The One Thing You’d Save by Linda Sue Park

Author:Linda Sue Park
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (hmhbooks.com)
Published: 2021-03-16T00:00:00+00:00

“Hero? Shoot, that only happens in the movies. Not in real life.”

“Okay, I know what you’re saying. But what I’m saying is,

if there’s a chance to be a hero, I’m gonna be ready.”

* * *

What I really want to take Ms. Chang might not like that much,

’cause it might sound dumb to her. I mean, I know they’re just sneakers,

even if they are the coolest sneakers on the planet,

the kind Jeremy Lin wore when he scored thirty-eight points

against the Lakers—I’ve seen the highlights like a hundred times.

But it’s not exactly the sneakers. It’s me saving every cent

for months and months—I didn’t buy a single thing, no apps,

no music, and when we went to Mickey D’s no burger,

not even a Coke, and James sick of me mooching his fries

until finally I saved enough. Except I forgot about

the bleeping sales tax. But Mom, when the salesman said the total,

she saw my face and had a good laugh and then she came through for me.

So clean, and the shiny parts almost glowing, and no feet smell—

at first I almost didn’t want to mess them up by wearing them.

Now they’re broken in but I still wipe them down every night.

Maybe it wouldn’t sound too dumb if I explained it right—

Chang’s pretty cool. Besides, I got another good reason:

I put those babies on my feet, it’s like, see ya later, fire.

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