Bronx Masquerade

Before Open Mike Fridays began, Leslie wondered “What could I possibly have in common” with her classmates (57). Now, she knows more about Janelle, Lupe, Gloria, and Raynard. This is partly because of cultural differences: She is white and grew up in Westchester, a suburb north of New York City, while her classmates are primarily people of color from the city. She moved to the city after her mother passed away. While she misses her friends from home, she is coming around to being in a new city and a new school.

The other day, Leslie accidentally bumped into Porscha Johnson in the girl’s locker room. To Leslie, Porscha is scary because she beat up another student freshman year. Leslie apologized, but Porscha lashed out and said Leslie “invaded [her] space” (58). In a moment of misunderstanding, Leslie assumed Porscha was telling her she didn’t belong in the school or the community. She impulsively confessed that her mom died and she’s hurting, which leads to clarity and common ground between them: Porscha’s mom died, too, and both girls live with their grandmothers.

Leslie is grateful for Porscha’s friendship and compares herself to a girl named Amy Moscowitz, who never speaks to anyone.