Before Sato even gets one foot in the backyard, Odd Job grabs him by the arm and says he needs to talk to him a minute. Momma got me over here in the corner saying that it’s not right for a girl to have a boy in her room. “I know you think it was only a kiss,” she says, tucking my hair behind my ear. “But remember, you are just fourteen. There will be plenty of time for things like that when you’re older.”

I tell Momma that she can trust me. Then I go over by the bushes near the fence, close my eyes, and remember how good it felt being kissed by Sato.

“Sato’s your boyfriend,” Ling says, sneaking up on me. Reaching out her arms so I can pick her up.

Dr. Mitchell is minding my business again. Pinching Ling’s cheeks, and saying, “Raspberry’s too young to have a boyfriend.”

“She kissed him. Like this,” Ling says, taking off her glasses, pushing her lips out, then pressing ’em to my cheek so hard it hurts. “Ouch,” she cries, holding her mouth. “I bit my tongue.” She tells Su-bok she wants a Band-Aid.

Su-bok is with Ja’nae and Ming. “You don’t need a Band-Aid, Ling,” she says, coming over and looking inside her mouth. “Stop bugging me.”

“You say mean things, just like Mai,” Ling says, squeezing my neck tight.

When Sato walks over to us, Ling almost jumps outta my arms trying to get to him.

He got his arms stretched out to her, but his eyes on me. “Don’t fall,” he says, yanking her by the cornrows Ja’nae put in two days ago.

Su-bok takes a swig of soda, then says she wishes Mai was here.

Mai is on punishment for smart-mouthing her dad again. Su-bok stands up on a crate, and looks over the fences at Miracle and ’em. They been hanging out there for the last three days. Partying half the night. Setting trash cans on fire and playing music so loud Momma almost called the cops. I asked Momma not to say nothing to ’em. To just let us move from ’round here and not think no more about ’em. She said that wasn’t hard. She was tired after all that nonsense with Shiketa. “Besides. I gotta think about you. I’m not here all the time. Don’t want Miracle starting up with you while I’m gone.”

“Hey. Cops,” Su-bok says.

Ming tells her to move over and he stands on the chair behind her. Sato just opens the gate. “To get a better look.”

Momma’s inside with Odd Job and Dr. Mitchell getting more food and ice. So we all sneak out, even though Mrs. Kim and Miz Evelyn say we shouldn’t. It’s Miracle, in trouble again. Some boy is holding her hands behind her back. Telling her to cool down ’fore the cops haul her away. When she sees me, she goes off. Starts cussing. Asking us what we looking at. She’s yelling at me, saying she still gonna kick my butt for getting her girl put away.

Ja’nae’s the one who says we need to get Ling back inside. Ling keeps asking what the girl did wrong. None of us answer her.

“Hey, Miracle,” Sato yells. “You gonna need a miracle to get outta this one.”

I pop him on the head, and ask him if he trying to get me killed.

Momma comes out front too and so does Dr. Mitchell. He’s standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. “A young girl like that, what does she have to be mad about all the time?” he says, taking Momma’s hand and pressing it to his cheek.

We all walk back inside after the cops settle Miracle down and tell her she better make sure she don’t find no more trouble tonight.

Momma tells all of us to get a glass or can of something ’cause she wants to make a toast. “To good times . . . and good friends,” she says, holding her can of red pop up in the air.

Ming’s got his right arm wrapped around Ja’nae’s neck. He touches her glass with his, then to mine and Sato’s too. “Yeah,” he says. “Here’s to all that stuff you just said.”

At midnight, we set off the fireworks. Ja’nae, me, and Ling hold hands and run around the yard in circles holding sparkles high in the air. When mines burns out, I go get another one. Sato’s right behind me, whispering. “I liked it . . . kissing you.”

I take a deep breath. I look at all the pretty lights in the yard, and listen to everyone laughing and talking. “Me too,” I say loud enough for even Momma to hear.