Jazmyn & Katrina

Excerpt: Today, after settling the students down, Ms. T continued “I’d like to introduce a student who is new to our school. Jazmyn Pascal has come to us from New Orleans. Please welcome her.” The club members turned to see Jazmyn’s large body overflowing the the seat of a desk a row behind where they were gathered. Her skin was darker than the boy from Somalia and she wore clothes that showed a lot of it!  The spaghetti straps of her little top didn’t cover the breasts spilling out its sides. The colorful neon green fabric stretched across her stomach, but didn’t come down to meet the stretch pants that fit like she’d painted that color of orange on her thick thighs and down her calves to where her dark feet snapped her flip flops nervously up and down as she rhythmically gripped and relaxed her bling decorated toes. A smile stretched across her face as wide as the expanse of belly that showed beneath her shirt. “Hi y’all. Uh, my name’s Jazmyn.  Guess you heard that,” she laughed a low chuckle that was at once warm and revealed her self-consciousness as all eyes turned to her.  “I’m from N'Awlins. Ya’ll know that’s a long ways from here, right?” Jazmyn chuckled again.  “‘Trina took my house, and me and my daddy’s livin’ here with my uncle, . . . for a little while, . . . till we can rebuild,” Jazmyn’s voice trailed off and she chuckled again, but the smile had left her face.  “Welcome Jazmyn!” a chorus of voices said and she saw their stares turn to smiles and she smiled back again.  “Yes, welcome, Jazmyn,” Ms. T smiled, and the group turned to face her again.  
(2014)