Radishes

Helen disliked radishes because they were the same deep red color of blood and they reminded her of that time in 3rd grade when she got a bloody nose and everyone in Ms. Walshe's class laughed at her. That was also the day she met her best friend though, so it was hard to completely discount it. Manny didn't even laugh, she just raised her hand and asked if she could walk Helen down to the nurse. Helen didn't think she needed help but it Manny turned out to be nice company. She told her a story about a Red Queen and "painting the roses red" and that this was like "painting the noses red". Helen liked that story. Helen decided she liked Manny. Sometimes the kids made fun of Manny because her name was MANny and she was a girl, but Manny would toss her thick black hair over her shoulder and say she was named after her abuelita and that she was the most amazing woman she knew. Manny told Helen stories about her abuelita sometimes when Helen went over her house after school. She said she had "crazy Garcia blood" and that one time she chased a police man with a butchers knife because he was mean to Manny's dad when he was a little boy.