Keysha's Drama (16 page)

A
s I walked through the hallway to my locker on Monday morning, guys were gawking at me, and I didn't know why. I couldn't wait to see Liz so I could find out what I did, because I still couldn't remember much. I didn't see Liz in the hallway but thought for sure I'd see her in our first-period math class. When I walked into our math room, one of the students, named Lou Lopez, spoke to me.

“What's up, cage bird?”

“What's that supposed to mean?” I wasn't in the mood for any nonsense.

“Let's just say I now know why the caged bird sings.” He along with several other students laughed at me, and I didn't know why. I didn't like being ridiculed because it didn't feel good at all. I didn't see Liz at all during the day so I assumed that she didn't come to school. I couldn't call her because my phone privileges had been completely taken away.

After school I had to go to the football stadium and sit in the bleachers and wait for Mike to get done with football practice so we could walk home together. Since my parents didn't trust me, I couldn't enter the house without Mike. When practice was over I walked home with Mike, who refused to speak to me. He'd recently checked his MySpace account and realized that I'd posted a very mean-spirited blog about him.

When I first posted it I didn't feel bad at all, but after learning that he actually made sure that I got home safely Friday evening, I felt like crap for doing what I did.

“Mike, I said I was sorry. How many times do you want me to apologize to you?” I asked. Mike didn't say anything, he just kept walking in front of me as if I didn't exist. When we got to the house he immediately went to the phone and called Jordan to let him know that we were both safely in the house. Mike was now my personal watchdog who was just itching for me to screw up again so that he could tell Jordan and Barbara. I went into the family room with my duffel bag, sat down on the sofa and removed my homework from the bag. Mike came into the family room and turned on the television. News reporter Angela Rivers was supplying the known details about several teenagers who became very ill after taking the hallucinogenic drug Ecstasy while at the Tricked Out teen dance club.

“Police officials are saying at this time several Thornwood High School students had to be transported to area hospitals for treatment. One of those students is said to have suffered brain damage from taking the drug,” said the reporter.

“Did you hear that?” I asked Mike but he didn't acknowledge me.

“Police are saying that there is an ongoing investigation as to how students obtained the illegal drug. Police are working with the school and school district officials. We'll be reporting more on this story as the details become clearer.” As Angela Rivers concluded her report, Mike glanced at me for a long moment, but didn't say a word. I could see the suspicion in his eyes.

“What?” I asked.

“I hope you're not involved in that mess,” he said.

“I'm not,” I quickly answered. “I don't know anything about that.” I was insulted so I gathered up my belongings and went upstairs to my room.

The following morning at school, I was removing my science book from my locker when Liz finally surfaced.

“Hey, girl, I have something for you,” Liz said, returning my duffel bag to me from Friday evening. I took it and stuffed it inside my locker.

“Where have you been?” I asked.

“Hell, I felt like ditching school so I did,” she answered as if it were no big deal.

“What the hell happened to you Friday night? Why did you leave me?”

“Leave you? Huh, that's a laugh. You disappeared on me.” At that very moment I remembered going out into the parking lot to search for her.

“No, I went looking for you, Liz.” My memory was still kind of hazy.

“What's going on, love birds?” Lou Lopez teased us as he walked by. I glared at Lou with hate as he passed.

“Ooh, what's that nasty look for?” Liz asked. I focused my attention back on her.

“Look at you,” Liz said, adjusting a loose strand of my hair. I didn't like her touching me and she must have sensed it. “Come on, don't be like that. You were so into it Friday night.”

“Into what? I swear I barely remember anything that happened that night. Then on the news I heard about students who got sick because someone was passing around Ecstasy. My father doesn't trust me, my stepmother hates me, my brother despises me, my mother is in jail and my Grandmother Rubylee wants me to rip off my dad and take him for everything he's got. I swear, my life is so screwed up right now that I don't know what to do.”

“Jeez, look on the bright side. At least the cops aren't searching the school looking for you.”

“Why would they be?” I asked as I exhaled and slammed my locker shut.

“The police are here doing an investigation involving that Ecstasy scandal,” Liz said. She tried to touch me again but I moved.

“I don't like it when you do that, Liz.”

“What? I didn't do anything.” She laughed at me as if she didn't take me seriously.

“Whatever,” I said and headed toward our science class. As soon as we sat down the teacher announced that there was going to be a pop quiz.

Damn it
, I thought to myself,
I haven't been following along or keeping up with reading the textbook like I was supposed to at all
.

“It's okay, we can flunk it together,” Liz said. I just rolled my eyes in annoyance at her. She didn't seem to care about what I was going through, and I didn't understand why. I mean, when she was talking about how much she missed her dad, I was there for her, but now that I have a problem, she thinks my situation isn't important. As I looked at the questions on the test I knew right away that I was going to flunk it because I didn't know any of the answers. I didn't have even the slightest clue because I had a “who gives a damn” kind of attitude, just like Liz. As I sat there staring at the page, the principal and two uniformed police officers walked into the classroom. My heart began to pound and I didn't know why. Liz was summoned to go with them and my heart damn near stopped. Liz captured my gaze as she got up. Her eyes were asking a thousand questions that I didn't know the answers to. Liz never returned to class. I thought I'd see her in our next class but I didn't. There were reports and rumors all around the school about how the police and the principal were pulling students out of their classes. Then, during my lunch hour they came for me.

“Keysha Kendall,” I heard an officer call my name just as I was about to sit down. I swallowed hard.

“Yes,” I answered him.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”
Oh, damn, I'm being arrested, but for what? What did I do?
I felt a panic attack consume me. I began to breathe hard and wring my hands.

“What's going on?” I asked.

“You're under arrest,” said an officer as he removed his handcuffs. I felt dizzy, and the next thing I knew I fainted.

F
ainting didn't help my situation at all, because once I was revived, I was placed under arrest and taken to the principal's office. I was so nervous that my bottom lip trembled uncontrollably. I wanted to call my mother but I couldn't. I could've called Jordan but I was too afraid to because he was so angry with me, and I knew that an episode like this would land me back at the group home for sure. I knew that Barbara would see to it this time. The two police officers left me in the care of my guidance counselor, Mr. Sanders, while they went and searched for another student.

“Keysha, you're in some very serious trouble,” said Mr. Sanders. “This is what the police found in your locker once it was opened.” He pointed to a large clear plastic bag with a load of pills in it.

“That's not my bag,” I said.

“It was in your locker, Keysha. How did it get there?”

“I don't know but that's not my bag or pills.” Mr. Sanders exhaled slowly and looked at me with judgmental eyes. I read his facial expression and knew right away that he didn't believe me one bit.

“Look, I'm just trying to help. Just tell me where you got it from?”

“I'm telling you that I don't know,” I shouted at him. He picked up a file from his desk and opened it up. He didn't say anything for a long moment.

“So your mother has been arrested and is currently serving time until her court date. Your grandmother was arrested and convicted of bank robbery and—”

“Don't you bring them into this,” I snapped at him. “I am not them, and I don't appreciate you trying to insinuate that I'm a criminal, because I'm not.”

“Okay, Keysha. Have it your way. The police have returned, anyway. I've tried to help you but I can't if you are unwilling to help yourself.”

“Her locker is the only one that had the drugs in it,” said one of the officers.

“That's not my stuff,” I told him.

“Does anyone else have the combination to your locker?” asked the officer.

“No,” I answered him.

“Then how did this bag of drugs get in there?”

“I don't know—I have no clue.” I wanted him and everyone to believe me but I saw by their expressions that they didn't.

“Come on,” said one of the officers who helped me stand up. I was then escorted out of the building between classes so everyone saw me. I was placed in the backseat of the squad car, and hauled off to the police station.

Once I arrived at the station I was taken into an interrogation room for further questioning and processing. The interrogation room was very small with solid white brick walls. It reminded me of the room my Grandmother Rubylee described in her letter. There were no posters, no artwork or anything of that sort on the walls to give the room any life. The room felt like a tomb, and the police officers were there to seal my fate.

The police officials left me in the room all alone for a long time. I was a little feisty when I'd arrived because I knew that I was innocent and that all of this was some huge misunderstanding. They left me alone in my tomb until I calmed down. I felt as if I had no one I could depend on. I felt as if no one would come to defend me or speak up for me. I began to think about my Grandmother Rubylee's letter and how she described prison life. I felt my tears swelling up because I didn't want to go to jail. My body just started trembling all of a sudden and I couldn't control it. I felt as if I were coming unglued. I felt as if my mind couldn't take or comprehend what was going on.

In all honesty, I felt as if I'd just reached my crossroads. I could turn left and go down the crazy road or turn right and try to fight to prove my innocence. At that moment, the crazy route was the road I was leaning toward. In my mind, it offered me a sense of peace that I wouldn't get anywhere else. I wouldn't have to talk to anyone and I would be able to live inside of my own world, with my own rules and laws. At the very moment I was about to make my choice, I heard the door open. I looked over my shoulder and saw my father. Never in my life had I been so happy to see him, even if he did have a crazy look on his face.

“Daddy?” I said, bursting into tears. I couldn't help it. I stood up, locked my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulders. I was so happy to see him. I was so happy to know he cared enough to come when I thought he wouldn't. Jordan hugged me back, and being held by him for the very fist time made me feel safe.

“I didn't do it, Daddy,” I said through my tears. “This is all some big mix-up.”

“All right, we'll get this all sorted out,” he assured me. “First I need you to calm down, okay?”

“I just want to go home with you,” I said, refusing to unlatch myself from his embrace. “Please take me home,” I pleaded. “Please make them leave me alone.” Jordan didn't say anything, he just stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. I cried some more. I didn't realize I had so many emotions stored up inside of me. I cried so much that I wet up the front of his suit.

“I'm sorry,” I said as I finally lifted my face. He wiped the tears away from my cheeks, and we locked our eyes on each other. I wanted to tell him that I loved him. I wanted him to know that deep in my heart I truly loved him for taking the test and saving me from the group home, but a boulder was in my throat blocking my words.

“I'm going to ask you this one time and I want a straight answer. I don't care if you're guilty or innocent. All I want is the truth.” I felt more tears surfacing, but I didn't take my eyes off of him.

“Were you planning to sell and distribute Ecstasy to the students at your school?”

“No, Daddy, I wasn't.” My voice trembled. I could feel my lips quivering as I found the strength to answer him.

“Have you ever used or been addicted to any type of drug?”

“No, Daddy, I've never used anything. My mother and grandmother did a lot of things that just turned me off. I never wanted to be like them. I've always wanted a better life for myself, and I never thought I could until you came into my life.” He searched my eyes and face for the truth.

“That is the truth, Daddy,” I said, still looking him directly in the eyes. “I don't know how that stuff got inside of my locker.”

“Okay, I have an attorney on the way. We'll get through this,” he said.

“Do you believe me?” I asked, because I needed to know. I wanted and needed him to know that I wasn't using or manipulating him in any way.

“I'm your father, and whether you're right or wrong, I'll always be here for you,” he said. “And yes, I do believe you.”