593176429","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593176429.jpg?v=1767723675","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/chlorine-sky-isbn-9780593176429","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}