Union Read online

  Union

  Sara Cassidy

  Copyright © Sara Cassidy 2022

  Published in Canada and the United States in 2022 by Orca Book Publishers.

  orcabook.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Title: Union / Sara Cassidy.

  Names: Cassidy, Sara, author.

  Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20210382333 | Canadiana (ebook) 20210382341 | ISBN 9781459834477 (softcover) | ISBN 9781459834484 (PDF) | ISBN 9781459834491 (EPUB)

  Classification: LCC PS8555.A7812 U55 2022 | DDC jC813/.54—dc23

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2021950060

  Summary: In this novel in verse for teen readers, fifteen-year-old Tuck navigates new love, past trauma and standing up for what’s right.

  Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

  Edited by Tanya Trafford

  Cover artwork by Radha Joshi Raulgaonkar

  Cover design by Rachel Page

  Layout by Sydney Barnes

  For those who learned to speak again.

  Note: This novel alludes to sexual assault of a boy by a man (a mother’s boyfriend). Readers may want to emotionally prepare.

  Nape

  Grace has caught my eye

  I stare and stare

  at this girl I’ve missed

  since we were five

  grade one

  grade two

  grade three

  grade four—

  a girl

  with a pink lunch box

  black hair wound

  in two braids

  that’s all I knew

  then

  she turned twelve

  wove that hair

  in one thick braid

  that’s it

  that’s all I saw

  in the halls

  up through the years

  up the hill

  to the big school

  high school

  where we are now

  new hive

  new crowd

  grade nine

  one week in

  I’m lost

  and found

  with her

  in the desk

  in front of mine

  dark hair

  cut short

  braid gone

  neck bare

  I fill

  my lungs

  take in air

  breathe

  all the way in

  all the way out

  for the first time

  since

  he—

  Who

  I fear

  one day

  I will be

  the one in front

  and she will see

  that I am

  not here

  I am

  hard bits

  bone

  plus bone

  plus bone

  plus bone

  my spine

  rung

  on

  rung

  I am no more

  than a bot

  Hell

  if she knew

  what I have seen

  what I have known

  what I have done

  how I can’t dream—

  she won’t make room for me

  I am filled

  with scum

  spume

  sleaze

  swill

  I have choked

  on hell

  Job

  This is what I need:

  a job with hours

  my name on a badge

  a hat that says

  I work here

  shoes that do not slip

  on grease

  a smile on my face

  bought by a wage

  and when I get paid

  I’ll buy her fries

  a game of pool

  a live show

  a job with hours

  will take me

  out of the house

  far from its dust

  its ghosts

  Mom’s slumps

  my shame

  Look

  To Grace

  I am still a boy

  with a blue lunch box

  blue jeans

  a blue tee

  a boy

  on the thin side

  white skin

  two eyes

  a nose

  a mouth—

  what’s to tell?

  all I ask

  is that she looks at me

  as long as it takes

  for her

  to see me

  see her

  Like

  I scroll and flick

  and like a dick

  I like her post

  with a click

  oh yeah

  I click

  and the shape

  of the heart

  on the cold screen

  fills

  with bits

  and bytes

  and so it starts:

  a “like”

  a knock

  a key

  a beat

  FAST FRANKS

  I fill in a form

  get hired on the spot

  three shifts a week

  Sat Sun Mon

  2–6

  each hour a box

  where I can’t get lost

  I bathe, I wash, I shave

  I ride the bus

  I show up

  Hi! I’m Tuck.

  How can I help you?

  Do you want fries with that?

  Do you want to make it a large?

  Do you want to buy two and get one free?

  Do you want?

  You want!

  Let me get you what you want.

  They tap their cards

  pay their bills

  the bags I hand them

  are too light

  for all that cash

  the weight

  of stale air

  thin meat

  warm Coke

  they don’t want

  a real meal

  they’re here

  to get off the couch

  give their heads a shake

  a change of pace

  to get a smile

  a have a nice day

  a bag with its top rolled down

  all they have to do is pay

  that’s the deal

  it comes cheap—

  the boss

  won’t let us take

  tips

  they go in a box

  for dogs

  who are lost

  Fez

  I tell Fez

  how rude they are

  how they think they get

  what they want

  but have learned to take

  what they don’t need

  You think too much, Fez says

  since your dad left

  Not my dad, I snarl

  Right

  your mom’s fling

  that stayed

  do you miss him?

  The world goes dark

  my throat stings

  a dark ball

  fills the space

  where my ribs meet

  I try to breathe

  sip air

  Hey, I say

  Do you know Grace?

  Yeah, Fez says

  the one with braids?

  It’s short now

  an edge bob

  with a shaved side

  the right side

  Fez laughs

  Sounds like you’ve had a good long look

  I sing it to him then

  how she’s fun and smart

  and sure but shy

  how she runs deep

  moves sleek

  I say her name

  ten times at least

  shape it new

  set it free

  a bird in flight

  seed in bloom

  star in the sky

  shimmering

  You’ve got it bad, says Fez

  Sum

  Math class

  Grace looks up

  from her phone

  and it’s

  the best sum:

  eye to eye

  one to one

  Tuck plus Grace

  Grace plus Tuck

  time goes weak

  slows right down

  Grace nods quick

  puts her thumb

  to her lip

  stares at her phone

  but does not scroll

  now I’m the one

  to be met

  for the first time

  the one

  who saw her first

  in this new life

  Check

  The first check is not

  what I thought it would be

  the law lets them pay

  half the wage

  while we learn the job

  it’s strange math

  as if we’re half

  at work

&nbsp
; then there’s the tax

  they take

  which, I know, pays

  for roads and schools

  good things

  but when there’s zip

  to start with

  it’s a large clip

  Jeff the fry cook

  claps me on the back

  stare and stare, he says

  but it won’t grow

  I have three jobs

  to pay my rent

  some days

  I’m on the bus

  more hours

  than I work

  job to job to job

  to pay rent on a pad

  where all I do

  is sleep it off

  or stare at the air

  see

  if they give you more

  than five hours straight

  they’d have to pay you

  to stop for a meal

  they’d have to pay you

  when you get sick

  go on a trip

  get your teeth cleaned

  so

  they duck the law

  with short shifts

  short shrift

  paid time off?

  that would be a dream

  but my dream

  is their loss

  their cost

  but hey Tuck

  you’re young

  have fun

  spend the dough

  on dumb stuff

  just don’t get stuck

  in a place like this—

  stay in school

  Jeff lifts a rack of fries

  from hot oil

  his wrists stained

  as if by rain

  a braille

  of grease burns

  you hear me?

  stay in school

  if you need help, ask

  there’s no shame

  it’s not my fault

  that my brain

  flipped ink

  on its head

  they called me slow

  they did not see

  how my gears whirl!

  I go on and on hey?

  hours on a bus

  gives you time to think

  Game Time

  In class

  Grace tells Liz

  loud and clear

  I’ll be at the game at noon

  then looks

  my way

  Fez texts then:

  can you keep score?

  we’re short

  I text back: noon game?

  Fez texts:

  so I was meant

  to be there

  when Grace walks in

  with Liz and Jen

  I’m scared I’ll miss

  a point

  mess up the board

  but more I fear

  that through the noise

  of the game and crowd

  she’ll hear

  the real game ball

  my heart

  as it knocks and knocks

  I dare

  to look at her

  at all of her

  she has

  her eyes on me

  on all of me

  just us

  in that big room

  Trix

  So I’m at the frame—

  that’s what we call

  the square in the wall

  we hand meals through

  to the folks in their cars

  who roll on past

  like queens and czars

  then she pulls up

  her eyes are quick

  she asks for

  one thing:

  black tea

  no one goes to FAST FRANKS

  for one thing

  it’s an old car

  with two phones on the dash

  books in the back

  she’s Mom’s age

  but makes Mom look

  like she took a wrong road

  to a dead end

  thick with dust

  Are you Tuck?

  she asks

  her voice low

  I’m Trix

  does she want to sell me drugs

  or what?

  Jeff gave me your name

  you’ve heard of the FAST FRANKS

  in Port Lang?

  I shake my head

  Last month

  the staff there

  joined our

  union

  now they meet with the boss

  to work out new rules

  to have their needs met

  to get some rights

  Rights? I ask

  Yeah

  like you can’t get fired if you miss a shift

  and can choose to wear

  the pants or the skirt—

  it’s your choice

  you can be gay, trans

  can get full shifts

  paid breaks

  sick days

  child care on site

  eye tests

  teeth filled

  good pay

  safe work

  a job you can

  live on

  and

  live with

  she takes her tea

  do you know what a union is?

  I do, I say

  The jerk would grunt

  fat cats

  if they were on the news

  so I looked them up

  unions are why

  kids go to school

  and don’t go blind at looms

  or break their backs down mines

  unions are why

  we get two days off each week

  They’re so

  you don’t give up your life, I say

  to get by day to day

  Trix beams

  Jeff said you were smart

  and that you’re liked here

  my hope is you’ll talk

  with the folks you work with

  see where they stand

  make a list of who

  would join the fight

  and who

  would run and tell the boss

  talk to those on the fence

  let them know

  they can have a voice

  and change their lives

  Why not Jeff? I ask

  Trix shakes her head

  Jeff has too much on the line

  he’d have no home if he lost this job

  you’re young

  you live at home, right?

  we’d train you

  you could change lives

  I’m in, I say

  a thrill runs through me

  but then

  I feel like a fool

  mocked

  who do I think I am?

  Great, Trix says

  When she drives off

  I’m full bot

  I ring up bills

  make change

  thank you

  have a nice night

  a nice night

  I pour hot tea

  on my wrist

  to slow down

  to still

  Work

  I cut, chop, slice.

  The knife they give me is sharp.

  I lift bags.

  I sink fries

  in hot oil.

  Cut, chop, slice.

  Four hours straight.

  No break.

  Cut, chop, slice.

  It’s all I’m asked to do.

  It’s all I need to do.

  No one asks for more.

  Cut, chop, slice.

  Four hours filled.

  And when I need to think

  I think of Grace.

  Check Two

  I take check two

  to the bank

  a full wage

  now that I’m trained

  put it in the slot

  it’s still not a lot

  the bot spits it out

  in cash:

  six bills

  slick as silk

  I fold them so they’re thick

  I’ll buy Grace a rose—

  a stick

  and poke

  Fez has ink

  🎔

  She hearts my post!

  A shot of the sun

  as it fell to the sea

  like a drop of hot oil

  I snapped the pic

  on my way home

  from the stick and poke

  a new rose stung

  on my wrist

  as if stitched

  in place by

  its own thorns

  her “like”

  soothes the sting

  through the gauze

  through the screen

  a salve, a balm

  calm

  Squad

  Trix picks me up

  at the end of my shift

  we park at Ross Bay

  and watch the waves

  rain beads the air

  and ticks on the car roof

  Trix has brought hot tea

  and Mars bars

  paid for by the union

  All you have to do

  is talk it up

  get folks on board

  who you can trust

  ask them

  to spread the word

  you know how it is:

  I told two friends

  and they told two friends…