“At least someone does,” I say.
“You’re sucking the air out of here with those sad vibes.”
“Go away, Amari.”
“Never. I’m not trying to be mean, I just want you to stop wallowing,” she says.
I’m prepared to scream at her to go away, but she’s making a ridiculous face, literally sticking her tongue out like a little kid. I try to hold back my laughter, but it just comes out.
“This isn’t funny! I’m a prisoner.” I pout.
“No, you’re dramatic AF and in regular trouble. This is detention center,” she says. “What did you expect?”
“But I didn’t do anything. This is like déjà vu. It’s unfair,” I insist.
She turns to me slightly and I notice the space between ourknees closing. “Well, now you get it. It’s always gonna be like that in here. It’s one big setup,” she says, shrugging.
I consider what she’s saying in a way I hadn’t before. They didn’t ask me any questions about what happened with Samantha. Being in here means they’ve already decided that I can’t possibly have good intentions, that I’m never going to do the right thing. Maybe Amari is on to something.
“Are you ready to start having fun now?” she asks.
I look at her curiously. “The way you sayfunsounds like something I should be saying no to.”
“Probably. But say yes anyway,” she insists, nudging me with her hip.
The door to the gym slams open, and we both look up. Ms. Kim walks straight toward us.
“Yes?” Amari asks as she gets to her feet.
Ms. Bree calls out to her, sounding surprised she was sitting next to me.
“Get back out there, Amari,” Ms. Kim says.
Amari laughs and starts jogging backward onto the court, still facing me.
“Yes!” I yell to her, laughing too.
She pumps her fist in the air and turns to join the game. I’m still laughing as Ms. Kim moves me to the corner closer to the door so she can make sure no one talks to me. But I don’t need company right now. Watching Amari run around the court, I feel like I have everything I need.
14
The smell of warm bananas and bacon seeps through the crack of my bedroom door as I roll over for the millionth time. It’s getting easier to sleep in, but I should get up. The Tinsley carnival is today.
“I need to see what you’re wearing,” Kayla demands as she barges into my room and plops herself at the foot of the bed.
I groan.
“Jasmine, today’s a big day. Get up!” she says louder, slapping my legs.
“Okay, I’m up,” I say, laughing as I kick the covers off.
I’m excited about the carnival too, especially because I know it’s one of Deanna’s favorite days of the year. It’ll also be the first time I get to hang out with everyone outside of school since the party. At dinner last night, when my mom asked if I wanted to play the games with her and Travis, Kayla quickly cut in.
“She has friends, Ma,” she insisted. My mom looked back and forth at us and smiled proudly. I’m pretty sure there was a smile on Travis’s face, too.
Kayla giggles. “Umm, promise you won’t show up wearing those,” she says.
I scrunch my face in confusion and drop my eyes to my uniform from the center, crumpled from a good night’s sleep. Idon’t know exactly why I’ve still been wearing it. Force of habit, I guess. I fight the urge to pull the covers back up over my body.
