The Skin I'm In

by Sharon Flake

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Student Question

What is Maleeka accused of by Daphne Robinson in The Skin I'm In?

Quick answer:

Daphne Robinson accuses Maleeka of having kissed her (Daphne's) boyfriend.

Expert Answers

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Daphne accuses Maleeka of kissing her boyfriend. While Maleeka is walking down the hall, minding her own business, she suddenly finds an angry Daphne "up in [her] face and ready to fight." According to Daphne, someone has told her that Maleeka had been kissing her boyfriend some days earlier.

While Maleeka knows who Daphne's boyfriend had actually been kissing, she knew better than to say anything due to the social dynamics at school. She merely tells Daphne that she's got the wrong girl, while inwardly panicking because she's quite aware that Daphne is keen on a fistfight. The next thing she knows, Daphne has caught hold of her braids and wrapped them around her hands. Luckily for Maleeka, she's taller than Daphne, which is an advantage now that it's time to forcibly push the girl off her.

To make matters worse, the kids around them are encouraging Daphne to beat Maleeka up, reminding her that no one has the right to kiss her boyfriend. What's more, Charlese (the girl who was actually kissing Daphne's boyfriend) is standing right there, seeming to enjoy the show as if it were a movie.

Before Miss Saunders can break up the fight, Daphne takes a swing at Maleeka's face, smacking her hard. Maleeka immediately feels blood running down her face. Daphne's final act of aggression is to spit "big, green slimy stuff" onto Maleeka, which Charlese thinks is hilarious.

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