CHAPTER ONE

Static filled the air, so loudly that Emerald held onto the ball she was poised to shoot toward the basket. The noise meant the office secretary wanted somebody. A crackling sound followed the static, and the familiar voice made her announcement.“Emerald Washington to Room 12.”

“You goin’ to get it now, Em,” one of the girls called.

Emerald threw the ball hard at the girl behind her and shouted,“Shut up!” Then she turned toward the building. The hot blacktop was frying her soles anyway. There was air conditioning inside. Besides, she liked Ms. Grumewald, as much as you could like a teacher.

When she got inside, though, Ms. Grumewald wasn’t smiling. She was sitting behind her desk with the grade book open in front of her, a frown on her face.

“Sit down, Emerald,” she said.

Emerald sat in the chair that had been readied next to the desk as a fake smile spread over the teacher’s face.“Now Emerald, I want to talk to you about this,” and she pointed that the grade book.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Emerald, I’ve talked to your last year’s teacher. You were a star pupil in fourth grade.” This was getting ominous.“But young lady, I have here almost no check marks for returned homework. Your test results show that you haven’t studied. Math was always your best subject, and this year, so far, you’re failing.”

Emerald looked down in her lap.

“Can you explain this?”

“Um,” she started, but there was nothing to say.

“I expect better from you. Do you realize how important fifth grade is for your future?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She waited in silence.

Finally, Ms. Grumewald said,“Well. Emerald I expect better from you. You could be the pride of the Pasadena School District.”

“I’ll do better.”

“Well, that’s fine. But I’m calling for a parent conference with the principal. They will have to help us understand what is happening to you.”

Emerald waited, watching her hands in her lap.

“And, young lady” the teacher continued.“There is one more thing.” Ms. Grumewald hesitated and looked off toward the back of the room.“Ah, well,” she whispered,“it’s…my dear, you don’t smell very good.”

She got up and walked woodenly back out onto the hot blacktop.

* * *

Emerald didn’t know how she got through the afternoon. There was a weird buzzing in her head, and her eyes had trouble focusing. The word“parents” kept playing in her mind. Where could she get some parents? Granny? She couldn’t do it. Even if Emerald could wheel her down to school, what she said didn’t make sense anymore. Uncle Ern? That’s ALL she needed. To have them find out about Uncle Ern. So she sat, trying to concentrate on a plan while the teacher kept talking about a+b and drawing circles on the board. Finally, when the bell rang she walked alone out of the room. Some kids called her, asked her about doing something, and she was able to say,“Sorry, can’t today.” She dropped behind the group, and finally, she was walking alone. When no one was looking, she turned around and headed purposefully toward the back of the campus, then darted behind a bungalow. When the coast was clear, she dashed for the back fence, to the big hole. Freedom. As she walked, she noticed that she still had her math book in her hands.

When she got onto her own block, Bettina was standing on the porch sucking on her fingers, smelling like a sewer.“Bettina,” she yelled,“four-year-olds almost five don’t stand on the porch sucking their selves!”

Bettina removed her fingers and smiled like she had just won first prize in the school race-a-thon.“Hi, Emy,” she said.“I waited on you, didn’t go out none, just like you said. You bring any food?”

Since the lights and the stove and the TV didn’t work, Emerald put some noodles in water to get soft for dinner