in Yamila's kitchen, she saw my hips weren't like the other girls so she didnt even bother teaching me the right bachata moves. i led as "the man" while my friends turned in my hands. i wanted to spin too but had no chambelan. janisa's buela pushed 10-year old jonathan towards me. "nena. el te va enseñar"

outside of Yamila's house we kept practicing in the driveway. she had set up one of those $50 walmart pools outside for her mom and sobrinos to sit in. i lay back on the wooden gate looking over at aniya who definetely didnt have the latina hips. but her skin was a medium brown and hair loosely curled. aniya's mom worked at Lynnapesaukee in wyoma. when i saw a blonde white women walk out the pub to pick her up, i asked aniya where her dad is from. "i dont know maybe hes latino like you guys." with those hips, i doubt it.

i said bye to the big black dog on the steps as we walked away from Yamila's. i wore some bright blue chanclas and carried my plena skirt in a plastic price-rite bag. someone gonna call me a hic now? i was too scared to steal lip gloss from the dollar zone. "for every 3 you guys steal, ill buy one." we sat at the curb and took broadway vita-lip glosses out from our pockets. mikayla put some on and did a little pose. she handed it to me so that i could look a little like her today.

somewhere around the English ball courts we walked aimlessly. someone said that we should go to flax pond. someone else said we too ghetto for that right now. i said that with these hoops and chain, i look too hic.

somewhere around the English ball courts, i turned around and see two boys on bikes. "they probably just Bikelife or something." but i knew Bikelife ran in packs. i knew because when i was around 11 years old i realized i wasn't allowed to ride my bike anymore. only boys ride bikes and if you do, you are 781Bikelife. any females that ride bikes are gay.

the two boys, about our age rode straight towards us. we locked arms and walked faster. faster fasterrrrr. suddenly, it seemed the two boys had looped around us and stopped at our feet. one stopped in front of janisa, and the other in front of mikayla.

"can i get your snap"

"no, why"

"your asses fat"