The Tori Trilogy by Alicia Danielle Voss-Guillén Page A

hands it back. “No,” she says, shaking her head. “But...” her voice drops “...I can’t say I’m shocked. I don’t think Anastasia likes me very much.”
    That does it. I whirl back around, madder than I ever remember being. My face is hot. My whole body is hot. Everything looks blurry and swims in front my eyes. I don’t understand it at first, but then I realize that I’m crying. Tears of hurt and anger race down my cheeks, and I wipe them away as quickly as they come.
    â€œTori?” Mr. London is at my side, his hand on my shoulder. “Is everything all right?” I guess he must have heard the edge in my voice when I showed the invitation to Elissa. By now, most of the boys who hang out in the hall before class have straggled in, and it feels like everybody’s watching me. I don’t even want to look Anastasia’s way.
    Dumbly, I nod my head and slump into the chair at my desk. “I’m okay, Mr. London.” I try my best to sound normal, but it doesn’t really work.
    He’s still watching me closely. “You sure?”
    I close my eyes and draw a shuddering breath. “I’m sure.”
    Then the first bell rings.
    I lock eyes with Reid as he passes my desk to get to his own. He saw what happened with Mr. London, and I know without a doubt that he has a good idea of what--or should I say who? --made me so upset.
    After school, I find Reid on the playground, grab him by the arm, and pull him away from the group of boys he’s playing with. “I need to talk to you,” I hiss, dragging him over to a bench.
    Reid’s taller and bigger than I am, and it’s hard to really drag him. He laughs. “Okay, cool down, Tori. I’m coming.” We sit together on the bench, and he throws me a curious look. “What’s this about? Wait. Let me guess. The thing that happened this morning. It had to do with...” he lowers his voice “...Anastasia, didn’t it? I could tell by how upset you were.”
    I don’t need any encouragement. As quickly as I can, I tell Reid about the party invitations, about the fact that Gina and Elissa and I didn’t get one, while the rest of the girls in our class did . “You were right,” I finish, fighting to keep my voice under control. “She is racist. I mean, I knew that yesterday, but I guess I kept hoping we were wrong.”
    Reid lets his breath out in a puff. It hits the air, which is colder and damper than it was on Tuesday, and creates a tiny cloud. After a long pause, he asks, “Do Elissa and Gina know what’s up with Anastasia?”
    I shake my head. “No. Well, at least I haven’t talked about it with them. They could’ve figured it out. I don’t know....” I look pleadingly at him. “It doesn’t make sense, Reid. No one’s ever been racist against me before. I guess...I guess I never thought about myself that way.”
    â€œYou don’t have to say it.” He smiles. “Most people don’t realize this, but racism can happen to anybody . Black people. Asian people. People like you, who are mixed. Even white people.”
    â€œ White people?” I gasp. “Like my mom, and Emily and Shannon...and Anastasia?”
    â€œYou bet,” says Reid. “I’ve met people who are racist against whites. It’s stupid to be racist against anybody , but that’s life, I guess.”
    â€œWow.” In the past few days, my views on racism have really begun to change. I zip up my jacket to shut out the sharp fall wind. “So, what do you think I should do, Reid? Should I let Gina and Elissa know what’s going on?”
    â€œIt depends,” he replies. “If you feel like talking to them about it will help them understand and make things easier for them, then go for it. But if you think it will only hurt them, then there wouldn’t be a reason to.”
    I nod.