Jayd's Legacy

by L. Divine

  “Hey Jayd,” Bryan says in between mouthfuls of cornflakes. I’m sure it’s his second or third bowl. Early morning munchies can do that to a brotha.

  “What’s up? Glad you made it home this morning,” I say, grabbing a banana from the kitchen counter, heading into the dining room to retrieve my backpack and put on my sandals before heading out the door. I pull my sweater off the back of the chair where my purse is sitting and slip it on even though it’s going to be a warm day. It’s October and the weather is finally changing. And I’m sure it’ll be even cooler once I get to Redondo Beach.

  “Don’t hate because Mama keeps you on lock down, Blackerella,” he says, thinking his little joke is funny. But, it’s not, and I’m tired of the double-standard around here. If I’m supposed to be from a long line of powerful women, how come it seems we have so many limitations? Why can’t I hang till late like Bryan?

  “Whatever,” I say, tired of this argument. “I got to go before I miss my bus,” I say, opening the heavy door before tackling with the security gate. The wrought-iron has been bent for years, making it hard to open.

  “Wait up. I’ll walk with you,” Bryan says as he steps in front of me to open the gate in one quick motion. “Upper body strength: another perk of being a man.” As he steps back into the kitchen to grab his bag, I step outside on the front porch and take in a breath of fresh morning air. I love this time of the morning. Everything feels clean before the dew melts. Bryan slides his black bag over his head, barely missing his dreads.

  “When you gone twist your hair up,” I ask. He looks like a poodle before it gets its hair cut. And, his hair growis fast.

  “As soon as I find somebody I can trust to twist it up for me,” he says, nudging me as we walk down the street toward Alondra Boulevard. He’s been trying to get me to do his hair for a while now. But, I ain’t looking forward to the charity work.

  “You know a sistah don’t work for free,” I say, nudging him back, but harder.

  “How you gone make a nigga pay and we blood,” he says, looking genuinely hurt.

  “How you gone expect something for free and we blood,” I say, mimicking his pitch perfectly. Bryan is more like a brother to me and I love him the most out of all my uncles. But, he’s cheap, just like my ex KJ. Maybe that’s why they can hang. As if he’s in my head too, Bryan asks me about the dudes in my life.

  “So, how’s the White boy? I still can’t believe you picked him over KJ,” he says, sounding as confused as I feel.

  “He’s cool,” I say looking down at my yellow Bebe sandals. The shiny rhinestones shimmer in the morning sun, making me remember what Rah said about dudes buying me things. Between his warning at Homecoming and my mom’s warning in my dream, I’m starting to wonder about Jeremy’s true intentions.

  “Alright, what’s wrong,” Bryan says, knowing I’m not telling the whole truth. Damn he’s intuitive for a dude.

  “Well, Rah kinda came back into the picture recently,” I say, not wanting to tell him everything that happened. He and Rah used to hang out, but not as much as he and KJ do. Rah was all about spending time with me when he came over, which was pretty much everyday when we were together. It was who he hung with after he left my house that was the problem.

  “Rah? What’s that nigga up to? Him and Nigel still hanging tight,” he asks.

  “Yeah, Nigel goes to South Bay now,” I say. I still can’t believe it myself. How did my world get so small?

  “Fo’ sho’? That’s some good shit right there. Now I won’t be so worried about your ass,” he says, pushing me off the curb as we approach Miracle Market.

  “Glad my social life meets with your approval,” I say, a little saltier than necessary. But, this male bonding shit really gets on my nerves sometimes.

  “What’s got your panties all up in a bunch,” he says, taking out a spliff and lighting it right in front of the store. Bryan has no fear.

  “Without getting too detailed, Rah says he just wants to be friends but I don’t think he’s telling the whole truth,” I say, leaving out the juicy kiss he planted on me.

  “He’s probably not, Jayd and you know that. So, what’s the problem?”

  “The problem is I just got into a new relationship and there’s already so much drama.”

  “Well maybe it’s the universe’s way of telling you to make a different choice.” If street philosophy was a major in college, Bryan would have a PhD. in the shit.

  “Oh, here you go. You need to apply for a job as a therapist or something and stop wasting your time working at the Miracle Mart,” I say as I walk away from his cannabis cloud, toward the bus stop on the corner.

  “No thanks. I like my life just the way it is,” Bryan says as he takes one last draw before putting it out and back into his bag, ready for work. “Can you say the same thing?”

  As the bus pulls up to take me to my first stop in Gardena, I can’t help but think about what Bryan just said. What if all this chaos in my relationship with Jeremy is telling me to make a different choice? Then, what do I do?

  After last week’s Homecoming hype, I’m looking forward to a normal day at school. Nellie gets to sport her new crown around campus all day and I’m glad for my girl. With the lunch procession of the Homecoming court taking up all of her time, we probably won’t get to chill too much today. Even though her head’s still in the clouds, I’m glad she’s coming down a little.

  I can’t stop thinking about my dream last night. And, from my experiences, they usually come true in one way or another. I wonder if Tania really is pregnant with Jeremy’s child. Wouldn’t that be some shit? Young Middle Eastern girls getting married ain’t really all that surprising around here. But, one of them being pregnant by a White boy would certainly make heads turn, I’m sure. Speaking of which, here’s my White boy now.

  “Hey baby,” Jeremy says as he reaches across the passenger’s seat, taking my backpack and throwing it into the backseat while I sit down for the short ride up the hill to campus. If South Bay High didn’t have so much drama, it wouldn’t be such a foul place to come to every day. It’s a clear morning and the unobstructed view of the ocean is always refreshing.

  “Hey Jeremy,” I say as we kiss. I haven’t spoken to him since early yesterday afternoon. I stayed up all night with Mama working in the spirit room and didn’t get a chance to call him before I went to sleep. All I can think about now is Raheem’s lips touching mine. What the hell?

  “How was your evening, Lady J,” he says, pulling his Mustang away from the bus stop and joining the rest of the caravan rushing to get a good parking space. “I called you but I figured you were tired from work.” If he only knew the half of it.

  “It was fine. Just hella busy. I had a lot of homework to do last night,” I say, leaving out the spirit work part of my evening. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to share that side of my life with him especially since he doesn’t believe in God or anything close to it. If I tell him about my lineage as a Voodoo Queen, he’ll probably react like Misty and think I’m trying to cast a spell on him. And to think, the first potion I made was to help keep his ass out of jail.

  “I hear you. I’m still making up work from my suspension weeks ago. The teachers up here are relentless.” Yes, they are, especially when it comes to homework. You’d think we were in college already.

  “I gotta shake it off ...” Mariah sings, announcing a phone call. I have to switch up my ringtone every now and then to suit my mood. The caller ID reveals Rah’s name, making me tingle just like I did when he kissed me yesterday. This isn’t good.

  “Hey, can you drop me off right here,” I say as we approach the front gate, still in line behind at least twenty other fancy cars waiting to get into the crowded parking lot. “I need to get something out of my locker before the bell rings,” I say, only telling half the truth. I just want some space to think for a little while before the day begins.

  “Sure thing, Lady J.” God, Jeremy’s so sweet, making me feel even g
uiltier about Rah. When did I become the bad one? “I’ll catch up with you at break,” he says, leaning over to give me a kiss. His lips are so soft and pleasant. I can’t hurt him. I just can’t.

  START YOUR OWN BOOK CLUB

  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!

  Start Your Own Book Club

  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’s no criteria for who this person or persons should be other than 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 their 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 every one 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. THE FIGHT is of course an excellent choice, and since it’s 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, to 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.

  But don’t be afraid to mix it up. Nonfiction is just as good as fiction and a fun way to learn about from where we came without just using a history text book. 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 will 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. THE FIGHT, as will every book in the Drama High series, comes along 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 where 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?sort=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/

  Meg Cabot Book Club

  http://www.megcabotbookclub.com/

  DAFINA BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  850 Third Avenue

  New York, NY 10022

  Copyright © 2007 by L. Divine

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  Dafina Books and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-0-7582-8184-5

 

 

 
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