Pink & Green is the New Black by Lisa Greenwald Read Free Book Online Page B

ask, after a few moments of quiet.
    â€œGrapes?”
    â€œWe were at my house and we were throwing them into each other’s mouth. It was warm for October.”
    â€œOh. Yeah. I think so.”
    â€œThat day felt perfect. Everything seemed like it was exactly the way it was supposed to be.” I crinkle up my face, afraid that I may start to cry. That will only make me look worse than I’m sure I already do.
    All Yamir says is, “I remember that day,” and I know that we’re not stale bread. Things can go back to being right again.
    â€œLet’s go back to that day.”
    â€œLuce-Juice, how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t have a time machine?”
    I laugh. Even in the middle of this awkward conversation at three in the morning, Yamir is still able to make me laugh. Then he starts laughing too, and soon we’re just sitting on his couch completely cracking up.
    This is why I like him so much. No one can make me laugh like Yamir makes me laugh.
    I throw a pillow at his face. “You know what I mean,” I say finally.
    â€œI think I do.”
    We stare at each other for a few more seconds, and I pray that he doesn’t try to kiss me. I’d need to brush my teeth or at least use mouthwash before a kiss. Thankfully, he grabs my hand and leads me back to the stairs.
    â€œSo, do you think you can stop ignoring me? Or what?” I ask.
    â€œI think so,” he says. “It seems easy enough.”
    â€œUm, okay.” I can’t tell what he means by that, but it seems like he understands what I’m saying and that he’ll try to do better.
    â€œLet’s go back to sleep,” he says.
    I nod because my eyelids weigh a million pounds, and I don’t think I have anything else to add. We walk upstairs and he drops me off at the door to Sunny’s room.
    I know I’ll never fall back to sleep now. I replay the conversation over and over like a favorite song on repeat. I’m still not sure where we stand, but talking made me feel better.
    He has to know that he can’t ignore me—that things can’t go on the way they were going.
    Sometimes all it takes is talking to someone, hearing their voice, listening to what they say, to make everything seem better.

Lucy’s tip for surviving eighth grade:
    Talk to people you’ve never talked to before.
    Mrs. Ramal makes her famous banana pancakes in the morning. She’s using her restaurant-sized griddle. She always makes way more pancakes than we could ever eat, but something about that feels fun—an overflowing platter of pancakes in the middle of the table and maple syrup in a little glass pitcher. It’s decadent.
    Sunny and I get down to breakfast first. We’re sipping fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and looking through the stack of catalogs her mom keeps on the counter.
    I have a sense of energy I haven’t felt in a while. If my mood is this great after last night’s conversation with Yamir, imagine how I would feel if things were actually perfect with us again.
    I know in my brain that my life shouldn’t revolve around Yamir. I should be able to be okay without him. I should be able to feel happy even if things aren’t great between us.
    Still, I’ll enjoy the moment. I’ll enjoy how I’m feeling right now.
    A few minutes later Yamir comes down to breakfast. He’s wearing mesh shorts and his Old Mill Middle School soccer shirt. It’s torn and faded and looks like something a hip store would sell for a lot of money because it looks vintage.
    â€œYo,” he says, not looking at anyone. He slumps down in the chair and pours himself a cup of juice. He starts reading Mrs. Ramal’s Chadwicks catalog like it’s the most interesting thing he’s ever seen.
    â€œSleep well?” I ask, and he kicks me under the table.
    â€œYeah, like a baby.” He looks up from the catalog and smirks. I love that