I wasn’t worried, I’d said it. He was just showing me what he was all about. Don’t talk shit about the black kids’ moms,

life lessons

mike would say that he believed in greek gods

and made fun of us when we said we were going to stay virgins until marriage

Sleepovers

were educational.

Staying up late to watch Chris Rock

joke about the n word

a word I couldn’t say anymore because Mike and the rest of them took it away from me.

And then it fell out of practice.

And then I just accepted the censorship.

but not without a fight though, which is why we had that running joke about “what’s up my nig-oww!

I think you broke my jaw!”

Some parts of Mike’s identity weren’t accessible unless you’re black, was what it was. Clowning him for saying he had to brush his hair, what hair fool.

he didn’t know white people had to brush their hair, said he thought it just fell in place all natural and shit