Almost Zero Read Free Page A

especially kind to her. And if you see her wearing thesame clothes several days in a row, don’t tease her or make a big deal out of it. Those are probably the only clothes she has.” She looked straight at Tameeka when she said it.
    Tameeka squirmed in her seat. “What?” said Tameeka. “I didn’t do anything.”
    “I am asking you all to be thoughtful,” added Mrs. Cordell, looking around at the entire class. “Just imagine how you’d feel if it were you.”
    The teacher’s words gave Dyamonde a twinge. She suddenly felt very small inside, making sucha fuss about her mother packing up all her clothes. At least they hadn’t burned up in a fire. Plus, Dyamonde believed that, sooner or later, she’d get them back. But what about Isabel?
    “Is there gonna be a clothes drive or something?” asked Dyamonde. She forgot to raise her hand first, but Mrs. Cordell didn’t seem to mind this one time.
    “What do you mean?” asked the teacher.
    “Are we gonna collect money or clothes or something?” That was the first thing Dyamonde thought of because that’s what they did at herchurch when something bad like this happened to someone they knew.
    “Well, Dyamonde, the school can’t do anything officially. There are lots of people in the world who need things, and if the school chose one family to help, it wouldn’t be fair to all the others.”
    “Well, that’s just silly,” said Dyamonde without thinking. “Fair has got nothing to do with it.”
    “Excuse me?” The teacher’s voice rose.
    “Oooooh!” said one kid. “You must be itchin’ to get sent to the principal’s office!”
    Dyamonde ignored him. “I mean, if we know somebody who needs help, we should help them, right?”
    “I don’t disagree, Dyamonde, but fund-raisers and clothing drives for individuals are not school policy. Of course, you’re always free to do something on your own, if you like.”
    What can I do?
Dyamonde asked herself.
I don’t have any money.
Then it hit her.
But I do have clothes! Somewhere. Mom did a good job of hiding them. I just hope they’re somewhere close by.

6. Tales out of School
    The minute her mother walked in the door that night, Dyamonde ran to her.
    “Mom! I need to go through my clothes—not for me this time, though. A girl in my school got burned out of her apartment and she doesn’t have anything left.”
    “Slow down, Dyamonde. Let me get in the door first.”
    “Sorry.” Dyamonde hopped from one foot to the other, impatient for her mother to set down her purse, kick off her shoes and settle into the recliner.
    “That’s better,” Mrs. Daniel said, sighing. “Now, what were you saying?”
    Dyamonde told her all about the announcement her teacher made in class and all about the crazy school policy about taking up collections.
    “Mrs. Cordell said I could do something myself, if I wanted to. And I want to give Isabel some of my clothes because she doesn’t have any at all, and we’re the same size. So can I have my clothes back, just for a little while? You can take them away again. I just want to pick out a few for Isabel,” said Dyamonde.
    Dyamonde waited for her mother to say something. Instead, her mom just smiled.
    “Why are you smiling?”
    Mrs. Daniel ignored the question.“Let’s get dinner going, then I’ll see if I can remember what I did with all your clothes.”
    Dyamonde knew her mother was kidding about remembering where the clothes were, because she gave Dyamonde a wink when she said it.
    “Tell me about this girl,” said Mrs. Daniel, over dinner.
    Dyamonde shrugged. “She’s a girl in my class I talk to sometimes. She’s got this great white streak in her hair, and she’s nice. I don’t really know her as much as I know Free and Damaris, though.”
    “I see.”
    “You don’t have to know somebody to help them. Right?”
    Dyamonde’s mother flashed that slow smile again, saying nothing.
    After the dishes were washed and put away, Mrs. Daniel slipped out of