Drama Queens

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  “Lucas?”

  “Yeah?” he finally said.

  “I’m sorry I’m not there.”

  “Wow, I’m just trippin’ off you missing out on stuff because of your child.”

  I shrugged, as if he could really see me. “Oh, well, the price you pay for being a parent.”

  Silence again. Then, “Are you going to be able to go to the dance, or will you have to babysit then, too?” he asked sarcastically.

  I didn’t know how to respond to that. I mean, he knew about my daughter, so I didn’t know why he was copping an attitude.

  “What is your problem?” I finally asked.

  He let out a loud huff. “This is crazy. I think you should find someone else to go to the dance with.”

  “What?” I screeched, bolting up on the sofa so fast I almost dropped the phone. “Are you for real?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “My boys was already hasslin’ me, talking about am I gonna bring diapers instead of a corsage. I don’t need the drama. And I’m looking to hang all night. I don’t want my night ruined because you gotta get home to some baby.”

  I wanted to protest that that wouldn’t be the case, but I was so dumbfounded that I was speechless.

  “Look, I’ll holla at you later.” He hung the phone up before I could say a word.

  I was too stunned to cry. What was I supposed to do now? Was this the way boys would act for the rest of my life? I felt myself tearing up as I dropped the phone in my lap. But before the tears could fall, my gaze returned to the piece of paper with Rico’s phone number.

  Stop being scared, I told myself. I took a deep breath, dabbed my eyes, then picked up the phone to call Rico before I lost my nerve.

  7

  Jasmine

  Mama, Mama, Mama!” I yelled as I raced into the apartment. “I have some great news!” I stopped in my tracks when I realized my mother and sister were going at it again.

  “I don’t understand why you won’t give him a chance!” my sister, Nikki, was shouting.

  “Number one, who are you screaming at?” my mother responded. “Number two”—she took a deep breath to calm herself down—“all I’m saying is have some respect for yourself. The boy already got that crazy girl pregnant.”

  As soon as she said that, I knew she was talking about my sister’s trifling boyfriend, Davon. She’d hooked up with him after Tony, her longtime high school boyfriend, dumped her when he went to college. I tried to tell her that guys want girls who are doing something with their lives, and since my sister was content working part-time at a beauty supply store, she didn’t exactly fit into that category.

  “He said he don’t even know if that baby is his,” Nikki protested.

  She was looking ghetto-fabulous as usual. Her burgundy microbraids swung from side to side as she argued. And I don’t know how my mom could even see the way her gold tank top was shimmering.

  “That’s my point! He’s not sure. He’s not saying absolutely not. But he’s not sure. You know what?” My mother said as she threw up her hands, “I don’t even know why I’m having this discussion with you. You have blinders on when it comes to that boy!”

  My grandmother called out from the kitchen, “I don’t know why you bother trying to talk to her either. It’s not like the girl’s gonna listen.”

  Nikki clicked her teeth and rolled her eyes. “Everybody is always ganging up on me.”

  “I know a solution to that—move out,” I replied casually. I finally let my presence be known.

  Nikki had moved out once before when she’d gotten mad at my mom. But after one month of trying to pay bills on her own, she’d been begging to come back home. And since we only had three bedrooms, that meant I had had to go back to sharing a room with her.

  “Shut up, Jasmine,” she said.

  “I’m just saying.”

  “Don’t you two start. My head is throbbing as it is.” My mom massaged her temple before starting back in on Nikki. “Now, I done told you before, that girl is calling over here, playing on my phone, and I’m tired of it. Honestly, you need to stop letting that boy degrade you. You said yourself he’s getting beeped all night long.”

  I stared at my sister in surprise. “What kind of buster still uses a beeper?”

  “Jasmine, that’s enough,” my mother warned.

  I shrugged and went into the kitchen. I hadn’t come home to fight with Nikki. “Hey, Granny,” I said, leaning over to kiss her as she battered up some fish.

  “Hey, baby.”

  “How long they been at it?” I motioned toward the living room.

  “Too long. But I just do like I always do and tune them out.” We both nodded as she dropped a piece of battered fish into the hot oil.

  “Ummm, catfish and fries, my favorite,” I said, inhaling the scent.

  As Nikki screamed something, my grandmother shook her head. “They just going back and forth, ’bout to work my last nerve.”

  “Where are Jaheim and Jalen?” I asked.

  “Where else? Down at that basketball court. You gon’ need to go get ’em in a minute.”

  “Okay, Granny,” I said, picking a french fry up off the plate and popping it into my mouth.

  I flinched because it was hot, then said too casually, “You must be cooking my favorite meal because you knew I had good news.”

  My grandmother wiped her hands on her apron. “Again? I know, you won the lotto and you gon’ buy your granny her own house?”

  “Yeah, right.” I smiled. “Well, it’s the next best thing to winning the lotto.”

  “The Cash Five?”

  “No, Granny.” I laughed. “You remember how Mama talked about not having enough money for me to go to college?”

  The smile left her face. “Yeah, baby. And I’m sorry about that. I was hoping you’d be the first in the family to go.”

  “Well, I still will be,” I said proudly.

  “What?”

  I sat down at the table, finally able to express my excitement. “Granny, Miss Rachel called up a few friends and got me a full scholarship!”

  Miss Rachel had shown up to the school today to deliver the news. She’d called Dr. Breyer from Prairie View, who’d immediately put her in touch with some people who’d had some unused scholarship money. They’d been more than happy to give to a needy person. And I was needy with a capital N.

  “What? You mean, you don’t have to pay nothing?” my grandmother asked.

  “Nope.” I beamed.

  Her hand went to her chest. “Well, glory be. I told you, girl, prayer works.”

  “Yeah, I did pray for an answer,” I said, thinking of how just last night I’d prayed for almost fifteen minutes, asking God to help me out on this one.

  “And you weren’t alone, baby girl,” she replied. “Granny was praying mighty hard.”

  “Miss Rachel did say to just be faithful.”

  My granny wagged her finger at me. “Not only does God ask you to stay faithful, but God also asks you to stay faithful in the face of hourly temptations, stresses, and influences that can destroy your faith.”

  I had to cut her off before she got on her soapbox and started preaching, which she was known to do. “Well, I’m just glad it all worked out.” I did a little shimmy. “I’m goin’ to college,” I sang.

  “What did your mama say? I tuned that fighting out so I didn’t hear when you came in.”

  “She doesn’t know,” I said, annoyed. “That’s what I wanted to tell her, but her and Nikki were going at it.”

  “Girl, if you don’t get out from here!” She didn’t finish her thought. Instead she grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the kitchen. “Jetola!” she called out to my mother as she dragged me toward the living room. “While y’all in here arguing over that tired old mess, Jasmine’s got the best news ever.”

  Both of them stopped talking and turned to me.

  “What kind of good news?” my mother said.

  “If it’s about you getting accepted at
PV, you already told us that,” Nikki snapped. “Now, do you mind? We’re having a conversation.”

  “Nikki, this conversation is done.” My mother waved her off and turned to me. “What good news do you have, Jasmine? Because I sure can use some good news.”

  Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure that she’d be happy about my news. After all, she was the one who had said she needed me to work to help out around the house.

  “Well, I . . .” I don’t know why I was so nervous. I guess it was because I was scared my mother would say that it didn’t matter that I’d gotten a scholarship, I still wouldn’t be able to go to college.

  “The girl got a full scholarship to that college!” my grandmother blurted out.

  “What?” my mom exclaimed.

  “Yeah, Miss Rachel found a scholarship that I qualified for,” I softly said. “And I don’t have to pay anything.”

  I studied my mom for a reaction, but her face was blank. Then she quickly turned her back to me. I couldn’t believe it was about to go down like this.

  I came toward her. “Mama, please tell me I can go. I know you said you need me to stay here and work, but maybe I could use some of the scholarship money and help around the house.” I didn’t know how, or if, that would even be possible, but I would do whatever it took.

  “Girl, you hush that nonsense,” my mom said, turning back to face me. I noticed then the tears welling up in her eyes. “Of course I could use your financial help around the house.” She walked over and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. “But do you think for one moment I’m going to let my baby pass up a full scholarship? If you think that, you have another think coming.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked, confused.

  My mother stuck her arms out as a huge smile appeared on her face. “It means my baby is going to college. Come here,” she said, pulling me into a big bear hug.

  “But I thought you said I couldn’t go,” I mumbled.

  She pulled back and stared at me. I was shocked at the tears now trickling down her face.

  “Jasmine, I’ve been praying and trying to figure out some kind of way to get the money. I told you I needed you to work because I didn’t think I’d be able to get the money and I didn’t want you to get your hopes up. So I thought maybe if you just didn’t set your heart on going in the first place, it wouldn’t be broken when I couldn’t find the money.” She looked like a terrible weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

  “So, you mean I can go?”

  “Of course you can.” She pulled me into a hug again. I felt her tears against my cheek.

  “Mama, why are you crying?” I asked.

  “My baby is going to college,” she said, rocking me gently.

  At last I sank into her embrace, loving the sound of those words. But just as quickly as my excitement built, it faded. Everything was falling into place too easily. In my life, things just didn’t work like that. No, I had a feeling in my gut that something was going to come along and cause me grief. So, I just needed to brace myself for when it happened.

  8

  Angel

  This is how a girl is supposed to be treated, I thought as Rico ordered for me. I didn’t even know if I’d like the chicken lasagna he’d ordered, but I liked having him take charge and order for me. This was our first official date, after we’d talked on the phone every single day since I’d gotten up the nerve to call him. I finally found out that they called him R-Train because he was an aspiring rapper and that was his stage name. He said he wanted me to keep calling him Rico, which only his family and close friends called him. He’d made my heart flutter when he’d said he had a feeling I was “definitely going to be a close friend.”

  “So, tell me, what’s a pretty girl like you doing without a boyfriend?” Rico said, leaning back and flashing that gorgeous smile. We’d already talked about that, but I would talk about it however many times he wanted because I was thrilled that he hadn’t freaked out over the fact that I had a little girl.

  “I don’t like the guys at my school,” I said casually. “They’re too immature.”

  “It’s what I told you. What else would you expect from sixteen- and seventeen-year-old boys?”

  I forced a smile at that reference. In our first conversation, Rico had dropped a bombshell—he was twenty-five years old. I’d almost passed out when he’d told me that. But he’d quickly reminded me that “age wasn’t nothing but a number.” While I could get used to his age, my mom would so freak if she found out how old he was. She had never said I couldn’t date, but since I’d had Angelica, the issue had simply never come up. But I knew even if she did allow me to date, she wouldn’t want me dating someone as old as Rico.

  “You still talk to your baby’s father?” Rico asked, breaking into my thoughts.

  That wiped the smile off my face. “A little. But just for Angelica,” I quickly added. “Honestly, it was my first time, you know, being with somebody, and I wound up pregnant. Needless to say, all those lines he fed me about loving me were a lie, because he bailed and only started coming around a few months ago.”

  The truth was a little more complicated. I’d been torn up for months while Marcus ignored me, but I’d gotten over him.

  “Any chance of you two getting back together?”

  “Not in this lifetime,” I said adamantly.

  He seemed pleased by that answer and nodded in approval.

  “Would you like anything else?” the waitress said. We hadn’t even seen her approach our table.

  “We’ll have two slices of strawberry cheesecake and two glasses of wine,” he said.

  “Ummm, I’ll just have another lemonade, please,” I said.

  “Don’t you want some wine or something?” Rico asked.

  I looked confused, but before I could reply, our waitress said, “I’d have to see some ID.”

  Rico didn’t hesitate as he pulled out his license. She read it and handed it back to him. “I need to see yours as well,” she told me.

  “I . . . I . . .”

  “Why do you need to see hers?” Rico asked. “You see I’m old enough.”

  “Yes, you are,” the waitress replied. “But I need to make sure she is, too.” She motioned toward me.

  Rico looked like he was getting agitated, so I quickly sidestepped the issue. “It’s okay. Lemonade is fine.”

  The waitress nodded. “I’ll get those drinks and be right back with your dessert.”

  I could tell Rico was kinda upset. “She know she didn’t have to ask for your ID,” he grumbled.

  “Hey, it’s no big deal,” I said. “I don’t drink anyway.”

  He sighed. “I just wanted to make the evening nice for you.”

  “You have no idea how nice it is,” I said. I had to pinch myself, because I couldn’t believe my luck. Rico was funny, charming and sweet. During our phone conversations, he’d told me so much about himself that I felt like I’d known him for years.

  “You know, Angel,” he said, finally relaxing, “you’re not like other girls.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I mean, you’re a lot more mature, ya know?”

  “Well, unfortunately, I had to grow up a lot faster than most girls.”

  “We’ve spent so much time on the phone, and I want to spend more time with you in person,” he said after the waitress returned with our drinks and desserts. “Would you like that?”

  I nodded. “I would.” I was definitely feeling Rico. I hadn’t had a boyfriend since Marcus two years ago—and I don’t even know if that could be classified as a boyfriend, since he dumped me the minute he found out I was pregnant. Yeah, Rico was just what I needed.

  “That’s what’s up.” He stretched both arms out along the top of his booth. “You know I’m gonna be major one day. My rap game is off the chain.”

  I nodded. “Do you rap much at parties around campus?”

  “Naw, they can’t afford me. Really, the only reason I’m hanging aro
und school is because I’m trying to make sure I got the business side down. I don’t want to be one of those rappers who ends up broke because he couldn’t handle his business.”

  That brought a smile to my face. So he had a head on his shoulders, too? He was looking better and better by the minute.

  Rico promised to “show off his rap skills” for me later on, but as he popped a spoonful of strawberry cheesecake into his mouth, he steered the conversation back to us.

  “So,” he said, “what do I have to do to make you mine?”

  I almost choked on a strawberry. “Excuse me?”

  “I know you’re used to those high school dudes, tryin’ to run game and stuff. But I don’t do that. I shoot straight, and if I see something I want, I go after it. And I want you, Angel Lopez.”

  That totally caught me off guard. I couldn’t help but compare him to Marcus. He was trying to act like he had some sense now that he was in Angelica’s life. I didn’t want him anymore, but I couldn’t understand why he’d been such a jerk with me in the first place.

  “So, you’re not feeling me?” Rico asked point blank when I didn’t respond.

  “No—”

  “No?”

  I smiled. “Would you let me finish? No, it’s not that. I’m definitely feeling you. I just . . .” I didn’t know what to say. I was shocked that someone like Rico—a cute college guy—would be interested in me.

  “Then that’s all that needs to be said. You’re feeling me. I’m feeling you. So now we just need to make it happen.”

  “Make what happen?”

  “Us.” He held up his glass. “Here’s to us and our future.”

  I clinked his glass. I wanted to ask if he was saying what I thought he was saying. But one look in his eyes and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was officially Rico’s girl.

  I’d moved beyond Marcus—and all those other boys and now had myself a college man!

  9

  Jasmine

  We were doing our usual laughing and goofing around as we walked into the Good Girlz meeting. The look on Miss Rachel’s face, though, stopped us in our tracks.