Patina by Jason Reynolds

Author:Jason Reynolds
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

At home, after homework, turkey wings, and push-ups with Maddy, Maddy and me laid around in her room, looking at old-school music videos on my laptop while I counted the beads left on her braids. I know the nineties videos seem a little weird, but me and Cotton always watched them, let them play one after another. And because we’d been doing it for so long, Maddy liked them too. Knew all the songs and everything. We loved Mary J. Blige, and that came from my mom. She really got on a Mary kick after my father passed and played her nonstop when we were little. It was truly all about Jesus and Mary. And I get it. I mean, just the way Mary be dancing is worth watching, like she a sixty-year-old man who just hit the lottery. Like she got all dressed up in a fur vest and knee boots, full face of makeup and hair fresh-laid, just to go beat somebody up. To go fight life. Like she had all the answers to all the questions.

And I needed some of them answers. Not just for the track, but also for school—and after school—the next day. Answers for Mr. Winston as he went on and on shouting, “ ‘Cannon to right of them! Cannon to left of them!’ Are ye part of the six hundred? Are ye part of the Light Brigade?” Answers for Ms. Teller in math class as she asked us to describe a cylinder. And even worse, when she asked us to describe a trapezoid, which I wanted to raise my hand and say, “A trapezoid is another name for a scary kidnapper.” But instead I decided to save that joke for me and Cotton.

I also needed an answer to the cafeteria, which to me, always asked the same question, “Where you sitting?” I didn’t just assume I was gonna have another spot over at Becca’s table. So instead of me going in there thinking that, and playing myself, I just did my usual. Got my food, which today was short rib, which was delicious and a little weird because I couldn’t help but think about what animal has a rib this short. I know they say it’s beef, but don’t no cow have a little baby rib like this. And then I started thinking about the radio, about the people talking about people who talk about animals like they people, and I just . . . I just . . . lost my appetite.

For like five minutes.

For one lap around the cafeteria.

Then Becca called me over again. And I (almost did my Mary J. Blige walk over there and) sat down and separated the meat from the bone, while Becca, for the second day in a row, went on about music . . . in space.

“Seriously, my father said there’s like all kinds of stuff on this gold record they sent up there back in the seventies. And not just music. But he said there’s digital photos of people eating and dancing and stuff.

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