The Skin I’m In

Maleeka, Charlese, and the twins Raina and Raise meet in the girls’ bathroom every morning. They put on makeup and gossip, and Maleeka changes into the clothes that Charlese brought for her. That day, Charlese says that Maleeka’s skintight navy-blue jean dress would look perfect if Maleeka had hips and boobs to go with it. Maleeka laughs, knowing that she has to accept whatever Charlese says in order to get along with her.

Maleeka didn’t always hang out with Charlese—last year, she hung out by herself, went to class, and got As. Only Caleb Assam noticed her—Caleb is the smartest boy in school, and he is very cute and friendly. While most people saw Maleeka as skinny, poor, and Black, Caleb said she was pretty. He walked her to class, wrote her poems, and gave her a ring. But soon, when people started to notice them together, they belittled Maleeka in front of Caleb.

One day, on the bus going to a class trip to Washington, D.C., Caleb sat next to Maleeka. Kids teased them relentlessly. John-John started singing his song about Maleeka, and the whole bus began to sing it even though teachers tried to make them stop. Then, Caleb apologized to Maleeka and moved to the front of the bus with his friends. Everyone laughed, clapped, and gave him high fives. Maleeka was devastated.

After Caleb’s betrayal, kids picked on Maleeka more than ever. She didn’t want to go to school for a while, but her mom made her go. Then, Maleeka came up with a plan, offering to do Charlese’s homework in exchange for Charlese letting Maleeka hang out with her for protection. Charlese gradually agreed, and kids stopped picking on Maleeka. Charlese also started bringing in clothes for Maleeka to wear so she didn’t embarrass Charlese. But Maleeka thinks that even the clothes don’t make up for Charlese’s hurtful words.