Blessings in Disguise

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  I ain’t gon’ even lie, though, I came here kickin’ and screamin’. But since my choice was either the Good Girlz or jail, well, I guess you could see why I’m here. The bad part was I got in a whole bunch of trouble over my stupid, no good, stank, dirty dog ex-boyfriend, Keith. Long story short, the fool went to jail for a carjacking, broke out and had me hiding him in my grandma’s house. Then when the police came, he took off through a back window and I was the one who got arrested for harboring a fugitive. Can you believe that? Me, a straight A (well, sometimes B and C) person, got arrested. I was only fifteen so I didn’t have to go to regular jail. I spent a week in a juvenile facility while they had a manhunt for Keith. And do you know where they found that dog? At his baby mama’s house. That was a bit of a problem because I didn’t know he had a baby. And I dang sure didn’t know he had a baby mama.

  Anyway, he got sent back to jail. They eventually found out he didn’t do it—it was his stepbrother—so he got out. And of course, he tried to come running back to me but I wasn’t hearing it. (Okay, maybe I did take him back one time, but he messed up again, cheating on me with his crazy baby mama, so I kicked him to the curb and I hadn’t talked to him since.)

  “Hello. Earth to Camille.”

  I looked up to see Angel waving her hand in my face.

  I snapped back to the meeting, not even realizing my mind had wandered off.

  “Glad you could rejoin us,” Rachel said with a smile.

  I shot her an apologetic look as she continued talking.

  “Now that I’ve explained to our new girls all of the benefits of our wonderful group, we want everyone to introduce themselves,” Rachel said. “Starting with you, Jasmine.”

  “Aww, Miss Rachel, it’s not like Tameka doesn’t know us. She’s been here before,” Jasmine protested. Tameka had come to our first meeting, but at the time, she chose not to participate. I don’t know what had brought her back this time.

  “It’s not like she even wants to know us,” I mumbled.

  Rachel must’ve heard me because she cut her eyes at me. “Yes, but Jordan doesn’t know everyone,” Rachel said, referring to the brown-skinned girl sitting in the front row. “And why must you give me a hard time on everything?” Rachel asked Jasmine.

  “Fine,” Jasmine said. “I’m Jasmine Jones.” She turned to Rachel with a huge smile. “How’s that?”

  Me, Alexis, and Angel cracked up laughing. Jasmine was our girl. She’d been like Tameka when we first started, a mean tomboy who didn’t want to be here. But we’d broken down her guard and now she was totally cool. We are all tight. The only other person who’d been in our group was Alexis’s friend, Trina. She joined for a little while, but got arrested for shoplifting and sent to jail. (That’s another long story.) So I think none of us were too keen on anyone else joining our little circle, especially somebody with a funky attitude like Tameka.

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “You all are working my nerves.”

  Alexis raised her hand. “I’ll go, Miss Rachel. My name is Alexis Lansing,” she said, standing up, tossing her long golden brown hair over her shoulder. “I’m a junior at St. Pius Catholic School.”

  “But she definitely ain’t no Catholic schoolgirl,” I playfully muttered, referring to her part in the little shoplifting spree she and Trina went on a few months ago. Angel high-fived me as Alexis, who was standing in front of me, shot me the finger behind her back.

  “Big mouth over here is Camille Harris,” Alexis continued, pointing to me. “And that is Angel Lopez,” she said, pointing at Angel. “All of them are juniors at Madison High School.”

  Jordan gave us a smile. She was a weird-looking girl with long black hair that looked like it was in need of a good washing. She wore a long black skirt and long-sleeved black T-shirt, even though it was the middle of August.

  “Now, Jordan, do you want to tell us a little about yourself?” Rachel asked.

  Jordan shrugged. “Not much to tell. I go to Lamar High School and I had to come here because my friends do drugs. I don’t, but my parents think I do because I hang around them. They think by my coming here, it’ll cure me.”

  We all stared at her. That girl was a druggie if I ever seen one.

  “Well, even though you don’t think you need to be here, maybe you’ll get something out of our group,” Rachel said.

  Jordan didn’t look convinced. But Rachel didn’t seem to notice as she began talking about all the community service projects we would be working on, including the one we had scheduled for Saturday.

  By the time we wrapped up, I think all of us were worn out. Alexis, Angel, and Jasmine immediately gravitated toward each other, so I decided to personally welcome Jordan and Tameka, who were sitting off by themselves.

  “Hey, are you guys going to be at the community service project Saturday?” I asked.

  Tameka folded her arms and stuck out her bottom lip. “I guess, since it seems like we don’t really have a choice.”

  Jordan rolled her eyes. “Not if I can help it.”

  The three of us stood there, looking around awkwardly. I noticed Angel, Alexis, and Jasmine cracking up about something. Finally, when I saw neither Jordan or Tameka were in a talkative mood, I shrugged. “Oh, well. See you guys later.” I went back to my friends, telling myself I’d tried. I’d just stick to the original Good Girlz, the ones I knew were my true friends. I guess we just had no room for outsiders.

  Blessings in Disguise

  ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  Reading Group Guide

  Description

  Since joining Rachel Jackson’s after-school church group, Alexis, Jasmine, Camille, and Angel have become the best of friends. Between mentoring local elementary school girls and spending many a sleepover sharing juicy gossip, these four friends are practically sisters. But when Alexis and Jasmine get caught up in their own problems, will they drag their friends into trouble, too?

  Rich girl Alexis has the perfect life, but things aren’t always what they seem. While the world outside sees a happy, loving family, Alexis watches as her mother and father grow more distant and cold, leaving her afraid that her parents might file for divorce. Determined to keep her family together, Alexis will do whatever it takes to fix their marriage, even if it means doing something drastic to get their attention.

  Meanwhile, Jasmine is used to being the glue that keeps her family together, looking after her siblings and cleaning the house while her mother works back-to-back jobs. Tired of being a babysitter and housekeeper extraordinaire, Jasmine decides to move in with her father. But the change of pace isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as she uses her newfound free time to steal a dress for the school dance.

  Reading Group Discussion Questions

  1. Discuss the different family problems that Jasmine and Alexis face. Which girl faces the more difficult challenges? How do they each search for support?

  2. Discuss the evolution of how Jasmine views her father. How does her opinion and understanding of him change throughout the course of the book? What are the biggest factors influencing the way she thinks about him?

  3. Mrs. Lansing made the difficult decision to place her daughter Sharon in a home. She says that she did not have a choice (p. 71), but did she? What were the direct and indirect consequences of her actions? Did others in the Lansing family have a role in her decision-making process?

  4. Because her mother works long hours to support them, Jasmine often relies on her extended family network. What specific means of support do her aunt, grandmother, and brothers and sister offer her? What about her friends at Good Girlz?

  5. Money and theft are major themes in the story. Do Jasmine and Alexis think of money differently? Do you think it’s odd that Alexis, whose family has money, is an instigator in their plot to steal?

  6. Is Jasmine’s new relationship with Donovan a positive or negative influence on her life? How does the relationship make her think and act differently than she did before?

  7. Ja
smine’s father lies to her about his knowledge of her existence and Jasmine’s mother fails to tell her the entire truth. Which is worse? How does each parent’s version of the story influence what happens to Jasmine and how she makes decisions?

  8. Was Donna Sanders wrong to make her husband choose between her and his newborn daughter? Donna is a religious person—is such an ultimatum a religious approach to the problem?

  9. Does Frank Sanders love his daughter Jasmine or does he accept her out of guilt? As an administrator in the school system is he a good role model?

  10. Do you think that Trina deserves to go to prison? If not, what would be a just punishment?

  11. Many of the characters make very questionable decisions. Which one affected you the most? If you could have one character make a different decision, which would it be?

  12. What does the title Blessings in Disguise refer to? What are the many blessings Jasmine has throughout the entire story, but fails to see until the end?

  13. Is there a concrete lesson to be learned at the end of the story? What is it? Is there more than one lesson? If so, which is more important?

  Enhance Your Book Club

  1. The Good Girlz is a great way for young people to work together for the betterment of the community. Have your reading group work with a local church or community youth group and lead them in a reading and discussion of Blessings in Disguise.

  2. Because of Hurricane Katrina, Donovan had to move to the Houston area for school. Work with your reading group to donate to the Red Cross at redcross.org or find other methods to support the gulf coast recovery effort.

  3. Feeling creative? Have a group member draw a sketch for every major scene in the book. Before you know it you’ll have your very own comic book!

  A Conversation with ReShonda Tate Billingsley:

  1. Growing up, were you a member of a group like the Good Girlz?

  I wasn’t, but I wish that I was. I did have a core group of friends that I could count on to have my back. I think, especially in your teens, having that bond with your friends is wonderful.

  2. Authors often remark that they put a little bit of themselves into their characters. Do you identify with any of your characters? Who were your inspirations for Jasmine and Alexis?

  Do I ever! I used to think my mom was the meanest person in the world. I don’t have a problem admitting that now, because I so appreciate her now for those very things I couldn’t stand growing up. All of my characters are inspired by myself, my friends, my relatives. I took bits and pieces of several people to create them.

  3. Both Alexis’ and Jasmine’s families are key parts to your novel. Why did you choose to tell the story from Jasmine’s point of view?

  I wanted Book 2 to be Jasmine’s story. While all of the girls have problems, Jasmine’s was a bit more complex. I think a lot of people can relate to wanting a different life growing up. I wanted to hammer home the point that all that glitters ain’t gold.

  4. Your writing career has been enormously diverse, with both fiction and nonfiction books. What do you like to write best, and why? Do you have a favorite book that you have written?

  I absolutely love writing. But I have to admit I enjoy fiction more. I just wanna make stuff up! I think because my day job (I’m a television news reporter) requires that I stick to the facts, I love the ability to escape to a world where I can make my characters say and do whatever I want them to say and do. As for a favorite book—that’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child!! (lol). I really do love them all. I had so much fun creating characters that it’s really hard to say which one I like the best.

  5. Faith and moral living play a large role in much of your writing. As a writer, why are these important themes for you?

  Absolutely. While I write to entertain, I also want to inspire. I want to help people make good choices in their own lives. I want people to see that it’s okay to fall. All that matters is how you pick yourself up and keep going.

  6. What made you think of a series with each book having one of the Ten Commandments as its theme?

  It was again, all about inspiring young readers. I wanted to teach a strong biblical message without sounding too “preachy.” And I wanted to take an everyday issue and relate it to one of the Ten Commandments. I’m pleased with how it turned out.

  7. Previously you were a professor at Langston University. What similarities and differences have you found between teaching and writing? Which do prefer?

  One of the things I loved about teaching was playing a role in the shaping of young minds. As a professor I was able to help direct and change lives. I had students who had no idea what they wanted to do with their lives and, after my class, not only did they know what they wanted to do—they did it. That means the world to me. And I love being able to have that same effect through writing. I love them both because they each provide a sort of personal enjoyment and fulfillment.

  8. What other writers do you like to read? Which authors influenced your decision to become a writer?

  I love Dr. Maya Angelou. The first novel that had an impact on my life was I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. I knew after reading that book, I wanted to tell stories as well, stories that had an impact on people. I also read a lot of contemporary authors including Jacqueline Thomas, Victoria Christopher Murray, Jihad, Eric Jerome Dickey, and a host of others.

  9. Why did you decide to include Hurricane Katrina in your story? Were you or people close to you directly affected by the storm?

  As a TV reporter for fifteen years, I’ve never covered a story that affected me like Hurricane Katrina. In all my years as a journalist, I’ve never shed a tear while covering a story until Katrina. It pained my heart to watch that devastation. Some of our friends ended up staying with us after the hurricane and their lives would never be the same. Donovan is actually inspired by a young athlete who was good enough to go pro directly from high school in New Orleans, but his life was completely uprooted after the hurricane. I’m happy to say that he is now playing college basketball.

  10. In your own life, what has been the biggest blessing in disguise? What did it take for you to recognize the blessing? My mother. Growing up, my mother was strict. While all my friends could hang out until two in the morning, she wasn’t having it. She even showed up at a club one time (in her hair rollers) when I missed curfew. I thought I would die of embarrassment and I absolutely couldn’t stand my mom. What I didn’t realize then that I do now was that was God’s way of keeping me on track. He was working through my mother to make sure that I could become the woman I am today. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my mother and all her strict rules was the biggest blessing I could have ever known.

  Don’t miss the next Good Girlz adventure

  With Friends Like These

  Coming in April 2007

  Turn the page for a preview of With Friends Like These…

  Camille

  “M y name is Tameka Adams and I don’t want to be here.” Tameka made the announcement like she was at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

  Personally, I wanted to tell her to beat it, then. I know one thing, if she was coming to join our group, homegirl was gon’ have to lose the attitude. I mean, I know she’s Rachel’s niece by marriage and all. But her and her funky attitude needed to go.

  Rachel is our group leader, the founder of the Good Girlz community service group. Don’t let the name fool you, though. We all are far from good. Rachel started the group here in Houston as part of some youth outreach program at Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, where her husband was pastor. Her old snooty church members didn’t want her to start the group. But even though she’s First Lady, Rachel marches to a beat of her own. She told those old biddies where they could go. Now here we are, a year after we started. And even those people who didn’t want us at first, are now feeling us.

  I ain’t gon’ even lie, though, I came here kickin’ and screamin’. But since my choice was either the Good Girlz or jail, well
, I guess you could see why I’m here. The bad part was I got in a whole bunch of trouble over my stupid, no good, stank, dirty dog ex-boyfriend, Keith. Long story short, the fool went to jail for a carjacking, broke out and had me hiding him in my grandma’s house. Then when the police came, he took off through a back window and I was the one who got arrested for harboring a fugitive. Can you believe that? Me, a straight A (well, sometimes B and C) person, got arrested. I was only fifteen so I didn’t have to go to regular jail. I spent a week in a juvenile facility while they had a manhunt for Keith. And do you know where they found that dog? At his baby mama’s house. That was a bit of a problem because I didn’t know he had a baby. And I dang sure didn’t know he had a baby mama.

  Anyway, he got sent back to jail. They eventually found out he didn’t do it—it was his stepbrother—so he got out. And of course, he tried to come running back to me but I wasn’t hearing it. (Okay, maybe I did take him back one time, but he messed up again, cheating on me with his crazy baby mama, so I kicked him to the curb and I hadn’t talked to him since.)

  “Hello. Earth to Camille.”

  I looked up to see Angel waving her hand in my face.

  I snapped back to the meeting, not even realizing my mind had wandered off.

  “Glad you could rejoin us,” Rachel said with a smile.

  I shot her an apologetic look as she continued talking.

  “Now that I’ve explained to our new girls all of the benefits of our wonderful group, we want everyone to introduce themselves,” Rachel said. “Starting with you, Jasmine.”