“Do you have a pencil, Della?” I shook my head. Her eyes traveled from my face down to my glitter hoodie past my new blue jeans and purple high-tops, to my total lack of backpack or school supplies. When she looked me in the face again her expression had changed. Like, Girl, maybe you should have got yourself a pencil along with those new shoes. I rolled my eyes and said, “My mama said the school had plenty of pencils I could use.”
