Zenobia July Quotes

“wind moving through the high branches of the trees made wavering leaf shadows. The new kid was wearing a blue dress that was too big for her, sneakers with white socks pushed down, and a heavy-looking backpack. Her jumbled mopflop of hair made her face look smaller and her eyes look bigger. The tiny metal balls that ear-piercers put in newly pierced ears glinted in her lobes. She hovered behind a pillar at the far end of the entrance, away from the crush. Fewer students now, mostly single ones hurrying to beat the bell. Each time the metal-and-glass doors swung shut, a mirror image of the sidewalk clunked back into place, and each time, the new kid’s eyes shifted toward it. She looked like she might be asking her reflection to tell her that everything was going to be all right. But then her eyes always went down again, like maybe her reflection had shaken its head. Now a minute with no one using the leftmost door.”
― Lisa Bunker, Zenobia July

“ONE SHE HAD THAT new kid look. Anyone paying attention could have seen it. In the flinchiness of her shoulders. In the way her eyes skittered from face to face as the other students streamed past. Managed to show up, her shoulders and eyes said, but not sure about having the nerve to actually go in. Might be too much today. Not that anyone was paying attention. First day of school at Monarch Middle, everyone was scoping for friends, shouting hey, clustering up. It was a hot morning. It felt like summer swearing it was going to stick around this year, no really. The”
― Lisa Bunker, Zenobia July

“them, she could see them. But for once it didn’t seem to matter. She was in costume, among welcoming hearts. At least for this little stretch of time, it felt safe to stop thinking about how she looked to the world. For once it felt like she could just be. Zenobia July took in and blew out three long breaths. She smiled at herself in the mirror, then smiled more at how pretty the smile was. She checked her costume one more time. She reached up and gently touched the beautiful old earrings her grandmother had given her. Then she put her shoulders back, lifted her chin, turned to the door, opened it, and stepped back out among the people she loved, to be with them and one of them, into the warmth and music and joy of what was starting to feel very much like a family.”
― Lisa Bunker, Zenobia July