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Damn. I know what I’m doing! I open my eyes real wide, and I speak.
“Sienna, I completely agree with you.”
Huge pause.
I wouldn’t say that the crowd actually gasps, but there’s conversation and murmuring, and I can actually hear some kid say, “Ali’s gotta be crazy, man.”
I quickly glance around at the crowd, and see that Nana Mama and Cedric—sitting far away from one another—have the very same tiny little grins on their faces. They are the two folks out there who know me well enough to realize exactly what kinda mischief I’m up to.
“Yes, I do agree with you, Sienna. The situation is absolutely reprehensible.” I had been saving that word,reprehensible, for just the right moment.
I plow ahead. Not excessive or overdoing anything, just moving along with a little speed.
“Sure, there are police officers who don’t do right by the neighborhood, officers who use violent tactics. And no one—least of all me, a kid who’s grown up with police in my house, in my family—is going to say they shouldn’t be totally investigated and brought up on charges. And if they’re guilty, charge them. But—and this is the major difference between you and me and some of the people in this room—the people who are committing the crimes, the folks doing the bad things, well, they also have got to be stopped. Theyshouldbe stopped. And the people those folks are hurting? Well, they should be helped. And that’s what hundreds of fine officers do. We can talk all day about why the crime is happening—poverty, drugs, frustration—but, ladies and gentlemen, this life, this neighborhood, this here is a two-way street.”
IREALLY WISHI could say that everybody is now standing up and cheering.
No. But… I’m just happy that nobody is hissing and booing.
Nana Mama and Bree and Detective Sampson and Cedric and Mateo and Gabe do start to applaud, and I admit that it sounds pretty pathetic. Then a few more people join in. They actually may be people I don’t know. So that’s good. It’s the kind of applause that I think could be called “respectable.” And to me “respectable” is at least preferable to “embarrassing.”
What’s even better is that I see a few faces that are not members of my fan club, kids who were at the anti-police demonstrations, who remain seated but are clapping. Some of them even shoot some peaceful nods toward me.
Armed with a bunch of solid facts, and inspired by the enthusiasm of the crowd, Sienna and I volley pretty strongly. I like to think that it never turns nasty because we’re friends, but the truth is we’re both too smart to let that happen.
Five minutes more. Ten minutes more. I play the interviews Gabe and I filmed of people talking about how the police helped them. I think we’re both relieved when Ms. Swanbeck steps forward and says something like, “Well, okay. Why don’t we ask Sienna and Ali to join the debate team?”
Then Ms. Swanbeck introduces Ms. Garrity, the assistant principal, who tells us that “we all learned a great deal today.”
Some girl yells out, “Yeah, for a change.”
Of course, everyone hoots, cheers, and laughs.
“Food for thought. Food for thought,” Ms. Garrity says. “Thanks for joining us, everyone.”
I’m not sure whether any of us knows if we’re supposed to go to homeroom or our next class. But it’s close enough to the end of school that I don’t think anybody’s going anywhere except outside.
I’m about to step down off the stage when Sienna calls to me.
“Wait up, Ali,” she says as she walks toward me. I’m thinking that this girl hasn’t spoken a word to me in days. And she’s not looking too friendly right now. What’s up?
“Nice job, Ali,” she says. “Really smooth curveball you tossed.”
“Thanks,” I say. And I mean it when I say, “Very nice job from you, too.”
No, she does not lean in and give me a hug. But she does put her hand out for a shake. And that’s almost as good.
Then my family and a few friends join us. Sienna steps away to join her own crowd of friends and fans.
“Eloquent,” says Nana Mama. “Eloquent. That’s what you were.”
My friend Gabe congratulates me in his own special way. “Hey, really good debate. Exactly what we expected from two nerd-balls like Sienna and you.”
Then I hear someone say, “Nerd-ball or not, I thought you were terrific.”
It’s my dad.
He hugs me hard.
