1 No Girls Allowed My name is Deano and I like to dance and play soccer But did you know sometimes kids will make rules like No girls allowed At my old school we did not have that rule But today (cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3) (cid:80)(cid:92)(cid:3) (cid:191)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:3) (cid:71)(cid:68)(cid:92)(cid:3) (cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:3) (cid:58)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:92)(cid:3) (cid:51)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3) (cid:40)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:92)(cid:17)(cid:3) Apparently it’s a different ballgame at this place At recess some boys in my class chose teams I stood on the side waiting to be picked They started the game before anyone picked me I stood and watched a while I kicked the dirt I asked Miss Booker for another ball but there was only one I kicked the dirt some more Some girls in my class asked me if I could do cartwheels I can do cartwheels so I did one But I wanted to play soccer so I did not do more than that 6
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What’s so funny Tommy asked me Nothing I said I looked down at the ground because I felt shy for a minute Then I said Can I play No girls allowed he said Fine I huffed I kicked the dirt again Then I saw a boy sitting at a picnic table A dog sat next to his feet I didn’t know you could bring your pets to school The dog was black and its fur was poofy I thought it needed a haircut The boy also had black poofy hair He wore darkers That’s what we call sunglasses in Jamaica He (cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:78)(cid:17) (cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3) (cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3) (cid:83)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:3) (cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:3) (cid:192)(cid:88)(cid:73)(cid:73)(cid:92)(cid:3) (cid:71)(cid:82)(cid:74)(cid:3) (cid:86)(cid:82)(cid:3) (cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:78)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3) over to the table What are you reading I asked him And how come your dog is allowed at school Can I pet him He did not stop tracing the page with his (cid:191)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3) (cid:43)(cid:72)(cid:3) (cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:86)(cid:82)(cid:3) (cid:71)(cid:76)(cid:71)(cid:3) (cid:81)(cid:82)(cid:87)(cid:3) (cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:78)(cid:3) (cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:3) (cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:3) (cid:179)(cid:49)(cid:82)(cid:15)(cid:3) (cid:92)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:3) can’t pet him he said 8
Why do you want to play with the stinky boys a girl named Vern asked me I just want to I said She looked at me like I had seven heads Tommy scored and his team cheered I wanted to cheer but also I wanted to cry My friends at my other school always wanted me on their team I was the best goal scorer in second grade I missed my old school This morning Miss Booker asked me to tell the other boys and girls a little about myself I said I was from Jamaica and that bulla cake is my favorite Some of the kids laughed and said Bulla bulla like it was a funny word They also did not know where Jamaica is Miss Booker got out a map and showed everyone I wished I could jump into the map and go back there Tommy’s team scored again A boy named Cojo said Whoop whoop It sounded silly so I laughed a little 9
