Harbor Me

After school, Holly’s mom Kira picks up Haley and Holly. The two girls are best friends and Haley spends most Friday nights at Holly’s. Haley looks at Kira and thinks about her own racial identity. Haley’s mother was Black and her father is White. She has light-brown skin and red hair, giving her a unique appearance. She looks out the car window and sees older boys bullying Ashton outside of school by slapping him on the back of the neck. Haley recalls previously seeing Ashton with red marks on the back of his neck. She realizes Ashton is the only White kid in fifth and sixth grade. 

Meanwhile, Holly asks her mom if they can have pizza for dinner, and insists it is her turn to choose a movie to watch that night. Kira mentions that she needs to do Haley’s hair that night. Long ago, she’d offered to begin helping Haley with her hair because her uncle has a hard time caring for it. Haley in turn starts to think about how much her uncle concentrates on taking care of her, and how he is probably lonely.