Free Halfway to Perfect by Nikki Grimes Page B

girls’ voices faded away as the three left, their sneakers squeaking against the tile floor.
    Dyamonde straightened her clothes and went to wash her hands. That’s when she saw Damaris pinching her waist and frowning at her reflection in the mirror.
    “What’s the matter?” asked Dyamonde.
    Damaris dropped her arms to her sides when she realized Dyamonde was there staring at her.
    “You scared me!” said Damaris.
    “Sorry,” said Dyamonde. “But what’s wrong?”
    “Nothing,” said Damaris, switching on the faucet.
    “Then how come your face is all scrunched up like you’re about ready to cry?”
    Damaris bit her lip, scrubbing her hands as if they had never been washed.
    “It’s no big deal,” she said.
    Dyamonde wasn’t having it. She knew something was wrong. She crossed her arms and waited, staring Damaris down.
    After a minute of this, Damarisfelt her shoulders sag. She dried her hands and turned to face her friend.
    “I think I’m getting fat,” said Damaris, almost in a whisper.
    Dyamonde blinked. “What?”
    “I think I’m getting fat.”
    Dyamonde started to laugh, but Damaris gave her such a sharp look, Dyamonde stopped mid-giggle.
    “I’m sorry,” said Dyamonde, “but who told you that?”
    “Nobody. But you heard them call Amberline a piggy, right?”
    Dyamonde nodded.
    “Well, I’m practically the same size as Amberline, so I must look like a piggy too.”
    “No, you don’t!” said Dyamonde. “They were just being mean. Amberline is not fat, and neither are you.”
    Damaris did not look convinced.
    Dyamonde put her hands on Damaris’s shoulders and spun her around to face the mirror again.
    “Look at you,” said Dyamonde. “You are perfect just the way you are.”
    Dyamonde gave Damaris a squeeze.
    “Maybe not as perfect as
me,
” said Dyamonde, “but you’re at least halfway, and that’s pretty close!”
    Damaris was surprised to see her lips curling into a little smile.
    Dyamonde bumped hips with her. “Let’s get out of here,” she said.
    Damaris followed Dyamonde out into the hall. Dyamonde didn’t know it, but by the time the girls reached homeroom, Damaris’s smile had slipped away.

Crazy for Carrots
    “Ooooh!” said Dyamonde later that day when she and her friends entered the lunchroom. “Check out the menu. They’ve got chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes. Yum!” Dyamonde licked her lips. Her taste buds began to sing before she’d even taken the first bite.
    “Now
this
is what I’m talking about!” said Free, digging in. “This is way better than that nasty meat loaf they had yesterday.” Those were the last words Free spoke until his plate was clean. He was too busy shoveling food into his mouth to talk.
    “Dang, Free!” said Dyamonde. “You act like you’ve never seen food before in your life!” Free grunted and stuffed another forkful of food into his mouth.
    Hopeless,
thought Dyamonde.
    Just then, Tylisha passed by, took one look at the plate in front ofDamaris and whispered in her ear, “If I had your hips, I’d skip the mashed potatoes.” Then she joined Tanya and Tameeka at another table.
    Damaris winced.
    “What?” asked Dyamonde. “What did she say?”
    Damaris made herself shrug. “Nothing,” she said.
    Dyamonde didn’t believe her, but she didn’t press.
    Damaris glanced around the cafeteria and noticed Amberline sitting nearby, nibbling on a carrot. Damaris immediately suckedin her stomach and sat up a little straighter. Then she picked up a baby carrot with her fork and took a teensy bite.
    “Summer break is almost here,” said Damaris.
    “Three weeks!” said Dyamonde.
    “You know what that means,” said Damaris.
    “Picnics,” said Dyamonde.
    “Trips to the zoo,” said Damaris.
    “Italian ices!” said Dyamonde.
    “The city swimming pool!” said Damaris.
    “Cotton candy,” said Dyamonde.
    Both girls put their forks down.“Coney Island!” they said in one voice.
    Free burped loud enough to remind them