when she laughs

her whole body shakes

Tennis

Some days Annie and I bring

our rackets and old balls to

the tennis courts

between her mom calling and

my mom texting

sometimes we are running

all over the court

back and forth back and

forth

she stands past the baseline

and I in front of it because

I hit much harder

you should join the tennis team

at the bubble

she always says panting

after we hit

you’re so good!

I’ve never gone into

the bubble but

I know it’s a bunch

of tennis courts covered

by a huge white cloth

and it looks like a big bubble

playing tennis with Annie

is so fun even though

most of the time I’m

running back and

forth to reach

her balls that zig and

zag out of bounds

we laugh so hard

our cheeks hurt

I’m strong only on the tennis court

I’m brave only on the tennis court

my large body serves with

weight and force

nothing can

stop me when

I have

a racket in

my hand

Mystery

I’m not sure what I heard

about the wig anymore because

ideas have a way of

going into my brain

turning left and right and

then I’m not sure of anything

I wonder how girls like

Sally Levin walk so

straight up every day

I slouch more every

hour at

school

what I think I know fades

like a flying bird’s call

but on the tennis court

words come out

of my

mouth like a

fast

river

I tell Annie about

the missing wig

we need to do something

she says

we have a mystery to solve

I’m scared but

I know Annie’s right

Annie’s always right

you be Nancy Drew and

I’ll be Bess

I say

no no YOU’RE Nancy and I’m Bess

she says

and I don’t

argue with her

A Stranger

Once a woman stops

our hitting and invites me

to the bubble to try

out for the tennis team

her name is Coach Meredith

you have such a natural swing

she smiles at me

I could help you

I’m too scared to say much

but I nod

she keeps watching us

for a while and

I feel the little dogs in

my stomach jumping

up and down

I hit a few more balls

into the net than normal

but Coach Meredith

doesn’t yell at me

she just

gives me some

pointers

I don’t know

anyone

like her

The Hill

On our way home from

tennis that day

Annie and I ride our

bikes up and

down

our favorite hill

we ride up the hill out

of our saddles

our rackets slung

over our bodies

tennis balls moving in our

baskets like popcorn

we swing our bikes right and left

right and left

we zoom down the hill

tucked into our handlebars as

fast as we can go

our smiles stretched across

our faces by

the cold wind

let’s go no hands Annie says

I don’t know I answer