Courtin' Jayd (18 page)

W
hen we get to Nigel's house I can see Chance's Nova and Nigel's Impala in the driveway. As nice as their classic cars are, they should've been the ones cruising down Crenshaw this evening. I guess his parents are out for the night, leaving us to chill alone in his beautiful home. Nigel lives in a huge old house that his parents recently had renovated when they relocated from Compton two years ago. His older sister is away at Spelman so it's just him and his parents, and they give Nigel all the freedom he could ever ask for.

When we walk into the foyer, the bright chandelier hanging from the ceiling sparkles, sending rainbow rays from the setting sun across the white walls. We step down the few steps to the main room, which serves as a living room and entertainment area, with a minibar set in the back corner.

“Come on in and make yourselves at home. We're up in my room,” Nigel says closing the door behind us as I follow Rah up the stairs. Nigel runs past us up the wide staircase into the grand hallway. The houses on this side of Los Angeles have been here forever and the white folks are moving back in and attempting to buy them up even if they are only a stone's throw away from the hood. As I step up the last step I feel like I'm in an ancient southern mansion, slaves and all. It must be strange living in a house this big that possesses so many ancestral spirits. I can hear them all over the place.

“Where are the folks?” Rah asks as Nigel swoops past us to open his bedroom door, letting us into his private fortress away from the rest of the house. From the looks of it, the other three rooms on this floor are still in the process of being remodeled. I know I'm the only one who can hear what others may refer to as ghosts speaking through the dilapidated walls, but it's all good. I'm getting used to the surprises of my powers. I can see why my mother began to reject our gift when she was my age. It can freak a sistah out if she's not open to receiving.

When we walk into Nigel's room, the pungent aroma of incense mixed with tobacco and other smoke hits me in the face and travels up my nose. Damn, now the shit's going to be all in my hair too. I may have to sport my do wet all week if the smell's too much for me to take.

“Oh, they had some sort of fundraiser at the community center off Vernon. You know my dad can't resist getting a pat on the back for writing a check, even if he wouldn't normally be caught dead on that side of the hood.” Nigel's dad used to play professional basketball but retired after a knee injury. Now he's a top executive at a sports gear company and his mom is a not-so-happy housewife. With their daughter at an elite black college, they make the perfect black American dream family.

“What's up y'all?” I say through the cloud of smoke in the large room. Nigel's room is off the chain. Even Jeremy would be envious of his sports-themed room that is at least the size of the living room downstairs. Nigel's an obvious Laker's fan, with purple and gold making up the color scheme. Vintage Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and A.C. Green posters hang on the wall. The best part of the room is the wall of mirrors where a basketball hoop also hangs. “Like to watch yourself hoop, I see?”

“Perfection is an art that should be admired,” Nigel says, slipping between Mickey's legs in complete comfort.

“For sure, baby,” Mickey says, kissing the top of Nigel's blue wave cap. I've noticed the hood coming back out in my boy since he got with my girl. Nigel's pretty boy was starting to get out of control at Westingle. But between the laid-back atmosphere at South Bay High and hanging with Mickey, he's starting to relax a little and his environment says the same thing. There's an aquarium like the one at Rah's house, a king-sized bed in the center of the room, and two futons on opposite walls, now occupied by Nellie and Chance in one and Nigel and Mickey spread out across the other. Rah and I take a seat at the card table opposite the entertainment center, ready for a quick chill.

“That was a good game, man. Thanks for letting my boy play,” Chance says in between puffs. If I didn't know better, I'd say Nellie has been smoking, but I'm sure it's just a contact high.

“Yeah, y'all did play well together,” I say, looking at both of my girls, who haven't said a word or moved an inch since I walked in. I guess dudes aren't sensitive to the tension between girls but I can cut it with a butter knife it's so thick. What did I miss in the hour we've been apart?

“What's up with you, Jayd?” Nigel says, smiling as he grabs the remote from the side table next to his futon, flipping the television stations while Digable Planets plays in the background.
Blow It Out
is an all-time favorite album of our crew and would be the perfect mellow music if the tension wasn't so hot in this spot.

“Nothing much. Just ready to get back on my grind.” I can only relax so much when I know I have mad work waiting on me at home. This is why I must get my own ride and soon. I hate being at the mercy of other folks, even when we are chilling. When I'm ready to roll, I don't want to have to ask anyone. And by the looks of it, we may be here longer than I want to. It's only a matter of time before one of my girls sets the other one off.

“How's your leg?” I ask Chance as he passes the blunt to Nigel. Rah's looking down at his vibrating phone. The way his jawbone just tightened I'd say it was probably Sandy. As long as he doesn't answer it in front of me, we're good. “It was cool but I think I may have made it worse during the stampede at the beach yesterday.”

“Yeah, that tends to happen after a shooting,” I say as Rah looks at me seriously. I know he worries about me but not as much as I do him.

“You should've seen Nellie's prissy ass trying to get out of the way without messing up her hair. It was hilarious,” Mickey says, making us all laugh. But Nellie doesn't find it amusing at all. Here we go. All it takes is one off-the-wall comment to get these two going when there's already beef between them.

“At least I take my health and well-being seriously, unlike you, mommy-to-be. You only care about yourself, just like when you called Misty out in front of everyone at school. That was stupid, Mickey.” There was more venom in that comment than in snakebite. The two of them have been hating on each other more and more lately and I'm sick of it. I wish Mickey would just come clean so we could move on from being full-time secret keepers and back to being best friends chilling.

“Taking care of myself means getting out of dangerous situations I may find myself in, and calling bitches out like I see them is part of that process,” Mickey says, adjusting Nigel's head in her lap. “It's called street smarts, baby girl. And no, there's no book you can buy to teach them to you. You've got to live it to be it.” Nellie looks like she's about to burst with anger. It's been an extra long day and I can't deal with another fight. I'm ready to go now and I think Rah just got my drift.

“Okay ladies, that's enough,” Chance says, feeling my pain. “Where's the blunt? Let's get this vibe mellowed out. It's been a good day and you two are bringing me down.”

“Y'all can't smoke around Mickey. She's expecting,” Nellie says, taking the blunt away from a now very annoyed Chance. I knew Nellie would be Mickey's nightmare of an auntie but I didn't think it would start this soon. Nigel gets up from his comfy spot and walks across the room, snatching the blunt from a stunned Nellie. Nellie gets up to follow him but he's back in Mickey's clutches before she can get to him.

“Nellie, sit down and shut up,” Mickey says, taking the blunt from Nigel and licking it, irritating Nellie even more. “Every pregnant chick I know is around weed twenty-four/seven and their babies come out just fine.” Mickey hits the blunt and passes it back to her man. Nellie looks like she's going to charge our girl and there's nothing I can do but sit and watch it all go down.

“Are you going to let her do that? She's carrying your baby.” Nigel looks across the room at Nellie and exhales the thick smoke. His deep laugh turns into a cough and Mickey laughs at Nellie's concern too. I know Nellie means well but I told her this would happen. If she were really exposing Mickey's foul behavior for our girl's sake, that would be one thing. But Nellie's intentions are purely selfish, which won't benefit anyone, least of all herself.

“Mind your business, Nellie,” Mickey says, sitting up in her seat to look more closely at Nellie. The room is dimly lit but it's enough to see the hate radars glaring across the room.

“It is my business, Mickey.”

I look from Nellie to Mickey and back again, knowing they want to rip into each other right now. Before I can stop her, Nellie lets the kitten out of the bag, forever changing the scope of our friendships. Damn I hate this mess.

“Mickey's not sure who the baby-daddy is and chose you because you're going to be ballin' one day.” So much for Nellie holding her tongue and allowing us a chill ending to our victorious weekend. Nigel doesn't seem surprised by Nellie's revelation, much to the apparent disappointment on Nellie's face. And Chance is completely unaffected by his girl's heart being broken over another dude.

“One day? Baby, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm ballin' now,” Nigel says, shooting a basket against the mirrored wall. Rah catches my eye through the reflection and gives me a look as if to say it's time to roll and I couldn't agree with him more. We've both had enough drama for one day.

“Did you hear what I just said?” Nellie says, stepping up to Nigel as Mickey rises from the futon and steps up to her. “You may not be the father of Mickey's baby.” As the words sink in, Mickey looks from Nigel to Nellie, waiting for the next move. Chance, Rah, and I wait in silence.

“What happens between me and Mickey is between me and Mickey,” Nigel says, throwing another basket. Mickey returns to her seat and Rah and I get up to leave. Nellie looks around the room and feels humiliated. I told her this would happen. She runs past us to go outside and Chance is right behind her.

“Man, I've got to pick up my brother. I'll holla at you later,” Rah says. “Jayd, you ready?”

“Yeah. See y'all at school tomorrow.”

As we walk out of the house I can see Nellie and Chance talking in his car. I know there's going to be some drama to follow in the morning. I know she thinks she was trying to help but that's the problem with giving people things they don't want: they have the right to throw it back in your face, no matter if they needed it or not.

Courtesy of the DRAMA HIGH series

 

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

 

The following is intended to help you get the book club you've always wanted up and running!

Enjoy!

A book club is not only a great way to make friends, but it is also a fun and safe environment for you to express your views and opinions on everything from fashion to teen pregnancy. A teen book club can also become a forum or venue to air grievances and plan remedies for problems.

The People

To start, all you need is yourself and at least one other person. There're no criteria for who this person or persons should be other than their having a desire to read and a commitment to discuss things during a certain time frame.

The Rules

Just as in Jayd's life, sometimes even book club discussions can be filled with much drama. People tend to disagree with each other, cut each other off when speaking, and take criticism personally. So, there should be some ground rules:

1. Do not attack people for their ideas or opinions.
   
2. When you disagree with a book club member on a point, disagree respectfully. This means that you do not denigrate other people for their ideas or even the ideas themselves, i.e., no name-calling or saying, “That's stupid!” Instead, say, “I can respect your position, however, I feel differently.”
   
3. Back up your opinions with concrete evidence, either from the book in question or life in general.
   
4. Allow everyone a turn to comment.
   
5. Do not cut a member off when the person is speaking. Respectfully wait your turn.
   
6. Critique only the idea (and do so responsibly; saying “That's stupid!” is not allowed). Do not criticize the person.
   
7. Every member must agree to and abide by the ground rules.
   

Feel free to add any other ground rules you think might be necessary.

The Meeting Place

Once you've decided on members, and agreed to the ground rules, you should decide on a place to meet. This could be the local library, the school library, your favorite restaurant, a bookstore, or a member's home. Remember, though, if you decide to hold your sessions at a member's home, the location should rotate to another member's home for the next session. It's also polite for guests to bring treats when attending a book club meeting at a member's home. If you choose to hold your meetings in a public place, always remember to ask the permission of the librarian or store manager. If you decide to hold your meetings in a local bookstore, ask the manager to post a flyer in the window announcing the book club, to attract more members if you so desire.

Timing is Everything

Teenagers of today are all much busier than teenagers of the past. You're probably thinking, “Between chorus rehearsals, the drama club, and oh yeah, my job, when will I ever have time to read another book that doesn't feature Romeo and Juliet!” Well, there's always time, if it's time well-planned and time planned ahead. You and your book club can decide to meet as often or as little as is appropriate for your bustling schedules.
Once a month
is a favorite option.
Sleepover Book Club
meetings—if you're open to excluding one gender—is also a favorite option. And in this day of high-tech, savvy teens,
Internet Discussion Groups
are also an appealing option. Just choose what's right for you! Well, you've got the people, the ground rules, the place, and the time. All you need now is a book!

The Book

Choosing a book is the most fun. COURTIN' JAYD is of course an excellent choice, and since it's part of a series, you won't soon run out of books to read and discuss. Your book club can also have comparative discussions as you compare the first book, THE FIGHT, with the second, SECOND CHANCE, and so on.

 

But depending upon your reading appetite, you may want to veer outside of the Drama High series. That's okay. There are plenty of options, many of which you will be able to find under the Dafina Books for Young Readers program in the coming months.

 

Don't be afraid to mix it up. Nonfiction is just as good as fiction and a fun way to learn about where we came from without just using a history textbook. Science fiction and fantasy can be fun, too!

 

And always, always research the author. You might find the author has a website where you can post your book club's questions or comments. The author may even have an e-mail address available so you can correspond directly. Authors might also sit in on your book club meetings, either in person, or on the phone, and this can be a fun way to discuss the book as well!

The Discussion

Every good book club discussion starts with questions. COURTIN' JAYD, as does every book in the Drama High series, comes with a Reading Group Guide for your convenience, though of course, it's fine to make up your own. Here are some sample questions to get started:

1. What's this book all about anyway?
   
2. Who are the characters? Do we like them? Do they remind us of real people?
   
3. Was the story interesting? Were real issues of concern to you examined?
   
4. Were there details that didn't quite work for you or ring true?
   
5. Did the author create a believable environment—one that you could visualize?
   
6. Was the ending satisfying?
   
7. Would you read another book from this author?
   

Record Keeper

It's generally a good idea to have someone keep track of the books you read. Often libraries and schools will hold reading drives where you're rewarded for having read a certain number of books in a certain time period. Perhaps a pizza party awaits!

Get Your Teachers and Parents Involved

Teachers and parents love it when kids get together and read. So involve your teachers and parents. Your book club may read a particular book whereby it would help to have an adult's perspective as part of the discussion. Teachers may also be able to include what you're doing as a book club in the classroom curriculum. That way, books you love to read, such as the Drama High ones, can find a place in your classroom alongside the books you don't love to read so much.

Resources

To find some new favorite writers, check out the following resources. Happy reading!

 

Young Adult Library Services Association

http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/yalsa.htm

 

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Hip-Hop!

Teen Rap Titles

http://www.carnegielibrary.org/teens/read/booklists/teenrap.html

 

TeensPoint.org

What Teens Are Reading

http://www.teenspoint.org/reading_matters/book_list.asp?soNoIndentrNoIndentt=5&list=274

 

Teenreads.com

http://www.teenreads.com

 

Sacramento Public Library

Fantasy Reading for Kids

http://www.saclibrary.org/teens/fantasy.html

 

Book Divas

http://www.bookdivas.com

 

MegCabot.com

http://www.megcabot.com/