Becoming Naomi Leon

Six days later, the children prepare for parent-teacher conferences at their school. All week, Skyla has showered Naomi with gifts: glittery accessories, press-on nails, a new backpack, tiger-striped slippers, and more. Skyla uses Clive’s money to buy gifts for everyone except Owen. The night before the conferences, Skyla reveals her latest gift for Naomi: a matching mother-daughter outfit. Skyla also plans to dye her hair to match Naomi’s. As they go to bed, the children are hopeful and anxious that their opportunity to show their mother around school goes perfectly.

In the morning, Skyla wakes up red-eyed and smelling of “sour milk” (64). She’s in a bad mood and yells at the children while she braids Naomi’s hair for school. She reminds them to call her Skyla Jones at school—not mom “because it [makes] her feel old,” and not Terri Lynn “because it wasn’t pretty” (65).

Owen dresses in what Naomi calls his “going-to-a-wedding outfit” (67), and he’s covered his chest with clear tape. At school, a bully wastes no time taunting the Outlaw children, pulling the tape from Owen’s chest piece by piece. When Owen drops to the ground and spasms, the bully hurriedly puts the tape back and shouts a derogatory term at Owen as he scampers off.