Lucy in my eyes skin#

The story was sheвЂ™d failed eighth grade, then managed to fail so many classes her sophomore year they couldnвЂ™t let her become a junior. Therese was seventeen and still a sophomore. The others were the LaLas and a girl named Therese. Lucy watched the planes fly for fractions of a second then plummet to the floor. A redheaded boy she didnвЂ™t know made endless paper airplanes in different shapes and sizes. On the first afternoon of detention, there were five detainees including Lucy. The lesson is sometimes you have to fight back.вЂќ Now we need to think about what lesson needs to be learned here. LucyвЂ™s mother argued down a two-week suspension to three days of detention, citing her daughterвЂ™s excellent grades and good behavior in the face of such obvious bullying, finishing with: вЂњThat girl provoked an altercation with Lucy. Her mother lifted her hand and said, вЂњWell, if she started it, then I canвЂ™t blame you.вЂќ Her mother turned to her, smoothed her hand over LucyвЂ™s face, covering her eyes until Lucy relaxed and leaned into her palm. Most days she struggled to put it in manageable braids and, occasionally, a fat barrette. Honestly, Lucy didnвЂ™t care much about her hair, which was long and, when not properly restrained in braids, expanded into wild curls. Her mother loved her hair and frequently mentioned how lucky Lucy was because she wouldnвЂ™t have to endure relaxers and hot combs as her mother had when she was a little girl. Her motherвЂ™s mouth tightened, but she didnвЂ™t look at Lucy. She called me вЂwhite girl,вЂ™вЂќ Lucy said too quickly. вЂњNice girls donвЂ™t fight,вЂќ LucyвЂ™s mother finally said. She didnвЂ™t look at Lucy and seemed to be studying a banner in the hallway that read вЂњTiffany Carter 4 Prom Queen - CLASS of 1988 RULEZ!вЂќ in alternating primary colors. She had mentioned more than once to Lucy how much she hated the green polyester pants that hugged her hips and the jungle-patterned shirt she had to wear for her job as a blackjack dealer at the Tropicana Casino. She sat stiff and unmoving like the collar of her uniform shirt. While they waited in the hardback chairs, Lucy watched her mother carefully. These versions of Lucy were always on her mind.ДЄngela and her mother went into the principalвЂ™s office first. At school there was nowhere for her to hide. At school she kept her head down and tried to disappear. This Lucy told her parents about her good day at school even though most days werenвЂ™t good at all. Friends who did their homework and didnвЂ™t sass or roll their eyes. The Lucy her mother wanted her to be had вЂњgood girlвЂќ friends. Lucy wasnвЂ™t worried until their mothers showed up.

Allegretti.вЂќ The girls left the office and sat across from each other. Lucy calmly explained the situation, described the previous altercations, including the group teasing and the hair threatening, finishing with: вЂњThen she pushed me into the lockers, Mr. Angela said Lucy started it, and that was all she had to say. In the principalвЂ™s office, each girl had a chance to explain what happened. Behind them, the LaLas stood, disbelief twitching off one girlвЂ™s face and onto the other. She was still trying to kick Lucy as Coach pulled her away.

On the floor, in the middle of a mess of backpacks and clothes and books, Angela was furious. She was bleeding but felt nothing other than the ecstatic beating of her heart.

Lucy in my eyes skin#

There was a long streak of vibrant red across the pale skin of her palm. She stood and wiped her hand across her face. Lucy swung first and kept swinging, her fists connecting with the body beneath her until Coach Daniels blew her whistle. Lucy fell back against the metal lockers, her head colliding with a lock, the pain making brilliant spots of color in front of her eyes, and with that, Lucille Jones was done turning the other cheek. Lucy grabbed the long thick braids that trailed down her back and tried to think of a comeback-something, anything-but before she could, Angela turned her around and then pushed her hard. One of the LaLas, either LaDonnia or LaTasha, freshman girls whoвЂ™d once been friends with Lucy, said, вЂњCut her hair!вЂќ and laughed. Instead, she turned away as her mother had taught her. When Angela cornered Lucy in the girlsвЂ™ locker room and said, вЂњWhite girl!вЂќ there was a moment when Lucy wanted to tell her how she wasnвЂ™t white or black, only the perfect mix of both, which is what her father liked to say.