Monday's Not Coming

Claudia’s parents were called into school for a meeting with Claudia’s counselor and English teacher. Because her grades never arrived in the mail, Claudia thought the meeting was about her academic performance. When she asked her counselor if he’d followed up on Monday, as promised, he vaguely repeated the same information she already knew (about the phone being disconnected, etc.).

The English teacher, Ms. O’Donnell, showed Claudia’s parents her book report. The letters went backward, a symptom of dyslexia. Ms. O’Donnell observed that Claudia’s previous work had been impeccable and asked if Ma and Daddy helped with her assignments. Ma exclaimed that of course they didn’t do Claudia’s homework for her; then, Ma realized that Monday had often done homework with Claudia, and she understood how Claudia hid her challenges. 

The counselor wanted to test Claudia for dyslexia. With this realization, Claudia’s bubble was popped completely. Ma asked how Claudia could be dyslexic after scoring nearly perfect on her math test. Ms. O’Donnell explained that the math teacher printed her tests on blue paper, which helped dyslexic kids visually process the material. 

Ma angrily asked why the school hadn’t caught this issue until the year before high school. The counselor said dyslexia could materialize in other ways, as well. He mentioned a “behavioral issue” and sent Ma into a rage: “Issues? You mean when you let crazy people take pictures of my child and spread them all over the internet? You mean like when that boy touched her butt? Issues like that? She had every right to box that boy’s ears in” (123). 

The counselor responded that Claudia had gotten into more than just that one fight. Daddy was confused, but Ma said they’d talk about it later. The next steps were to complete the necessary paperwork to qualify Claudia as a student with a learning disability, opening up resources and supplemental tools for her. 

Daddy abruptly ended the meeting, furious that Ma hadn’t told him about the other fight. He wondered what else she’d “lied about” while he was away. Ma was furious at him, too, and demanded that he take them home. As they drove past Ed Borough, Claudia asked if Daddy had spoken to Monday’s father yet. He angrily responded that they wouldn’t be talking about Monday again until Claudia’s grades improved.

Claudia sees Jacob for the first time since “it” happened. He’s fallen from grace: He’s switched schools, been kicked off basketball teams, and started abusing drugs and alcohol. Claudia doesn’t pity him. She’s glad “it” messed with his head. She reflects on her mother’s capacity for forgiveness and assigns Ma the color pink. Ma’s pink is beautiful, girlish, bold, and bright. “But when she is not fed the riches that life promises, Ma pales, remaining but a tint above white, a color aching in want” (127).

Monday continued hanging out with Jacob over the weekends, but he still ignored her at school. He promised her over and over that he’d tell people at school that she was his girl, but he never followed through. 

When Claudia tried to comfort her friend with a hug, Monday cried out in pain when Claudia’s hands touched her shoulder. After some hesitation, she finally revealed a nasty bite mark. Monday said that her brother August had been throwing huge tantrums and attacking his family members out of the blue. Claudia promised not to tell anyone. She also told Monday to just forget Jacob, but Monday said, “I can’t. Not after … naw. I want to know why he’s trying to carry me like this. I need to know” (130). 

When they went back into the hallway, they saw Jacob immediately. Claudia tried to keep Monday back, using their secret language, but there was no stopping her. Monday confronted Jacob about who did his braids and why he’d been ignoring her at school. Initially, he denied it. Then, he slut-shamed Monday, saying that they did have sex. Shayla appeared and chimed in on the slut-shaming. She said that Monday was just like her sister, sleeping with everybody. 

Jacob admitted that they didn’t have sex, but only because “she said she only like doing it with Claudia, ‘cause they lesbians!” (132). Enraged, Monday attacked Jacob. He threw her off him and onto the floor. Claudia attacked him, and he slapped her off. Monday again went after Jacob, kicking him in the groin. Once he was on the floor, Monday kicked him and punched him over and over. No one intervened. Everyone was shocked to see such a small girl beating up the most popular boy in school.

A teacher finally took Monday and Claudia to the principal’s office. Claudia remembered the only other time she’s been to the principal’s office: when a boy touched her butt and Mrs. Valente saw. 

Monday seemed terrified of her mother as she “entered the office like a prowling lioness” (135). The girls were suspended, and the principal warned that Jacob’s family might press charges. They asked what happened, and Claudia told them. The principal said that Monday assaulted Jacob first and it didn’t matter why.

Mrs. Charles heatedly asked if her daughter had been examined. She threw Monday’s shirt aside and asked about the bite marks that were bleeding through her shirt. Claudia burst out that Jacob was the one who bit Monday. Mrs. Charles said her daughter was just defending herself, and she should press charges against Jacob. She raged for another 20 minutes before Ma arrived and they all left, without suspensions. A tense moment occurred between Ma and Mrs. Charles: Ma said her daughter didn’t fight, implying she expected that sort of thing from Monday. 

Ma punished Claudia by making her do chores over the weekend. She snuck some calls to Monday, who didn’t answer. The next school day, Monday arrived in a daze, her clothes and hair a wreck. She smelled strongly of urine, and other students made fun of her until Mrs. Valente took her to the nurse for a pair of fresh pants.