Pink & Green is the New Black (25 page)

The answer: Say what's on your mind. And then be ready to listen.

Good questions and great answers. And the best part is, it's all anonymous.

It's such a simple touch, but it's never been done before for Eighth-Grade Masquerade. It's unique. It's us. And that's what makes it so special.

Finally it's time for the presentation part of the event. Mr. Marblane calls every group and individual onto the stage, one at a time, and we all go up and show off our costumes. It's cheesy, but fun anyway. It's really what the Masquerade is all about. It's not about a theme, though that's fun. And it's not about who is going with who. It's about showing ourselves off to one another. Being proud of who we are. Maybe it's because we'll all be moving on soon and we'll want to remember everyone as we were in eighth grade. Maybe it's because all these years
we never took the time to really get to know each other or see each other. We just relied on old ideas we had of each other.

But the thing is, people can change. People do change. Erica Crane is living proof of that. Even a little change is still a change. Sure, she's never going to be a nice person. And I'm not even sure I want to be her friend. But she has changed a tiny, tiny bit.

And when I think back to how I was when I started at Old Mill Middle School—wow! I've really changed. I mean, the whole thing about Earth Club was a huge change. I didn't even want to join, and look what I've accomplished: the grant for the pharmacy, an eco-spa, a green cafeteria. It's pretty unbelievable. And I guess my worrying has changed a little too. I still worry—about grown-up problems, about thirteen-year-old problems—but it's different. The worrying doesn't take up all my time anymore.

People do change. We all change. I guess when you think about it, that's all life really is—a series of changes. Change after change after change. And all we can do is be ready and open for them.

It took a Masquerade and costumes to realize it. Visual proof of change, and a moment to shine.

It was all right there in front of us. But it took a night like this for us to realize it.

Lucy's tip for surviving eighth grade:

Really listen to others when they talk to you. Don't just wait to talk back.

The dance winds down and
people start to trickle out. Evan and Sunny are sitting at a table in the corner, talking close, and I don't want to get too near them and ruin their moment. The rest of the “toe fungus boys” are playing some doofy game where they try to hit a balled-up napkin with a paper plate.

“Hello? The environment. The whole green part of the theme?” I frown at them. “Stop wasting paper goods.”

“They're made from recycled materials,” Gavin tells me, like I don't already know. “It says so right here.”

“Duh. I know. I picked all the stuff. But you still shouldn't waste it,” I tell them.

“Lucy's the Lorax, don't you know that?” we hear someone say. The voice is coming from behind us, so we all turn around.

I'd know the voice anywhere. It's Yamir.

No one says anything. Travis turns away and walks toward the snack table, pretending he's searching for the best chunk of cubed cheese.

The other boys scatter, and soon Yamir and I are just standing there, in the Old Mill Middle School gym.

He's not in a costume. Why would he be? But it seems funny to see someone in regular clothes around the rest of us in pink and green. He's wearing his skinny jeans and a gray collared sweater. He looks older. Well, older than he usually does, I guess. His hair isn't disheveled or shaggy. It's short and neat, like he's on his way to some important dinner.

“You are, you know,” he says, softly.

“I'm what?”

“The Lorax. You speak for the trees.”

I smile. “I guess there are worse things to be.”

He nods. “Can we talk? Outside, maybe?”

“Sure,” I reply.

I look around. Sunny and Evan are still in the corner. Zoe and Erica are on the stage, dancing to music streaming from Zoe's iPhone. The DJ has pretty much packed up, but I guess they still want to dance. There are teachers milling about, but no one is kicking us out yet.

“Why is he here?” Erica says, loud enough for the whole gym to stop what they're doing and look around.

I ignore her. I've spent too much time thinking about Erica Crane—wondering if she's changed, hoping I can trust her. But the truth is, I don't need to be friends with everyone. Some people will never be close. Maybe that's something that everyone needs to learn sooner or later.

No one else seems to notice that Yamir is here, or that we're walking out of the gym. Zoe's mom is supposed to pick us up, and then we're all sleeping at her house. I hope they don't leave without me. But I guess I can always find a way there.

It's a warm March night, and I realize I'm okay without a coat. That's a good thing, since I left it on the rack outside the gym, and I don't really want to go in and get it. This Pink Ladies jacket is surprisingly warm.

Yamir and I sit down on the curb outside the school. There are a million stars, and if I breathe in as hard as I can, I'm almost able to smell the ocean.

“I'm sorry,” he says. “I'm so sorry.”

I look at him. Yamir is sitting next to me, apologizing.

“I know I was an idiot. I know I ignored you. I don't know why I did it.”

I keep looking at him. I want him to talk more. I don't want to interrupt his train of thought. I want him to speak his mind, to tell me everything. I want him to talk forever.

“I guess I was scared. Scared that I would totally mess up, and there would be no way to fix it, and you'd hate me forever. Also, I have to admit—I was kinda scared I'd have no time for my friends,” he tells me. “This isn't an excuse. I'm just trying to explain myself.”

I nod, willing him to continue.

“And as I was doing it, I knew it was dumb. And I wanted to explain myself. But then I thought you'd be mad. And so I just kept ignoring and being weird, and then I got used to it. And I convinced myself it was fine.” He looks at me. “But the whole time I really missed you. And I wanted to talk to you. It was like I was torturing myself for no reason.”

“That's really dumb,” I say. “No offense.”

He starts laughing, and then I start laughing. But it's not really all that funny. It's just a little overwhelming that he's saying all of this. That he's admitting he was wrong and saying he's sorry. I knew he had it in him. It just took a little while for him to open up.

“Anyway, I'm sorry. One hundred percent sorry. And I couldn't wait another day to tell you that.”

“So you showed up at Eighth-Grade Masquerade?” I ask. “I think it's really because you missed middle school so much.”

“Well, yeah. That too.” He smiles.

“I knew it.”

“I checked with Sunny. And she seemed to think it was okay. If I came at the end, when everything was over.”

“She's smart.”

“Yes, she got the smarts in the family. I got the looks.”

We stay on the curb for a few more minutes, looking at the stars and laughing about things that probably aren't so funny. Right now, everything looks beautiful. Even the Old Mill Middle School parking lot looks landscaped and perfect.

“Can you forgive me?” Yamir asks, finally.

“I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Well, I didn't expect this. It's catching me a little off guard.”

“You didn't expect me coming here?” he asks. “Or you didn't expect that I'd apologize?”

“I didn't expect any of it. To be honest, I figured we were done. Like, actually done. Every story has an ending.”

“Come on.” He looks at me and gives me the tiniest, smallest, littlest peck on the lips. I think that catches me off guard more than him showing up, or this conversation, or anything else. “We're Lucy and Yamir. Our story is whatever we want it to be. But I don't think it's done.”

“Okay.” I smile. “I'll trust you on that.”

“We're just getting to the good part.” He stands up, and takes my hand, and we walk back inside.

The good part
. I hear his voice in my head.

We'll go to high school and things will change. That's for sure. But we're just getting to the good part.

Acknowledgments

My sincerest thanks to
Maggie Lehrman and everyone at Abrams and Amulet who believed in Lucy from the start and helped bring her story to life.

And to all the readers who have enjoyed Lucy's story—thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

About the Author

Lisa Greenwald
is the author of
Welcome to Dog Beach
,
Reel Life Starring Us
,
Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes
, and the Pink & Green series. She works in the library at the Birch Wathen Lenox School in Manhattan. She is a graduate of The New School's MFA program in writing for children and lives in Brooklyn. Visit her online at
lisagreenwald.com
.