The Meltdown
Page 24
“What’s up with y’all?” Sandy asks, stepping into the foyer and interrupting Mickey’s moving session. She couldn’t have timed her return any better: It’s time to shut Sandy down, and Mickey’s already started the process for me.
“Rah, what’s this heffa doing with my shit?” she asks, stepping over her clothes strewn all over the floor and eyeing Mickey hard. After all the trouble I went through to get rid of the broad for Rah and his daughter’s sake, I still can’t believe he let Sandy stay here in the first place. I don’t know what kind of spell she’s got my boy under, but I’m just the sistah to break it.
“She and Nigel are living here now, Sandy. You have to take the couch until you can find somewhere else to stay,” Rah says, almost sounding sad about his decision to put her ass in the living room.
What the hell? Mickey walks back into the bedroom to get more stuff, and Sandy looks on in amazement. I bet she never thought this day would come, but it’s here and she’d better recognize there’s a new queen of this castle.
“Rah, are you shitting me?” Sandy asks, collecting her lingerie, boots, and other work clothes from the floor. “I’m pregnant with your baby, fool, and this is how you treat me?”
Rah’s silence speaks volumes, and I don’t have time to let her manipulate the situation any further. Thank God I’m not Rah’s girlfriend anymore, because I’d have to fight for him every day. Who, other than Sandy’s Amazonian ass, has that kind of energy?
“Sandy, it’s over,” I say, moving from the couch to the foyer and letting it all hang out. I turn around to face an exhausted Rah standing by the front door. I don’t need my mother’s powers to cool his mind. What I’m about to reveal from one of my recent dreams is enough to freeze everyone in the room. “Sandy slept with Trish’s brother, your supplier, Rah. And this is his baby, not yours.” The truth settles in the still air like a quiet fart: No one saw it coming, but everyone’s painfully aware of its presence.
“She’s a lie,” Sandy says, completely busted.
Nigel and Rah look at each other, knowing this shit ain’t good. Trish’s brother supplies them both, and they can’t afford to have any beef with that dude, especially not over Sandy’s trifling ass.
“Get to stepping, trick,” Mickey says, throwing more of Sandy’s things on the floor, which pisses Sandy off even more. Sandy charges for Mickey, who doesn’t back down for a minute.
“Stop it, now!” Rah yells, holding Sandy back while Nigel gets his girl. What a mess, but as Mama says, real change rarely comes easy.
“Get your stuff and bounce, Sandy,” I say, glad she has no more power over Rah, or so I think.
“Not so fast,” Rah says, looking from me to Mickey to Nigel. “Like I said, Sandy, you can stay here until you work something else out, but don’t get too comfortable. And I’ll check with Trish to see if that nigga knows about you carrying his baby.” Rah lets Sandy go, and she heads to the bedroom with some of her belongings in tow. Luckily, the babies are sleeping peacefully in the den, but not for long if they keep this up all night.
“Come again?” I ask as my neck snaps to the right of its own accord. Even my body can’t believe what I just heard. “Why do you need to call your ex-girlfriend to verify the story when I just told you the truth, so help me Oshune?” I ask, fully offended. Rah and the rest of our crew should know that my confessions come from a much higher source.
I follow Rah into the kitchen as Nigel and Mickey continue to calm down in the foyer. This new living situation is too hood, even for me.
“Jayd, Sandy’s got a problem. I can’t just let her back out on the streets,” Rah says, pounding his fist on the kitchen counter. “What am I supposed to tell Rahima when she grows up and finds out I let her mother get strung out?” Rah takes out a cup and fills it with bottled water before drinking it down in one gulp.
“You didn’t let Sandy’s grown ass do anything but take advantage of your kindness, Rah. Now it’s time to let her deal with her own madness.”
“I’m not a punk, Jayd. I’m just trying to do the right thing.” I look at Rah, trying to navigate my way around his fragile ego, but there’s no getting around it. He has a weak spot for Sandy, because he thinks he can save her, unlike his mother.
“The right thing for who? Because this is certainly the wrong thing for your daughter. Sandy’s no longer your responsibility. You have to let her go, Rah.” Seeing my vehemence for the situation, Rah finally comes to his senses and recognizes that I’m right. Even if his ego is suffering, he has to know Sandy took advantage of him in the worst possible way, and that shit can’t be tolerated any longer.
When Sandy comes back into the foyer to collect more of her things, Rah heads her way and I’m right behind him.
“Sandy, on second thought, you have to get out. Tonight,” Rah says, pointing to her stuff. “And Rahima’s staying with me, so don’t even think about trying to take her out of this house.” Finally, Rah mans up.
“But, Rah, we haven’t had a DNA test yet,” Sandy says, defeated. “I know you’re not kicking me out like this. Where are we supposed to go?” Sandy asks, rubbing on her stomach for dramatic effect.
“What you and your new baby daddy do with that baby is none of my business,” Rah says.
I know he feels for her, but he feels for Rahima more now that he knows the new baby isn’t his.
“But I told you, this is your baby no matter what that witch says,” Sandy says, pointing to me.
“I told you about calling me that word, Sandy,” I say, tightening the white wrap on my head, ready to defend my lineage as always. I’m forbidden from any type of altercation, but it’s impossible to avoid in my life.
“Oh, my bad. I meant bitch.”
Sandy’s gone too far, but we all know it’s her way of trying to hold on to what she’s lost. But it’s over for her.
“Get out, now,” Rah says, opening the front door. She’d better hurry and collect her shit or it’s going to be on the front porch from the way Mickey’s eyeing the remaining piles.
“But, Rah,” Sandy pleads.
I think she’d better call Trish’s brother and see if she can stay with them, because this house is closed to her.
“Bitch, he said leave. That’s our room now,” Mickey says, pointing toward the bedrooms.
“This ain’t got shit to do with you, so sit down and shut up before I shut you up,” Sandy says. Little does she know Mickey’s been holding herself back for almost a year while she was pregnant and is now ready to get live with the best of them.
“Look here,” Mickey says, removing one oversized gold hoop from her earlobe and then another. “I don’t know who the hell you think you’re dealing with, but I don’t give a damn about you—or your little baby, if you’re really pregnant.”
Sandy looks shocked as Mickey continues to remove her jewelry, obviously ready to throw the first blow if need be. If Nellie were here, she’d tell Sandy all about Mickey’s love of fighting. That’s how they became best friends in the first place. Nellie’s too cute to get dirty, and Mickey loves a good brawl, making them the perfect cute crew of two before they met me.
“Nigel, check your trick before she gets her ass beat down, for real.” Sandy looks on as neither of our boys move an inch. Mickey’s got this and we all know it.
“There goes my baby,” Usher sings from my cell on the living room table. I walk over and open the phone, answering Jeremy’s call without thinking. I need to change his ringtone because that song’s out of date for our relationship.
“Baby, I’m back,” Jeremy says like he’s all innocent and shit.
I have been waiting for this moment for weeks, and now that it’s here, I don’t know which emotion to honor first, but it seems like my anger knows exactly what to do.
“I can’t talk to you right now, Jeremy. I’m in the middle of something,” I say without so much as a hello. I can hear Jeremy’s shock through the phone, but I don’t care how rude I’m being. If I had the ti
me, I’d be much more offensive, so he should consider himself lucky.
“Jayd! Jayd!” Jeremy yells through the phone as I close the pink lid.
I erase Jeremy’s name in my contact list and replace it with the words Do not answer. I’ve been too nice. If Jeremy thinks I’m going to be a fool for him, he’d better think again. I can’t forgive and forget. Like Rah, the new and improved Jayd Jackson is no one’s punk. Maybe my previous story line was different, but this is an entirely new book and a stronger me—damn the bull.
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 their 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:
Do not attack people for their ideas or opinions.
When you disagree with a Book Club member on a point, disagree respectfully. This means that you do not denigrate other people or their ideas, i.e., no name-calling or saying, “That’s stupid!” Instead, say, “I can respect your position; however, I feel differently.”
Back up your opinions with concrete evidence, either from the book in question or life in general.
Allow everyone a turn to comment.
Do not cut a member off when the person is speaking. Respectfully wait your turn.
Critique only the idea. Do not criticize the person.
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 MELTDOWN 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. THE MELTDOWN, 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:
What’s this book all about anyway?
Who are the characters? Do we like them? Do they remind us of real people?
Was the story interesting? Were real issues that are of concern to you examined?
Were there details that didn’t quite work for you or ring true?
Did the author create a believable environment—one that you could visualize?
Was the ending satisfying?
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/books
TeensPoint.org
What Teens Are Reading
http://teens.librarypoint.org/reading_matters
Teenreads.com
http://www.teenreads.com
Book Divas
http://www.bookdivas.com
Meg Cabot Book Club
http://www.megcabotbookclub.com
HAVEN’T HAD ENOUGH? CHECK OUT THESE
GREAT SERIES FROM DAFINA BOOKS!
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FRENEMIES ISBN: 0-7582-2532-6 LADY J ISBN: 0-7582-2534-2 COURTIN’ JAYD ISBN: 0-7582-2536-9
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CULTURE CLASH ISBN: 0-7582-3111-3 COLD AS ICE ISBN: 0-7582-3113-X PUSHIN’ ISBN: 0-7582-3115-6
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BOY SHOPPING ISBN: 0-7582-1929-6 LIKE THIS AND LIKE THAT ISBN: 0-7582-1931-8 GET MORE ISBN:0-7582-1933-4
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A wickedly funny series that explores friendship, betrayal, and how far some people will go for popularity.
SO NOT THE DRAMA ISBN: 0-7582-1859-1 DON’T GET IT TWISTED ISBN: 0-7582-1861-3 THAT’S WHAT’S UP! ISBN: 0-7582-2582-2
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PERRY SKKY JR.
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PRIME CHOICE ISBN: 0-7582-1863-X PRESSING HARD ISBN: 0-7582-1872-9 PROBLEM SOLVED ISBN: 0-7582-1874-5
PRAYED UP ISBN: 0-7582-2538-5 PROMISE KEPT ISBN: 0-7582-2540-7