Lady J
Page 18
“We’ll do it when we get to your house. I brought all the stuff with me.” I need to be making myself some charms, as much trouble as I keep finding myself in.
“You think so? Imagine what would happen if you’d put all of your talent and energy into helping yourself instead of other people? Why would you waste it on a girl who’s proven herself your enemy time and time again?” my mom says in my head. I guess she got my message. “Yes I did, and it’s cool if you don’t come straight to my house. Karl’s coming over for dinner tonight anyway. Tell Rah I said hi.”
“My mom sends her greetings,” I say, folding my phone and putting it back into my purse. Jeremy and I have some unfinished business to deal with and I’m going to have to face it sooner or later. Why is there always baggage in relationships?
“Damn, that was fast. I have to get your service,” he says. He can’t get with this network unless he’s a Williams woman. And no matter how anyone else feels about it, I’m proud to be one of the few.
Today’s one of those days I wish I didn’t have to be at work. I ended up sleeping over at Rah’s house and getting dressed there on the weekends has become second nature. I even have my own towels in his bathroom. It’s so nice having a dude around who’s not constantly pressuring me to have sex. It makes it easy to be myself around him and he appreciates me the way I am.
“Jayd, can I talk to you for a moment?” Summer says, signaling Sarah to take over the register for the first time since Marty put her in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago. I know Summer wants to talk to me about my schedule. I already made up my mind that if they don’t secure my regular sixteen hours, I’m quitting. What I don’t understand is why she waited until the end of the day to deal with this. She and Shahid have been in the office all day, probably picking out matching bathing suits for their upcoming vacation. And I’m not hating on them. I just don’t think it’s fair that we have to suffer for their happiness. I follow Summer into the office where Shahid and Marty are waiting. Here we go again.
“Have a seat, Jayd,” Shahid says in a sour voice. He’s never used that tone with me. I wonder what’s going on. “Jayd, your register has been consistently short for the past two weekends. The receipts don’t match the cash in the drawer. Can you explain this?” Shahid says. Summer takes a seat next to Marty and I feel outnumbered by a pack of wolves. I see there was more than one witch hunt represented in my dream.
“No, I can’t. But I’m sure Marty can.”
Looking up in surprise, Marty shakes her head and proclaims her innocence. “All I know is that every time I cashed your register out, it came up short.” Shahid looks at Summer, and Summer at me. They’ve already made their decision and I’m losing this battle, plain and simple.
“As long as I’ve been working here, have I ever given you a reason to not trust me?”
“No, but we can’t keep ignoring the pattern,” Summer says. Marty smiles at me as she watches me on the hot seat. I don’t have time for this mess. I’m done with this place and her conniving ass. I hope Summer and Shahid are happy with a thief as the manager of their restaurant. I hope they see her for who she truly is before it’s too late.
“I’m out of here,” I say, pulling the black apron over my head and tossing it onto the desk. “You can mail me my final check.”
“Jayd, wait,” Shahid says, rising from his seat to come after me. There’s nothing left to say. It’s five minutes until four. I bet if I walk outside right now Rah will be waiting in the parking lot. “Let’s talk about this rationally.”
“Shahid, thank you for letting me work here. It’s been cool, up until recently,” I say, walking across the dining area to clock out for the last time. I’m going to miss my coworkers. I’ll have to come and hang out from time to time. I’ll also miss the food and the employee discount. But not as much as I miss freedom and respect; two things lacking in this job. “I’ll catch y’all later,” I say to everyone as I walk out of the front door where Rah is waiting for me, just as I anticipated.
“How was your day?” Rah says, pushing the car door open for me to get in. “You look happier than I’ve seen you in weeks.” Not wanting to spoil my mood, I kiss him on the lips to make him forget about my day, and to help me forget, too. I just want to stay in this moment forever, not worrying about cars or cats or other people.
“It was perfect,” I say to Rah as we ride off into the afternoon. The sky is a brilliant orange. I love the early evenings we have in the fall. Ever since the time change last month, it’s been getting darker earlier, making for very long nights. And I want to spend most of them getting to know my new relationships with my powers, and with my man.
Epilogue
“It’s just like black folks to fire your ass at the end of the day,” Jay says, helping me cut up potatoes for our dinner. Mama’s at a neighborhood watch meeting and Jay and I are the only ones home. We’re making turkey burgers and fries, our favorite meal to co-create.
“They didn’t fire me, I quit,” I say, slicing the potatoes as he rises from the kitchen table to heat the oil in the cast iron skillet on the stove. “I do agree it was messed up to make me work the entire day. I could’ve used a Saturday to myself,” I say, recalling yesterday’s scene. Rah and I hung out all weekend. He even took me out to dinner at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, our favorite hang-out back in the day. It feels like old times with him.
“It sounds better when you say fired, like you’re a real bad-ass. You should consider altering your story.” Jay can be so silly when he wants to. He’s more like a brother to me than my cousin, and most of the time I’m glad he’s around.
“Jay, you are crazy, you know that,” I say, gathering the potatoes in a bowl and passing them to him. Between the two of us, he’s the master fryer. My phone vibrating on my hip momentarily distracts me from our conversation. I open it to see Rah’s name in the caller ID. I’ve only been back at Mama’s house for an hour and he’s already missing me. This boy is as sprung as he can be.
“Yes, Rah,” I say, pretending to be annoyed, but he knows better. “What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to tell you that I’ve got your back,” he says, sounding serious.
“I know you do, baby. And I’ve got yours too,” I say, feeling the need to comfort him. He took it hard yesterday when I told him I lost my job. He’s always hated to see me struggle. But we’re both hustlers and I’ll survive my brief unemployment. I’ve decided to ask Netta if I could work out of her shop for the time being. I’m even hoping that she’ll allow me to build up my own clientele. That’s what a sistah really needs.
“What I’m saying is all you need to be doing is braiding hair and doing what you do. And, as your man and your boy, I’m going to see that it happens,” he says. If I didn’t know better, I’d think Rah could read my mind.
“Okay, now you’re scaring me,” I say, walking into the living room. I hear another call coming through and see Jeremy’s name on the caller ID. What the hell?
“You don’t have to be scared with me, girl. I got you, Jayd, and I’m never going to let you down again.” As much as I would like to trust him with my heart, Rah has hurt me on more than one occasion. I would love to believe that he can change, but history tells a different story with both him and, more recently, with Jeremy.
I feel a fight coming on. I don’t know who it’s with or when it’s coming. But when it hits, it’s going to be a big one and I don’t know if I’m ready for it. All I know is that I’ve got to make some choices, and they start with my happiness and sanity first and foremost. In my world, everything and everyone else is secondary from now on.
A Reading Group Guide
Drama High, Volume 5:
LADY J
L. Divine
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The following questions are intended to
enhance your group’s reading of
DRAMA HIGH: LADY J
by L. Divine.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
2. Should Jayd be concerned about Misty, especially to the point of going out of her way to help her? Do you think Misty would do the same for Jayd?
3. Why do you think Jayd is drawn to Misty? Will they ever be real friends again?
4. Do you know of or have a neighbor like Esmeralda? If she were your neighbor, would you be her friend or stay away?
5. Are Nigel and Mickey in love with each other or is it a temporary fling? What’s the difference? How can you tell?
6. After everything that went down with Jeremy and Tania, do you think Jayd should give Jeremy another chance? Explain.
7. Was Jayd right to use her powers on Misty without Misty’s consent? Was she right to use them to help people in the past without their knowledge? What would you do?
8. Did Mickey’s man have a right to be angry with her? If so, do you agree with how he handled the situation? How would you have reacted as either Mickey or her man?
9. Why does Mama stay with her husband if he’s unfaithful? Should she leave him or get another man? Why or why not?
10. Should Lynn Marie be truthful with Karl about her powers? How do you think he’ll react?
11. Was Rah righteous in his behavior by being truthful with Jayd about his relationship with Trish? How would you deal with it if you were Jayd?
12. What would be the reaction at school and in her hood if everyone finds out about Jayd’s powerful lineage? Should she be straight up about her powers or keep it on the low?
13. Will Jayd’s friends be able to handle her destiny or leave her to walk alo ne? If you were her friend, what would you do?
Stay tuned for the next book in
the DRAMA HIGH series
COURTIN’ JAYD.
Until then, satisfy your DRAMA HIGH craving
with the following excerpt from the next
exciting installment.
ENJOY!
Prologue
“Haven’t you heard of no white after Labor Day, Jayd?” Mrs. Bennett says, commenting on my bright attire. It’s okay for folks to wear all black on any given day. But put on white from head to toe and you stick out like a sore thumb.
“Other people’s opinions of you don’t matter, Jayd. It’s what you think of yourself and your heritage that count,” Mama says, creeping into my dream as usual. How does she do that?
“She’s right, Jayd,” my mom says. I guess my dream world has become community property. “I know it’s difficult sticking out in a crowd, especially at school, but it’s worth it. Trust me.” And I know she knows what she’s talking about. My mom gave up on her spirit lessons in high school. But why are they all up in my head this morning?
“Look at that witch,” Reid says, no longer in character but joined by the rest of the drama class in his taunting. “My mom told me about people like you.”
“Yeah, my great-grandmother remembers hearing stories about slaves with strange powers,” Mrs. Bennett says. What is she doing in drama class? She and Mrs. Sinclair don’t get along at all. “They had to be put in their place to protect the others on the plantation,” she says, raising her pointer above her head, which she yields like a weapon in class on a regular basis, ready to strike.
“Fight back, Jayd, like I taught you to,” Mama whispers into my ear as I stand my ground in the center of the room. Everyone has surrounded me, ready to watch the whipping I’m supposed to receive. “None of our ancestors took shit lying down, Jayd. We come from a long line of warriors. Girl, get up and fight!”
“You have no right to judge me,” I say, taking a step back from Mrs. Bennett. None of my friends are here to help me, just the enemies have come to watch. “And you damn sure have no right to hit me,” I say. Mrs. Bennett looks at me, her cold blue eyes shimmering like Esmerelda’s did when she gave me my headache from hell, which starts again as I stare back at her. What the hell?
Watching me stumble in the center of the circle, the entire class laughs hysterically. I feel like Alice in Wonderland. Any minute I’m going to vomit from the dizziness in my head. The laughing is getting louder and more dramatic. The scene switches, with Reid in character as Macbeth. But instead of being Lady Macbeth, I’m one of the witches. Alia’s still laughing, along with the rest of the onlookers, as Mrs. Bennett readies herself to take a cheap shot at me while I’m already down.
“Jayd, don’t you hear that alarm, girl? Get up!” Mama yells from her bed, instinctively saving me from my psychic beat-down.
“Sorry Mama. I’m off my game a little this morning,” I say, shaking my head free from the pounding left over from my dream. I haven’t seen Esmerelda since I gave Misty the list of ingredients I put in her charm bag last week. But I leave out of the back door now always, just in case she’s feeling bold one morning. After getting a taste of her powers, I’ll never give Esmerelda the chance to catch me off guard again.
“As soon as you realize it’s a game that you can master, you won’t ever be off of it again,” Mama says, giving me insight into my own visions, as usual. How does she do that?
“She’s Mama,” my mom says, contributing her two cents. “You haven’t even seen ten percent of what she can really do. Why do you think I stay out of her way?”
“If your mom’s in your head, please tell her to call me. It’s time for her to get a reading about this new man of hers,” Mama says, rolling over in her bed and returning to sleep. When did I become a mail women?
“Mama says to call her,” I say out loud, knowing they both hear me.
“Damn, see what I mean Jayd? She probably already did the reading and wants to see what I have to say. Ain’t no hiding from Mama.” And don’t I know it. I’ll have to talk to her about my dream later. Now it’s time to get to school and face the music. Things have been really tense since everyone found out about me trying to help Misty and when I came to school wearing all white last week. But I’m not deterred from living my life. And with my crew back together as tight as glue, I know I’ll be just fine.
1
Above the Rim
“The world is mine when I wake up/ I don’t need nobody telling me the time.”
—ERYKAH BADU
From my dream this morning I thought my day was going to be much more eventful than it was. It was chill, just going to my classes and getting my assignments for the week. Mrs. Malone still hasn’t returned my paper to me. I’m anxious to see what I got on the rewrite. It was a difficult assignment and I wasn’t into it at all. I hope there will be a lot fewer red marks across the page when I get it back this time.
I did notice people staring at me, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. And me looking extra flyy today gives them a different impression than the one they had of me last week, even though I look flyy in my whites too.
“Jayd, wait up,” Nellie says, joining me as I head to the gymnasium. She, Mickey, and the rest of the South Central crew have PE sixth period when I have dance class. But I don’t usually see any of them walking because I’m always late for dress up. Hiking from drama class is no joke, and takes the majority of the six minutes we have to pass from one class to the next, no matter how far apart they are. Luckily we have ten minutes to dress, which gives me plenty of time to get ready and be on time for roll call.
“Why aren’t you in the gym already?” I say, speed walking up the steep hill. Students are rushing in every direction before the final bell for sixth period rings. “Don’t you have to run laps if you aren’t there for roll call?” Regular PE is different from our elective courses on the AP track, and I always hear about the different rules from her and Mickey both. They think I’ve got it easier because I seemingly have more options. But, like most books, you can’t judge it by its cover.
“Yeah, but we have a sub today,” she says, and instantly I know it’s Mr. Adewale, the fine-ass sub who’s been working here for the past coupl
e of weeks. Damn, I wish I had her class today. “And check it. Nigel, Chance and Jeremy are playing a game of basketball against KJ and his boys. You’ve got to come see.”
“What the hell are they doing that for?” I say, obviously more out of the loop than I realized. I missed kicking it with them at lunch because I was rehearsing in drama class and nothing seemed unusual at nutrition.
“Because they’re boys,” Nellie says, pulling me in the direction of the main gymnasium instead of to the back where the dance studio, Olympic-sized pool, and weight rooms are housed. I have a good view of the football field from my class, but the outside basketball courts are on the other side of the building, which is where all sparring matches are held unless it’s raining, like it’s supposed to do this afternoon.
“Yeah, but don’t they have football practice now?” Chance and Jeremy are seniors and elected not to have class last period of the day, especially since they aren’t athletes. They’d usually be at the beach right about now. It’s mid-November and getting cooler, making surfing uncomfortable, I suppose. But still, a game against KJ is tantamount to suicide and I can’t imagine the fun in that.
“Yeah, but Mr. Donald had a meeting, so the team just has to run drills and lift weights today. But they all got into it in fourth period today, arguing about some stupid shit,” Nellie says, shaking her head at the painful memory. “KJ challenged Nigel to a game of one-on-one and Nigel accepted, but it quickly turned into three-on-three when Del and C Money wanted in on the action. Chance had Nigel’s back, making Jeremy an honorary team player, of course.”