To Walk in My Shoes

Page 34

Faggie Waggie by Naomi Delacruz

last month I was on my phone, texting my friends in the group chat. Like eight of us were on the chat, joking around. I was in my pj’s, chilling on my mom’s bed. I felt relaxed. Then, all of a sudden, some dude gets added to the chat. I was like, sus, who this? So after he @’s me, I was like, “Don’t @ me, silly.” He typed out gay fag. Something like that. Then I was like, “I don’t mess with you like that. Don’t call me a fag.” See, I don’t mind my friends calling me a fag, but if it’s someone I don’t even know, especially someone I don’t like, then no. I planned on cursing that fool out, talking about his wireless Internet, but I was like, Nah, Naomi. Stay calm. Then I just kicked him out of the group chat. Then I went a step further and pulled out my magic wand and aimed it at my phone. I said three magic words: “Just be gay.” With those magic words and the flick of my wrist I would change this boy’s life forever. My goal is simple: create empathy and get revenge. The spell I cast basically turns a straight person into a gay cockroach. He would later tell me that he immediately fell to the floor and started to wander around trying to understand what was happening. As he moved around he heard people yell and try to stomp on him. Giant shoes, Converse, Jordans, Vans, and Crocs were stomping down on him. He dodged and dug himself into a small hole he found in the closet. In the hole he met another cockroach named Timmy. He and Timmy became instant friends. That’s when he figured out he wasn’t just a cockroach but a GAY COCKROACH. I figured a whole day would be enough time for him to learn his lesson. After a day, I used my wand again. I said, “Cockroach no more,” and then texted him. “Hey want to meet up after school?” He texted back immediately.“YES, PLEASE.” We ended up talking for hours about how it felt to be dehumanized and stepped on. He said he realized why the word fag feels like you’re being squished into the ground. The lesson he learned was to think before he speaks and always try to put himself in someone else’s shoes to really understand where they come from.

20

To Walk in My Shoes


Articles inside

Inocente Zarza, Nombre

8min
pages 121-130

Tania Tyler Wilson, “I Can’t Move”

1min
page 119

Jaylynn Vergeli, Life

1min
page 117

David Solano Jr, Happiness: Something Everybody Wants

1min
page 115

David Solano Jr, Dreams

1min
page 114

Bernat Rosario, Passion

1min
page 113

Johnnovan Reyes, COVID

1min
page 111

Leiana Pena, Home

1min
page 109

Mohamed Nouhou, Home

1min
page 107

Michaya Mitchell, Should I Resist

1min
page 105

Antonio Mendoza, Hope

1min
page 103

Armatti Mendez, My People

1min
page 101

Jeffrey Mejia, You Can Slow Down

1min
page 99

Richard Lloyd, Happiness <3

1min
page 95

Kaylynn Martinez, Keep Going

2min
page 97

Zynell Lewis, Future Goals

1min
page 93

Quazhia Lewis, How to Treat Others

1min
page 91

Jaevon Lee, What Would You Change

1min
page 89

Naymeyah Kinloch, What Is Happiness

1min
page 87

Akeanya Kennings, A Place People Call Home

1min
pages 83-85

Rasaun Hill, Raxsss’ Place of Living

1min
page 81

Wayne Hayes, (Un)planned Life

1min
page 79

Sonia Harrichand, Shackles

1min
page 77

Sahara Gill, Will I Make It?

1min
page 73

Hector Gonzalez, Happiness

1min
page 75

Crichelle Ruiz Diaz, Overthinking

1min
page 69

Zoey Lynn Diaz, What’s Life Without You?

1min
page 71

Ishmael Deen, Hope

1min
page 67

Tiyana Daw, Decisions

1min
page 65

Naasir Bonilla, Life

2min
page 61

Ava Davis, My Mother

1min
page 63

Lliana Williams, Untitled

1min
pages 53-55

Nera Bedell, My Hope

1min
page 57

Juelz Santos, Raised by Games

1min
page 50

Aaliyah Torres, Raised by My People

1min
pages 51-52

Juelz Santos, My Quiet Place

1min
page 49

Juelz Santos, From Target to Archer

1min
page 48

Jared Rembert, The Dangers of a Single Story

1min
page 46

Dante Rivera, The Bullying

1min
page 47

Sha’ni Parker, The Very End

1min
page 44

Zion Perez, Ode to the Bodega

1min
page 45

Carrie Moultrie, Teenhood

1min
page 42

Amir Hughes, Six Flags Flashbacks

1min
page 40

Jeremy Ovando, Tomorrow Will Be the Same as Yesterday

1min
page 43

Kalissa Hanshaw, The Bed Evolution

1min
page 39

Kalissa Hanshaw, Disappearance of a Dull Day

1min
page 38

Samantha Garcia, Untitled

1min
page 37

Serenity Browne, The Annoyance of the Sacred Space

1min
page 33

Dejuan Belnavis, What Is Football

1min
page 32

Anthony Garcia, Ode to That One Hot Day

1min
page 36

Leo Diaz, Take a Trip Inside of My Mind

1min
page 35

Naomi Delacruz, Faggie Waggie

2min
page 34

Angelica Vale, The New Boss

2min
pages 27-28

Ezekiel Rodriguez, Superman

1min
page 26

Chris Colon, Revenge

1min
page 18

Ovid Hernandez, A Warrior Without Boundaries: Part #1

1min
page 25

Madison Bernaber, A Thought to Them

2min
page 16

Marcellus Fairley, Untitled

5min
pages 21-23

Genderson Guzman Collado, Jason’s Revenge

2min
page 17

Ovid Hernandez, Un Guerrero Sin Barreras: Part #1

1min
page 24

Miguel Diaz, Untitled

4min
pages 19-20
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