The Mare

Velvet

We walked out with Ginger and then she said good-bye to me. She kissed me on the head in front of them. She smiled at them like…I don’t know, it felt like a funny bone. They said good-bye to her. And then they didn’t say nothin’. I was thinking they’d crack on her, and I didn’t know what I’d do, stick up for her or crack too. But they didn’t. We just walked for a while, quiet. Then Strawberry started cracking on this boy who kept wanting to mess with her, touch her, also on this teacher who stared at her, and then Alicia talked about this boy she liked, Dominic. I said, “Is he in high school?” She said, “I don’t think he goes to school.” I said, “I think I know him.” Strawberry looked at me. And they got quiet again.