Read Maizon at Blue Hill for Free Online

the hill and all the grass everywhere. The small cobblestone paths that led up to the different buildings made the school look ancient and rich, like a thousand millionaires had built it from an old memory of something. Still, I couldn’t figure out what the empty place at the center of my stomach was about. It made my legs weak, even made me aware of how my toes felt inside my loafers.
    There was a knock at the door. I came away from the window and busied myself with my suitcase. “Come in.”
    â€œMaizon?” A woman peeked around the corner of the door, then stepped in. Another woman followed her and closed the door.
    â€œYou might remember me from the interview....” the first woman said.
    â€œMrs. Miller.” I walked over and shook her hand firmly, the way Grandma had said I should do with adults.
    Mrs. Miller nodded. “I live in this dorm with my husband. We’re right downstairs if you need anything. I’m sure you know Ms. Bender is on the third floor. One or the other of us is always around. This is Miss Norman,” Mrs. Miller said. Miss Norman took a step toward me. She was kind of heavy and only a little taller than me with short black-and-gray hair. I stared at her a moment, because she couldn’t have been much older than Hattie. The gray hair looked strange against her young face. She was pretty. When I reached to shake her hand, Miss Norman winked at me. I wondered if she was winking because we were almost the same height or because we were both black.
    â€œNice to meet you, Maizon,” Miss Norman said. Her voice was so soft, it surprised me. And without thinking, I immediately loosened my grip on her hand.
    She laughed and I felt the heat rise up to my face.
    â€œI used to sing,” Miss Norman said. “I’m used to people being surprised at such a small voice coming out of such a big body. Don’t worry. It’s not a sign of weakness.”
    I nodded, not knowing what to say.
    â€œMind if we sit down?” Mrs. Miller asked, sitting down on the bed across from mine and running her palm across the wrinkles in the dark blue blanket. The beds were identical, right down to the white sheets and blue-flowered pillowcases. I had chosen the one closer to the window.
    Miss Norman pulled a chair away from one of the two small desks against the wall and brought it up to the foot of the bed. She was wearing jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt that had Blue Hill Chameleons in bright orange-and-black letters across the front.
    I closed my suitcase and sat down on a small corner of the bed.
    â€œSo, how’re you settling in, Maizon?” Mrs. Miller asked, crossing her legs and pulling her dress down around her knees.
    I shrugged. “Fine, I guess. This school is pretty.”
    â€œScary, isn’t it?” Miss Norman leaned forward a little, . resting her elbows on her knees. A glint came into her eyes when she smiled.
    I nodded. “I met some people already. Charli and Sheila ... and Marie.”
    Mrs. Miller gave a small laugh. “Blue Hill’s own welcoming committee.... Did Charli try to recruit you for our field-hockey team yet?”
    â€œI don’t know how to play.”
    â€œThat’s not a problem. Miss Norman is the best coach this school has seen in I don’t know how long—field hockey and basketball.”
    â€œYou play basketball?” I couldn’t believe it. In Brooklyn, even the girls’ basketball coaches had been men.
    Miss Norman held up one of her feet. “This year’s sneaker,” she said about the red-on-white Nike high-top. “The whole team will have them. B-ball doesn’t start until winter though. Nice shoes, huh?”
    I nodded. I’d always loved high-tops.
    â€œThink about joining, Maizon. Junior varsity could use some new blood.”
    I shrugged. The last thing I wanted was to look spastic in front of a bunch of strangers. “Maybe ...”
    â€œWell,”