Patina (Track, #2)

by Jason Reynolds

Besties. Another word I don’t like. It’s just stupid. Bestie and best friend take the exact same amount of time to say. It ain’t like an abbreviation. That’s like me calling my teammates my teamies.

the wrath-letes (kids who feel like it’s a sport to make everyone’s life miserable),

the less numbers in your bank account, the more numbers in your address.

You know how you clear your throat? How you force an almost-cough to get the crackly stuff out? Well, I tried to clear my face. Tried to open my eyes wider and loosen my jaw a little to wipe it back to regular.

‘Folks who try to do everything are usually avoiding one thing.’ ”

I got the legs of two people, me and my mother.