The Making of Yolanda la Bruja by Lorraine Avila

Author:Lorraine Avila
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Levine Querido

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Mrs. Obi is not at the door offering pounds or high-fives. We don’t normally meet on this day, but our club was brought together last minute, and the lunch lady had no snacks to give us either. The students who begin coming in start building the circle of chairs.

José walks up to me. “You good?” I nod.

“Yeah, my bad. I’ve been distant because—” I start. “Honestly, I have no good reason.” I look down at my hands.

“It’s like that sometimes,” he says. He brings his hand to my chin and raises my face to his. “It’s OK. I want to show you something.” He pulls out his phone, but Mrs. Obi tells him to put it away. I smirk awkwardly.

“Coach let you out of practice for this?” He normally comes to our weekly meeting, but that’s the only day he doesn’t have practice.

“I told him it was quick, but yeah I’m going to hear it,” he smiles.

Victory changed out of her uniform after last period. She walks in with denim overalls, a yellow turtleneck, and hoops. As per usual: best dressed.

When everyone is sitting, Mrs. Obi passes Penny to me.

“So we’re here because we found out who has been messing up our posters,” I say. Victory stands up, walks across the circle, and takes Penny from me.

“Well, this lil boy,” Victory points Penny at Ben, “has tried the wrong one.” Mrs. Obi tells Victory she wants to hear what she has to say, but essentially checks her tone. Club members look uncomfortable, some lost, and others somewhere between holding their breath and puffing it out loud.

“What you talking about, V? Am I missing something?” Cindy asks, and she looks over at Ben.

“He defaced ALL of our posters. The posters I PUT TIME INTO!” Victory’s left leg begins to shake. I have never seen Victory raise her voice like this, and I know she’s ready to say whatever it is to bring justice to her art. Mrs. Obi looks at Ben, who is reclining in his chair with his hand across his chest. He reaches for Penny, but Victory holds on to her.

“Innocent until proven guilty,” Ben smirks. He sits back, and I feel stupid as fuck for not having cursed him out earlier. I mean really, what the hell is wrong with me? And where’s the guy that was trying to get me to stay yesterday? I look at him, but he hardly catches my eye. This boy is really out here trying to play us. At the beginning, I sensed his sadness, his loneliness, but now it’s all anger, bitterness.

“Ben, you did that forreal?” Cindy asks. She sucks her teeth loudly, shaking her head. My heart feels heavy for her. I can imagine a part of her is in disbelief, but I know deep down inside she just feels disappointed in herself for having trusted an outsider that would do this to one of us. He ignores her. And I swear to God, I just want to get up and smack him.

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