My name is Renée Watson and this is an excerpt from Ways to Make Sunshine when it’s time to go out for recess. Brandon Marcus and the boy with glasses who I never talked to are splashing around in the puddles and stomping in mud. Then they race each other up the monkey bars. I walk over to join in on the climbing, but before I can get there, the substitute teacher says to me, why don’t you go over there sweetheart, and points to the swings and slide. I’d rather stay here pretending to climb a mountain. So I say, no thank you and keep walking to the monkey bars.
The substitute teacher follows me, and that’s when I realized it wasn’t a suggestion or question, it was a demand. I really think it’d be safer if you stay off the monkey bars. Besides, you and Brandon might need a break from each other. I’ll stay out of Brandon’s way. I say, and I don’t think it’s dangerous. I play on them all the time. I bet I can climb faster than all those boys. Just then Brandon shouts out, you can’t beat me, and he jumps down, showing off. I bet you a pack of green apple jolly ranchers that you can’t beat me. Let’s race. Race. Yeah. Last one to that pole has to buy the winner candy. He points to the tetherball pole across the playground. I think about it, there’s a small crowd forming, and now I feel like I have to say yes. I have to prove to the substitute teacher that I can play whatever I want with whoever I want.
I don’t like Jolly Ranchers. I tell Brandon when I win, you have to buy me a Twix. I look over at Kiki, one of my best friends, she smiles and gives us our countdown on your mark. Get set, go. I hear our friends all cheering, but mostly I hear the sound of my breath huffing and puffing in out in, out my feet, slap the pavement and I run as fast as I can. Brandon is beating me, but not by much. I move my arms through the air, forcing myself to go faster. I catch up and then just like I knew I could, I started running faster than Brandon by a lot. I am winning. I am winning. The pole is close, and if I reach my arm out far enough, I’ll reach it. I run a few more steps and then when I go to put my right foot down, something happens.
My right foot doesn’t touch the pavement the way a running foot usually touches the pavement. Instead, it stumbles and hiccups its way to the cold ground. I have fallen blood is trickling out of my knee and there’s a stinging and pounding filling all throughout my leg. Instead of stopping the race and seeing if I’m okay, Brandon runs right past me, tags the pole and says, yes, beat you. You owe me a pack of Jolly Ranchers. No fair. Kiki yells she was at the pole first. It’s not her fault. Her shoe was untied. I didn’t even realize that’s what happened. My shoe was untied. I tripped over my shoelace. Don’t be a sore loser. Brandon says he’s right. I tell Kiki, I never touched the pole. On our way home from school, I asked my brother, do you have $2? He answers why, and this means he has $2. He’s just not sure if he wants to give them to me. What happened to your jeans? Ray asks, looking at the whole, it’s a long story. I tell him, I hold out my hand, I’ll pay you back. He gives me $2 and when we get to the corner store, I go straight to the candy aisle, buy a pack of green apple jolly ranches for Brandon and a Twix for me.