by L. Divine
“Because the bitch is crazy,” my mom says, feeling my frustration.
“Mom, you can’t call her a bitch. She’s young enough to be your daughter,” I think back, while still trying to work my way up the hill without rolling back too far. The cars behind me are honking at my slow progression but I don’t care. I’d rather them be mad at me than hit anyone. All I need is to have an accident. My mom would never let me live that down.
“You worry too much, Jayd. And no, Sandy isn’t old enough to be a child of mine. That girl’s eighteen and a mother, therefore she’s fair game and a bitch is a bitch, as I’m sure you know.” My mom’s got a point there. If there’s an official club, Sandy’s got to be the president.
“Can you help me drive this thing or what?” I say aloud. If the traffic weren’t so slow trying to get into the parking lot I wouldn’t have this problem. I’ve experienced more stop-and-go in the ten minutes I’ve been waiting in line here than my mother does on the 405 freeway during rush hour.
“You have to learn how to drive in all situations, Jayd. Besides, it’s good for you to know how to drive a stick. It’s an irreplaceable skill to have. Now, the first thing you need to do is calm down, little one, and put the car in neutral.” I follow my mom’s instructions and the car starts to slide backwards. “Put your foot on the brake, Jayd! Damn, girl, you have to use your common sense always.”
“Mom, I had a very rough night. Please cut me some slack,” I say, near tears. I notice the new girl, Shawn, walking past me and looking at me like I’m crazy. I guess she heard that about me and probably thinks I’m talking to myself. I don’t care what she thinks of me. As long as she keeps walking, it’s all good.
“Okay, I’m sorry. Now, ease off of the brake and apply an equal amount of pressure on the clutch before shifting into first gear. Then, press slightly on the gas. If you do it right, the car should go smoothly up the hill.” At first, the car lurches forward, but then I ease up on the clutch and press the gas simultaneously. It works smoothly, just like my mother said it would.
“Thank you, Mom,” I think back.
“That’s what I’m here for. Now, what about this rough night?” I pull up in line and feel like an old pro at driving a stick the way I’m handling the hill. I’m almost in a good mood for the first time in days and don’t want to mess it up thinking about my dream.
“Mom, I really don’t want to go into that right now.” I’m next in line to get through the gate and really want to get on with my day. It’s bad enough Rah still hasn’t returned any of my calls or text messages since he picked up his Acura from my mother’s house yesterday. I want to know if he’s heard from Rahima. I know he feels like he’s the only one missing his daughter, but I miss her too, and I need to know if he’s heard from Rahima’s crazy-ass mama.
“Okay, fine. But I will remind you this weekend when I see you. Have a good day, baby, and let me know how your day went later on.”
“Alright, Mom. You too,” I think back. I have to watch it talking aloud to her when I’m in public. I already have a reputation as a voodoo girl. The last thing I need is the school thinking I’m a schizoid, too.
“Hey, Jayd, new wheels again?” Jeremy says from his car to mine, catching me off guard. Somehow he’s pulled way up beside me, putting his car in the perfect position to ease his way behind mine and to be next in line to get through the gate. I guess being the most popular guy on campus has its advantages even before the school day begins.
“Yeah, my mom had sympathy for me and let me roll her car until I get wheels of my own.” I haven’t heard from my daddy since I left my dilapidated vehicle he bought me for Christmas in his driveway Saturday night, and don’t expect to hear from him anytime soon. I know he’s pissed and his ego’s shattered. It’ll take awhile for him to come around and call me this time.
“Sweet. So when are you taking me out for a change?” I’m still irritated with Jeremy for the way he didn’t react when I told him about Nigel and Tre getting shot last week, but what can I expect? His reality is surfing all day and living the life of luxury while mine is making potions with my grandmother and dodging the occasional bullet.
“One day,” I say as I pull into the lot to find a spot. Jeremy’s right behind me, ready to get on with this school day as well. I don’t know how I’m going to stay focused, but as Mama says, the day will pass whether I participate in it or not. So we’ll just have to wait and see how it goes because right now, I feel like time is passing me right on by and that’s not good.
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 them 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 everyone 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. 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 Bo
ok
Choosing a book is the most fun. KEEP IT MOVIN’ is of course an excellent choice, and since it’s part of 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 textbook. Science fiction and fantasy can be fun, too!
And always, always research the author. You might find that the author has a Web site 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 might 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. KEEP IT MOVIN’, as does every book in the Drama High series, comes 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 that are 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 whereby 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.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2009 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 and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-0-7582-8185-2
