Meanwhile, Davanté was preoccupied with explaining his outline to Mrs. Beauchmont. He spent his lunch hour with her as she helped him create a starting outline for his project.
“Now, that looks like an outline!” she said.
She studied his sketchbook while she spoke. Davanté was beside himself with energy. He wished he could go home now to start working on it.
Mrs. Beauchmont showed him how to imagine the creation of each step, each layer of the work. Davanté felt that he could certainly complete it well before the due date.
“Um, Mrs. Beauchmont?” he asked.
“Yes?” said Mrs. Beauchmont.
“So, what if I run out of space? What if I need a larger space to paint?” asked Davanté.
Mrs. Beauchmont thought about his question for a few seconds.
“Hm, well, let's see,” she began. “Oh! I know! Now, there's a portion of the gym wall that the school needs to re-paint. In fact, we were going to do it this summer. Why don't you use that as your final canvas? It will be perfect!” she said.
“Wow. You mean, I could actually paint on the wall?” asked Davanté.
“Why not? I see what you are going to do. I like it. It's nothing vulgar, but everything beautiful and inspiring. It's in very good taste,” said Mrs. Beauchmont.
“Okay. Can I see the wall you're talking about?” asked Davanté.
“Of course,” said Mrs. Beauchmont.
Mrs. Beauchmont stood up and walked Davanté out of her office.
“Melly, tell Mr. Parker that I'm walking a student out,” she said to her secretary.
“Sure thing,” replied Melly.
Mrs. Beauchmont walked with Davanté towards the gymnasium. Before entering the double doors, she motioned for Davanté towards another door.
When they exited from this door, Davanté found himself outside, behind the school. The gymnasium was to their right.
Mrs. Beauchmont pointed to the wall. It was a yellowing wall, once white, that faced the neighborhood houses. The wall was so big that Davanté figured that anyone could see it from several blocks away.
“Wow! Mrs. Beauchmont, this is cool. I'm going to need a ladder, though. And I'll need help. And I'll-,” said Davanté.
“Oh, don't worry. Leave it to me. You will have all that you need. Before you get here, you need to get that sketch on your canvas at home. Then, we can prepare the wall for you,” said Mrs. Beauchmont.
Davanté shook Mrs. Beauchmont's hand. She laughed and grabbed Davanté's arm towards her so as to embrace him in a bear hug. Only after Davanté's phone buzzed in his pocket did she let him go.
“Now, young man, you know that cell phones are not permitted in class,” Mrs. Beauchmont said sternly.
“I know,” said Davanté.
They walked back through the same door that led them into the hallway. Mrs. Beauchmont turned to Davanté, reminding him of their meeting next week.
“Don't forget, next week I want to see your canvas. You can leave it in my office. I have the key and I always lock it whenever I leave. Do you understand? Next week?” she said.
“Yeah, I'll be here. I'm gonna work on it,” said Davanté.
Mrs. Beauchmont dismissed Davanté, urging him to return to his class. After he left, he passed by his locker first to grab his books.
As he sat in his last class for the day, Davanté thought about Mrs. Beauchmont. He felt that she was what his mother could have been if her circumstances were different. Mrs. Beauchmont was healthy, clean and always positive.
On the other hand, Davanté remembered how much his mother struggled with depression. Sometimes days passed before his mother bathed or brushed her teeth. Often, Davanté had to comb her hair before he left for school to prevent it from matting.
Davanté loved his mother, but there were days when he had craved positive attention from her. He had daydreamed of the nights when she would go to bed with the joyful anticipation of starting a new day. Although Davanté had needed much more than his mother gave him, he loved her all the same.
He wondered if she had changed in heaven. Maybe now, she's happy, Davanté thought. Maybe now, she can sing and share the brightness of her heart, he mused.
Davanté did not listen to the lessons his teacher was expounding upon in class. It was the shrill of the final bell that shook him from his thoughts.
Like usual, he filed out of the classroom, switched books from his locker and headed towards the bike racks. Lionel was waiting for him.
“Hey man!” said Lionel.
The friends eagerly bumped fists. Lionel clowned with some other friends while Davanté unlocked his bike and prepared it for the ride home.
“Alright! See you tomorrow! You know I'm playin' Kobe tonight!” called out Lionel to the other teens.
“Man, you're crazy,” said Davanté as they set out on the route home.
“Yeah, you won't be sayin' that after you watch me hit those three-pointers!” said Lionel, jumping up as if dunking an imaginary basketball.
“Guess what?” said Davanté.
“What?” asked Lionel.
“Mrs. Beauchmont is gonna let me use the gym wall for my GSP,” said Davanté.
“What!” said Lionel.
“Yeah, but don't tell anyone. She said that she has to get final approval from the principal,” said Davanté.
“Wow. So, you're gonna paint on the gym wall?” asked Lionel.
“Yup,” said Davanté.
“Man, that is beyond cool. You know what this means, don't you?” asked Lionel.
“What?” said Davanté.
“It means that everybody is going to know you. I mean, everybody is going to know that you're an artist. Are you ready for it? This is like, your debut, man,” said Lionel.
Davanté had not thought about that. He had not thought about the notoriety that would permanently be linked to him.
“Naw, I hadn't thought about that,” said Davanté.
“Vanté, man, that is so, so good. You've been hiding your talent for too long. It's about time you showcased it. That was a good idea. Seems like the old witch likes you,” said Lionel.
“Yeah. You know, I don't know if she's really a witch. She's not what I thought she was,” said Davanté.
Lionel chuckled. “Hm. I guess she's got you under her spell,” he said.
“Naw, seriously, man. I think she's cool,” said Davanté.
Lionel stopped laughing. “Okay, if you say so,” he said.
A car full of teens from their high school suddenly passed them by. The driver pressed his horn and waved to Davanté and Lionel. Davanté noticed Vanessa sitting in the backseat. She blew him a kiss as the car sped off.
“Speaking of witches...,” said Lionel.
“Man, stop talking about Nessa like that,” said Davanté.
“Vanté, I know you don't see what I see. And I'm not gonna interfere, but I just have to warn you that Vanessa is up to something,” said Lionel.
“Nessa is always up to something,” said Davanté.
“No, I mean, like something dangerous,” said Lionel.
The teens rounded the corner to Aunt Thelma's house. In their usual fashion, they sat on the front porch steps until Mr. Kettles drove by to pick Lionel up.
“What do you mean, dangerous?” asked Davanté.
“Well, I mean that she might seduce you to get her pregnant,” said Lionel.
“What!” said Davanté.
“I'm serious. Man, I'm dead serious. Her sister did the same thing to my cousin. That's why I don't like her. That's why I never liked her. It seems like all the girls in her family do that. She has another sister who did the same thing to some poor dude,” said Lionel.
“Man, I don't know. That's crazy,” said Davanté.
“Exactly. And crazy is right up Vanessa's alley. I bet she'll try it,” said Lionel.
“Nessa's not that crazy. Naw. Besides,
she always talks about going to college and stuff. She doesn't want no baby,” said Davanté.
“I never said she wanted a baby. I just said she's dangerous and she'll do anything to keep you focused on her, man. She's crazy like that,” said Lionel.
Davanté did not respond. He did not want to think that Vanessa would try to ruin his future in that way. Davanté swore to himself that he would never turn out like his father.
“Alright, gotta go. See you tomorrow, man,” said Lionel upon seeing his father's car.
Davanté bumped his fist and waved Lionel off. But before going inside the house, he remained seated on the porch. As he watched the Navigator speed off, his smartphone buzzed in his pocket. It was Vanessa.
“Hey Nessa,” said Davanté.
“Hi sweetie,” said Vanessa.
Davanté noticed her voice was extraordinarily tender.
“What's up?” he asked.
“Oh, I just wanted to say hi. I figured you and Lionel finally reached home by now. You looked so good when I saw you. That's why I blew you a kiss.”
“Is that so?”
“You know it. In fact, I was wondering if you wanted to come over tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah. My parents are out of town.”
“Hm. Is that so?”
“Yes. Vanté, is that all you can say?”
“Oh, no. I'm just thinking.”
“Thinking about what?”
“Well, I was thinking about that GSP thing. I kind of have a lot of stuff to do.”
You're going to brush me off because of school work?” said Vanessa with a huff.
“Oh, no Nessa. I'm just thinking about scheduling, that's all.”
“Well, which is it? Me or some stupid assignment?”
“You, always you.”
“Good. Be here at eleven.”
“Eleven? Why so late?”
“Why? Are you scared that your big ugly auntie won't let you out of the house?” she teased.
“No. I can go out whenever I want. I'm just wondering why do I have to go to your house so late? Why can't I come by earlier? Like around eight?”
“Because I said so.”
Davanté sighed. “Okay, Nessa. I'll be there at eleven.”
“Good. I'll see you then. Oh yeah, just call me when you get here, okay? Don't knock on the door.”
Davanté rolled his eyes. “Okay, Nessa. I'll call you when I get to your house.”
Vanessa giggled before ending the call. Davanté did not want to believe that Lionel could possible by right. She's just playing her usual Vanessa games, Davanté thought. He was confident he could control Vanessa and had no fear that she would try to ruin his future.
Davanté thought no more of it and finally went inside his aunt’s house.
Nine
Being Davanté Page 11
