Free Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones

awkward stroll since Tasha had her skates on. But Jashante didn’t laugh
     at her as she walked on her toes, balancing on the skates’ brakes.
    “Want some candy?”
    Tasha looked at the different candies in the glass display case. Was he saying that he was going to pay for her? He didn’t
     seem to be making a move for his wallet and she didn’t have any money at all. And if he did decide to pay, would that mean
     that this was a
date?
What if she chose something too expensive? He solved the problem by making a suggestion.
    “M and Ms?”
    Tasha nodded her head.
    “Plain or peanut?”
    “Plain?”
    He asked the halo man for one of each and counted out six bright dimes from a huge handful of change he pulled from the front
     pocket of his jeans.
    “How come you have so much change?” Tasha asked.
    “Selling stuff.”
    “What kind of stuff?”
    “Oh,” he said seriously. “Stuff. Like this.” He went into his back pocket and retrieved a car air freshener shaped like a
     Christmas tree. “Sold these for fifty cents each.” He held it out to Tasha. “You can have this one.”
    She was pleased. “What do you do with all the money you make?”
    “Most of it, I give to my mama, but I keep some for my lady.” He smiled at Tasha, showing that cute chipped tooth.
    Tasha grinned back as he handed her the dark brown package of M&Ms. She didn’t want to eat them. This was her first gift from
     a boy and should be put in a scrapbook or a memory box. A boy had given Ayana an ink pen shaped like a candy cane and she
     had preserved it in a pretty case on her dresser. But what about edible mementos? Tasha was unsure of the rules here. Besides,
     Mama was strict about no food in the bedrooms. That’s how people get bugs. Was he asking her to be his lady? But what would
     that involve? Sitting together at lunch? And anyway, she had the air freshener, which might technically be the first thing.
     But he didn’t
buy
that. He just had it in his pocket.
    “Thank you for the M and Ms,” Tasha said.
    Jashante had opened his candy and held a large misshapen yellow M&M between his thumb and forefinger. He was waiting on her
     to open hers. Tasha shook one flat chocolate pill onto her palm. She looked up at her date. He moved his hand toward his mouth
     and she did the same, carefully synchronizing their motions. They chomped into the sweet chocolate at precisely the same exact
     magical instant.
    Tasha would have liked to have repeated their communion as many times as there were M&Ms in their little packages for as many
     packages as Jashante had dimes to buy. But he ate the rest of his candy without ceremony. The deejay announced Couples’ Skate,
     as the opening notes of her favorite song, “I Call Your Name,” filled the arena.
    “You like this song?” he asked.
    “Yeah. You?”
    “Um-hum.” Jashante smiled at her, then turned away. He looked at his foot for a minute and then he stared intently at her
     face. His gaze did not travel all over like that time outside of the classroom. Tasha recalled that encounter the way a person
     remembers her babyhood—as something indistinct but a memory not to be doubted.
    Then Daddy was there. “Okay, Tasha, it’s time to go.” He held her pink coat for her to slip her arms in. Mama had sent it
     to the cleaners but the red clay mark was still visible, even in this light. Tasha hoped the coat wouldn’t remind Jashante
     of their run-in.
    “But, Daddy, I still have my skates on,” Tasha complained.
    “Well, go turn them in,” he said, turning to break up Ayana’s cozy conversation with her new friend.
    Jashante mumbled, “Bye,” and moved toward the gang at the pinball machine.
    “See you Monday,” Tasha called. If he heard her, she couldn’t tell.
    Daddy drove Ayana home in spite of her insistence that Cookie would be back any minute to pick her up. After Mrs. McWhorter
     shut the door behind Ayana, Daddy turned his attention to Tasha.
    “Who was that boy you