My friendship with Kya was blossoming, and I was itching to tell my parents about it, but every time I would work up the courage to do so, I would picture their reactions to the time my sister told them about her black friend and decide against it.

“So how was your day at school Margaret?” my mother asked, peering at me over her spectacles.

“Fine,” I replied curtly, as usual.

“And how was your day, Jill?”

Jill grinned widely, showing off the huge gap in her mouth that was once occupied by her two front teeth.

“I made a new friend today,” she said excitedly. “She was sooo nice, and soooo funny too. She’s pretty, too, I love her dark skin.” My father began to choke on his drink, coughing and spluttering like crazy, while my mother’s eyes bulged out of her head. They were silent for the rest of dinner, and I didn’t dare speak since I could tell they were furious from the way they looked at each other.

“Margaret.” Jill’s little voice interrupted me from my thoughts.

I knelt down to her level. “Yeah?”

“Mommy said you have to get ready,” she said. I was barely listening, so I was puzzled.

“Ready for what?” I wondered.

Jill rolled her eyes at me, which made me chuckle. “The skating rink, silly!”

Suddenly, it dawned on me. It’d been on our agenda for weeks to go to the skating rink, and Jill was almost as excited as she was on Christmas, which was a great deal. Quickly, I made my way to my small bedroom, ignoring the clothes and other objects strewn all over the floor as always as I got ready. I dragged a brush through my auburn hair and pulled it up into a ponytail. Then I put on my shoes and tied them before heading back out. I walked through the kitchen as fast as I could to get to the living room to find Jill sitting on the hardwood floor, struggling to tie her shoes. She stuck her tongue out in concentration.

“Need help?” I asked, sitting next to her. She shook her head furiously, but after a few more seconds of watching her have difficulty, I reached forward and tied the laces for her.

“Margaret,” she whined. “I didn’t need help.”

I just chuckled. “You should be thanking me, y’know.” Just then, my father walked in and grabbed our jackets from the closet. I helped Jill button hers before putting on my own. Within another minute, my mother walked in as well, and my family piled into the automobile and drove the short distance to the rink. During the entire ride, Jill went on and on about how excited she was, and I just happily listened. 

Once we arrived, my father pulled into a parking space, and we clambered out of the car. I took Jill’s hand as we walked to the entrance but abruptly dropped it when I heard my name being called by someone behind me.

“Margaret! Hey, Margaret, wait up!”

I spun around to identify the voice, and I nearly let out a squeal of delight when I saw who it was. We both started running towards each other, meeting somewhere in the middle. Before I could think about my actions, I threw my arms around my best friend, which was quickly reciprocated.

“Hey Kya,” I breathed as we both stepped back from the tight hug.

“Hey! Does your family skate often?” she said. I shrugged my shoulders.

“Sometimes, how about yours?”

“Oh my goodness, yes! We’ve gone every weekend since…” She started telling me a story that I was barely listening to. Instead, my common sense finally caught up to the rest of me, and I realized my mistake.

I looked over to Kya’s family. Her father was carrying her little brother, and her mother was holding the hands of two girls, her sisters. Her parents looked afraid, and I slowly realized why. Nervously, I turned around to look at my parents. Their faces went from shock to confusion to sheer anger within a number of seconds. My father gave me an intense glare that I could see even from where I was standing several feet away.

“Margaret,” he yelled, and my heart sank. This was bad. This was really, really bad.

“M-margaret?” Kya inquired, obviously bewildered.

“Um… I have to go, sorry. I’ll see you at school on Monday, okay?” She just nodded, and both of us started heading back to our respective families. It seemed to take me an eternity to get to them, and the closer I got, the easier it was for me to see the fury written all over their faces.

I gulped as my father harshly took my arm and lead me to the back of the rink behind a dumpster so that we were in private. It was grimy back there, and intricate graffiti covered the brick wall here or there.

“How long have you known that girl?” My father questioned just as my mother and Jill walked up behind me.

Much to my surprise, my voice was calm. “We met at the beginning of the school year.”

“And you BEFRIENDED her?” my father shouted, making me wince. “You know how it works, Margaret. We don’t talk to them. It was one thing coming from your little sister, but from you? I thought you were better!” Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I refused to let them. 

This was the point where I’d apologize and say I’d stop talking to her, and they’d forgive me. Those words were about to come out of my mouth, but they had a vile taste. I was tired of pretending to agree with them.

My mind drifted to all of the topics I’d silently disagreed with my parents on. They’d complained about the fact that the blacks started to go to mine and Jill’s schools, but I loved it. It’s the reason I met my best friend. They’d scoffed at Rosa Parks, but I was proud of her. They’d laughed when the blacks boycotted the bus, saying nothing good would come of it, but I knew it would be worth it for them. Sure enough, only a few months ago, after the blacks spent well over a year boycotting, the law was changed. My parents had no idea I knew about all of this, or that I had such a strong opinion against theirs, but I was done pretending. I was done.

“She’s a human, too,” I all but whispered.

“What?” My mother said, and I turned so that I was facing both of them.

“She’s a human, too,” I repeated, this time much louder and much more confident. “She has feelings just like the rest of us.”

“Margaret-” my mother started, but I shook my head vigorously.

“No. You guys see them as monsters, but I see them as humans. They’re the same as us. They have thoughts and feelings, and families, and they go to the skating rink on Saturdays just like us. She’s my best friend, and that won’t change because of you.”

The tension in the air was so thick it could be sliced with a knife. I looked anxiously between my parents, and then down at Jill, who was sat on the ground, playing with her doll, completely oblivious. Neither my mother nor my father said a word; they just stood in stunned silence, mouths agape, eyes wide.

However, I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. It was right then that I made a vow; I wouldn’t silence myself anymore. I wouldn’t let Kya and her family and so many innocent others who were African American get mistreated anymore. I had a voice, and from there on out, I was going to use it for good.

-Gabriella Baratier