The Way I Say It

The Way I Say It — page 7 — 2 Alphabetical Order Things I used to be able to count on Brent wanting to do the same stuff as me Brent doing the talking whenever we were in new situations and Brent being next to me in alphabetical order We called ourselves the Michigan Twins because of the MI's Mitchell and Milliken Mom used to say we sounded like a law firm But that was then Now as I worm my way through the wall of kids in the hallway I wish my last name started with anything besides M. Brent is standing at the locker next to mine twisting the dial of his combination and chewing on his lip Shoulders hunched he yanks down on the latch and slaps his palm against the locker when it doesn't budge which makes me flinch Stupid thing must be broken he mumbles I've already got mine open Brent looks from me to his lock and back again The warning bell rings Brent gives his locker three swift kicks as if breaking it might be the only way in

The Way I Say It — page 8 — You have to pass the numbuh when you go left I say just as Cornstalk comes up behind us and claps his hand down on Brent's shoulder with a loud smack Yo Milliken You coming to wrestling tryouts today he asks You know it Hope you can take down your locker by then Or maybe you need your little fwend to help He laughs in a loud blurt-snort combo When I glance over my eyes are at the level of his sweaty pink forehead Nah says Brent His locker finally clicks open and he grabs a folder C'mon let's go The tiny bit of okay I was feeling vaporizes That's the kid from the bike path right Cornstalk asks glancing back at me as the two of them walk away Yeah total loser I hear Brent say So that's where I've seen him before The fact that Cornstalk was there that day feels like a knife in my belly but it's Brent's words that make the blade twist I force my language arts binder into my locker and slam the door What's up with you asks Tyson passing me on his way to second period Idiots I say nodding toward where Brent and Cornstalk have stopped to talk to another guy Dude Brent Milliken is so last year Forget about him Tyson knows that Brent and I stopped hanging out but he doesn't know why He's good about not being pushy like that He starts humming and tapping to the beat of a song he made up this summer and I can't help smiling 7

The Way I Say It — page 9 — 8 There you go he says You know what I'm sayin Never let em see you drop Don't sink to the bottom gotta float to the top Float on He thumps his chest with his fist then points at me as he turns into his classroom I picture myself relaxing and floating down a river as I walk to my next class In the glass hallway overlooking the courtyard a kid I don't even know nods hello Maybe this will work Go with the flow Rory I tell myself Float

The Way I Say It — page 10 — 3 Me Myself and R The rest of the morning isn't so bad especially because the next two teachers Mr. Leigh in PE and Mrs. Lucas in math take attendance by calling names off the list I answer yup instead of here -learned that one a long time ago My classes are easy to find because the main hallways make a big square around the courtyard But there are so many new kids everywhere that by the time the bell rings for lunch I feel like I've used up all the lives in my personal game of Please Don't Ask Me My Name I'm relieved to meet up with Tyson and Jett inside the cafeteria Isn't this place cool Tyson runs a finger along the zigzag design shaved on the back of his head as we check out the bright room full of clean round tables Epic upgrade Oh hang on are those vending machines He takes off toward them Let's join that platoon says Jett pushing up his glasses and pointing to a half filled table behind a big pillar I know some of those guys from baseball Jett's part military the way I'm part Irish It's just in him He has a huge collection of army stuff that started with his great grandpa's

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