No Mercy

Drama High, volume 16

No Mercy

by

L. Divine

Praise for
Drama High

L. Divine listed as one of the “Great authors for Young Adults.”

-
JET Magazine

“…Attributes the success of Drama High to its fast pace and to the commercial appeal of the

series' strong-willed heroine, Jayd Jackson.”

—
Publisher’s Weekly
on the DRAMA HIGH
series

“Abundant, Juicy drama.”

—
Kirkus Reviews
on DRAMA HIGH: HOLIDAZE

“The teen drama is center-court Compton, with enough plots and sub-plots to fill a few episodes of any reality show.”

—
Ebony
magazine on DRAMA HIGH: COURTIN’ JAYD

“You’ll definitely feel for Jayd Jackson, the bold sixteen-year-old Compton, California, junior at the center of keep-it-real Drama High stories.”

—
Essence
Magazine on DRAMA HIGH: JAYD'S LEGACY

“Our teens love urban fiction, including L. Divine's Drama High series.”

—
School Library Journal
on the DRAMA HIGH
series

"This book will have you intrigued, and will keep you turning the pages. L. Divine does it again and keeps you wanting to read more and more."

—
Written
Magazine on DRAMA HIGH: COURTIN' JAYD

“Edged with comedy…a provoking street-savvy plot line, Compton native and Drama High author L. Divine writes a fascinating story capturing the voice of young black America.”

—
The Cincinnati Herald
on the DRAMA HIGH
series

“Young love, non-stop drama and a taste of the supernatural, it is sure to please.”

—THE RAWSISTAZ REVIEWERS
on
DRAMA HIGH: THE FIGHT

“Through a healthy mix of book smarts, life experiences, and down-to-earth flavor, L. Divine has crafted a well-nuanced coming of age tale for African-American youth.”

—
The
Atlanta Voice
on DRAMA HIGH: THE FIGHT

“If you grew up on a steady diet of saccharine-
Sweet Valley
novels and think there aren’t enough books specifically for African American teens, you’re in luck.”

—
Prince George’s Sentinel
on DRAMA HIGH: THE FIGHT

Other titles in the
Drama High
Series

THE FIGHT

SECOND CHANCE

JAYD’S LEGACY

FRENEMIES

LADY J

COURTIN’ JAYD

HUSTLIN’

KEEP IT MOVIN’

HOLIDAZE

CULTURE CLASH

COLD AS ICE

PUSHIN’

THE MELTDOWN

SO, SO HOOD

STREET SOLDIERS

DEDICATION

To my children, Assata and Ajani. All that I am and do is for you.
A big shout-out to Mocha Ochoa, Deborah Taylor, DuEwa Frasier and all of the countless sponsors, librarians, teachers, publicists, and other benefactors who continuously work to bring more Young Adult literature into the marketplace. To Amazon for creating a space where authors can stay in their flow. It’s been a long time since I self published my first novel The Fight, and it’s has been an even longer road. This writing life is not easy, but I assume no path worth having is.               

             
The entire Drama High series is dedicated to you, my readers. Thank you for making life brighter. To you, my #Dramatiholics, #Diviners, #DramaHighSoldiers, #LadyJs, and to all of the other die hard Drama High fans worldwide. In particular, you whose names continuously surface on DramaHigh.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You inspire me to keep going beyond the tears and the strife and the doubt and the fear. You, who inspire me to keep living my dream. Thank you for loving #JaydsDrama. Keep reading and keep believing in fiction. No one can take your imagination from you—once you have a new thought it’s yours to keep. We can change a negative experience into a positive one, make a loaf of bread into a meal and take a single word and turn it into a song, novel or script. There’s no limitation to our powers—individual or collective—so don’t be deterred when defeat knocks on your door. Shake it off and whatever you do, keep it moving. That’s the only way to get to where you are destined to be. Most of all, remember to have mercy on yourself. And whatever you do, don’t look back.

Acknowledgements

“If you try and fail, make another effort, and still another, until you succeed.”

-Napoleon Hill

If I had a nickel for every time a critic made me flinch I’d be the millionaire so many of you assume me to be, but I am not a millionaire. I am, however, doing my absolute best to not only continue this series but to also continue doing what I love, which is essentially the point of it all. As much as I want to say that yes, I do it
all
for the love of my readers and for improving Young Adult literacy, that would be an incomplete statement. Plain and simple, I love this ish! I love living in words. That’s why I don’t let my critics impede my flow for too long. In my opinion, Drama High is the best of both worlds: Real life fiction with a touch of the supernatural. And again, I write this series because I love what I do…all of it: the teaching, the entertaining and the writing. Some of you have asked how I deal with the inevitable haters. I try to always be gracious and accept the balance that comes with giving my talent to the marketplace. I give credit where credit is do, take the lesson and keep it moving...period. 

So, I say t
hank you to
all
of you who consistently love me during the ebb and not just the flow—mainly my parents and other family members and friends. Thank you to all of those who have had mercy on me and my children. Thank you to Michael and Ricky Beckwith of the AGAPE International Spiritual Center. Your gifts have made a significant impact on my thoughts and attitude. Thank you for sharing your talents, and for inspiring others from all paths to do the same.

THE CREW

Jayd

The voice of the series, Jayd Jackson is a sassy seventeen year old high school senior from Compton, California who comes from a long line of Louisiana conjure women. The only girl in her lineage born with brown eyes and a caul, her grandmother appropriately named her “Jayd”, which is also the name her grandmother took on in her days as a Voodoo queen in New Orleans. She lived with her grandparents, four uncles and her cousin, Jay and visited her mother on the weekends until her junior year, when she moved in with her mother permanently. Jayd’s in all AP classes at South Bay High—a.k.a. Drama High—as well as the president and founder of the African Student Union, an active member of the Drama Club, and she’s also on the Speech and Debate team. Jayd has a tense relationship with her father, who she sees occasionally, and has never-ending drama in her life whether at school or at home.

When Jayd gets in over her head, her grandmother, Mama, a.k.a Queen Jayd, is always there to help. A full-time conjure woman with a long list of both clients and haters, Mama also serves as Jayd’s teacher, confidante and protector. With magical green eyes as well as many other tricks up her sleeve, Mama helps Jayd through the seemingly never-ending drama of teenage life.

Mom/Lynn Marie Williams

This sassy thirty-something year old would never be mistaken for a mother of a teenager. But Jayd’s mom is definitely all that. And with her fierce green eyes, she keeps the men guessing. Able to talk to Jayd telepathically, Lynn Marie is always there when Jayd needs her, even when they’re miles apart.

Esmeralda

Mama’s nemesis and Jayd’s nightmare, this next-door neighbor is anything but friendly. Esmeralda relocated to Compton from Louisiana around the same time Mama did and has been a thorn in Mama’s side ever since. She continuously causes trouble for Mama and Jayd, interfering with Jayd’s school life through Misty, Mrs. Bennett and Jeremy’s mom. Esmeralda has cold blue eyes with powers of their own, although not nearly as powerful as Mama’s.

Misty

The original phrase “frenemies” was coined for this former best friend of Jayd’s. Misty has made it her mission to sabotage Jayd any way she can. Now living with Esmeralda, she has the unique advantage of being an original hater from the neighborhood and at school. As a godchild of Mama’s nemesis, Misty’s own mystical powers have been growing stronger, causing more of problems for Jayd.

Emilio

Since transferring from Venezuela, Emilio’s been on Jayd’s last nerve. Now a chosen godson of Esmeralda’s and her new spiritual partner, Hector, Emilio has teamed up with Misty and aims to make life very difficult for Jayd.

Rah

Rah is Jayd’s first love from junior high school who has come back into her life when a mutual friend, Nigel, transfers from Rah’s high school (Westingle) to South Bay High. He knows everything about Jayd and has always been her spiritual confidante. Rah lives in Los Angeles but grew up with his grandparents in Compton like Jayd. He loves Jayd fiercely but has a girlfriend who refuses to go away (Trish) and a baby-mama (Sandy) that has it out for Jayd. Rah’s a hustler by necessity and a music producer by talent. He takes care of his younger brother, Kamal and holds the house down while his dad is locked-up in Atlanta and his mother strips at a local club.

KJ

KJ’s the most popular basketball player on campus and also Jayd’s ex-boyfriend and Misty’s current boyfriend. Ever since he and Jayd broke up because Jayd refused to have sex with him, he’s made it his personal mission to annoy her anyway he can.

Nellie

One of Jayd’s best friends, Nellie is the prissy-princess of the crew. She used to date Chance, even if it’s Nigel she’s really feeling. Nellie made history at South Bay High by becoming the first Black Homecoming princess ever and has let the crown literally go to her head. Always one foot in and one foot out of Jayd’s crew, Nellie’s obsession with being part of the mean girl’s crew may end her true friendships for good if she’s not careful.

Mickey

Mickey’s the gangster girl of Jayd’s small crew. She and Nellie are best friends but often at odds with one another, mostly because Nellie secretly wishes she could be more like Mickey. A true hood girl, Mickey loves being from Compton and her on again/off again man, G, is a true gangster, solidifying her love for her hood. She has a daughter, Nickey Shantae, and Jayd’s the godmother of this spiritual baby. Mickey’s current boyfriend, Nigel has taken on the responsibility of being the baby’s father even though Mickey was pregnant with Nickey before they hooked up.

Jeremy

A first for Jayd, Jeremy is her white, half-Jewish on again/off again boyfriend who also happens to be the most popular cat at South Bay High. Rich, tall and extremely handsome, Jeremy’s witty personality and good conversation keeps Jayd on her toes and gives Rah a run for his money—literally.

G/Mickey’s Man

Rarely using his birth name, Mickey’s original boyfriend is a troublemaker and hot on Mickey’s trail. Always in and out of jail, Mickey’s man is notorious in their hood for being a cold-hearted gangster and loves to be in control. He also has a thing for Jayd who can’t stand to be anywhere near him.

Nigel

The star-quarterback at South Bay High, Nigel’s a friend of Jayd’s from junior high school and also Rah’s best friend, making Jayd’s world even smaller. Nigel’s the son of a former NBA player who dumped his ex-girlfriend at Westingle (Tasha) to be with, Mickey. Jayd’s caught up in the mix as both of their friends, but her loyalty lies with Nigel because she’s known him longer and he’s always had her back. He knows a little about her spiritual lineage, but not nearly as much as Rah.

Chase (a.k.a. Chance)

The rich, white hip-hop kid of the crew, Chase is Jayd’s drama homie and Nellie’s ex-boyfriend. The fact that he felt for Jayd when she first arrived at South Bay High creates unwarranted tension between Nellie and Jayd. Chase recently discovered he’s adopted, and that his birth mother was half-black—a dream come true for Chase.

Cameron

The new queen of the rich mean girl crew, this chick has it bad for Jeremy and will stop at nothing until Jayd’s completely out of the picture. Armed with the money and power to make all of her wishes come true, Cameron has major plans to cause Jayd’s senior year to be more difficult than need be. But little does she know that Jayd has a few plans of her own and isn’t going away so easily.

Keenan

This young brotha is the epitome of an intelligent, athletic, hardworking black man. A football player on scholarship at UCLA and Jayd’s new coffee shop buddy, he’s quickly winning Jayd over, much to the disliking of her mother and grandmother. Although she tries to avoid it, Jayd’s attraction to Keenan is growing stronger and he doesn’t seem to mind at all.

Bryan

The youngest of Mama’s children and Jayd’s favorite uncle, Bryan is a deejay by night and works at the local grocery store during the day. He’s also an acquaintance of both Rah and KJ from playing ball around the neighborhood. Bryan often gives Jayd helpful advice about her problems with boys and hating girls. He always has her back, and out of all of her uncles gives her grandparents the least amount of trouble.

Jay

Jay is more like an older brother to Jayd than her cousin. He lives with Mama and Daddy, but his mother (Mama’s youngest daughter, Anne) left him when he was a baby and never returned. Jay doesn’t know his father and attended Compton High School before receiving his GED this past school year. He and Jayd often cook together and help Mama around the house

Jayd’s Journal

Mama’s been in the
emergency room with the doctors for a while now. Dr. Whitmore’s in there with them as her medical proxy— her personal physician and counsel. I never knew what that word meant until tonight. Daddy didn’t put up a fight when he was asked to step outside and Dr. Whitmore was allowed to stay, even if it did look like my grandfather wanted to punch the wall.

Netta and her husband have fallen asleep on one of the couches in the waiting area. Daddy’s pacing back and forth simultaneously wearing out the floor and my nerves. I’m posted up in the hallway near the elevators waiting for the doctors to let my grandmother go home.
Mama’s fine for now, thank God. But Dr. Whitmore knows Esmeralda better than to believe that she’s done being the raging lunatic that she is, and so does Mama. Killing one of Esmeralda’s favorite pets won’t go by without some sort of dramatic aftermath and we’ll be ready for whatever she brings our way.

Even with Mama’s injuries, she was quick to tell me to use this time to study my spirit lessons like a good little priestess—her words, not mine.
Now I have to memorize one odu a week and give a full essay about what it means to me. Only my grandmother would find a way to make me write more when I also have Mrs. Bennett’s Advanced Placement English class to contend with this semester. This week’s odu as interpreted by Malauna Karenga, one of Mama’s favorite writers, is actually helping to calm my nerves for the time being:

Odu Ogbe Tura

Secret slander, undercover ridicule.

There is no one who turns his back who does not become the subject of slander.

This was the teaching of Orunmilla when people were directing slander against him.

He was advised to sacrifice.

He heard and he sacrificed.

He said: Now you may continue your slander, but ridicule cannot remove the sweetness from honey.

It is when you direct slander against me that I become extremely wealthy, that I build houses upon houses, that I bring into being an abundance of children and that I become the possessor of all good things.

So, continue your slander.

For ridicule does not mean that honey will not still be sweet.

I agree: Honey will still be sweet no matter the drama. But like honey to a baby, it can also be lethal and I’m in the mood for revenge. Once I know for sure that Mama’s going to make a complete recovery Esmeralda’s ass is mine, damn the rest. By the time I’m done with her and her crazy house of horrors I’ll have to write a new odu in the spirit book about the one who shut down the neighbor next door. I promise, this will be the last entry I write about Esmeralda except to speak of her in the past tense. Her days of torturing the Williams women are over.

PROLOGUE

             
“Jayd, please be careful,” Maman says, leading the way to river’s shore. “You never know what’s lying beneath the water’s surface.”

Women and children
dot the sandy bank, washing and playing in the sunset’s glow. There are several fishermen in the center of the water, peacefully wading in their boats waiting for the bait to catch dinner.

“Yes, Maman. I will.” I lift my skirt above my ankles and step my feet into the cool water.

Maman places her wicker picnic basket on the sand and joins me in the river. “Doesn’t it feel good, iyawo? Just being in sweet water causes all of my troubles to disappear.” She let’s down her jet-black hair and allows it to fall freely to the middle of her back. My mother always comments on how strong the resemblance is between herself and my great-grandmother.

“Yes, it most certainly does.” My stomach growls and reminds me of the good food waiting for us in the basket. “I’ll set up for dinner,” I say, inhaling deeply and taking in the humid air. I look into the water and catch my reflection in all white before my eyes focus on the sky’s mirror image. I then notice huge boulders, fish and other things I can’t make out hidden beneath the façade just like Maman said there would be.

I turn around and walk toward the shore, or so I think. My toe slips on a rock I can’t see. My eyes now focus on the sky above and the stars that only I can see.

“Jayd!” Maman screams, but her voice fades into the background just like my consciousness.

“Jayd, indeed,” a mysterious voice says. I cannot tell if it is male or female, human or other. But it sounds ancient whatever it is.

“Open your eyes!” the voice commands.

I obey, calmly allowing the water to move me in the direction of the strange voice. Once my vision adjusts to the darkness, two green eyes appear out of the murky water, and then the rest of the large reptile emerges.

In horror, I attempt to scream and swim away from the beast. My actions are futile. My mouth fills with water; I gasp for air. I’m completely submerged, slowly sinking into the abyss with a crocodile as my only companion. What the hell?

“Calm down, child. If I wanted to eat you my belly would already be full,” the crocodile says, smiling. Something about her coquettish eyes tells me I’m speaking to a female. “I have a gift for you, from the river goddess herself.” She opens her mouth wide revealing hundreds of sharpened, jade teeth. “These are for you, my dear. They will keep you out of harms way.”

I feel myself sinking to the bottom, moving faster the further down I go.

“Go on, take as many as you need. I don’t have all day,” the crocodile says, moving closer to me.

I look at my options and choose to trust that the reptile is telling the truth. Suddenly, I feel like Hushpuppy in The Beast of the Southern Wild: tired of running.

I reach in between the beast’s jaws and snatch one green incisor from her gum. A small amount of blood drips onto my hand as the tooth turns into a common river stone, much like the one I slipped on a moment ago.