Genesis Begins Again

Genesis’s first class at Farmington Oaks Middle is with Ms. Luctenburg, her strict, rule-driven English and homeroom teacher. As she is waiting for class to start, a red-haired girl in the class makes fun of her shirt and asks if she got it at Goodwill.

Genesis notices that most of the students filing into the classroom are white, but a muscular boy, who Genesis describes as dark as her comes in at the last minute. Two other boys follow after him, and Genesis is relieved that they are also students of color, but one of them calls Genesis “burnt” under his breath.

Later that day, Genesis gets lost on her way to chorus class, but the dark-skinned, muscular boy from her English class stops to help her. He introduces himself as Troy. Another student runs up to them as they are talking and calls Troy “Bill Nye.” Troy seems irritated.

When she gets to chorus, Genesis is thrilled to meet Mrs. Hill, the only Black adult she has seen in the school so far. Mrs. Hill says that Genesis reminds her of slow jazz from Miles Davis. Genesis isn’t sure if she should be offended or flattered because Miles Davis is very dark-skinned, even darker than her.