Second Chance (21 page)

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Authors: L. Divine

BOOK: Second Chance
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“Mr. Donald?” I ask while raising my hand. He's turned toward the board and doesn't turn around to look at me. He already knows what I'm going to say.
“Let me guess, Miss Jackson,” he says. “You left your books in your locker.”
“Yes, I did,” I say. “I'm usually not this forgetful.” Mr. Donald turns toward the class and looks straight at me with no emotion.
“Here, Miss Jackson,” he says, handing me the hall pass. “And, please make this the last time.”
“Thank you and I will,” I say, feeling a little embarrassed. I like to remain somewhat anonymous in my elective courses. I just want to pass, not make friends or enemies.
As I rise from my desk to open the door, someone's already on the other side pulling it open. I step outside, almost losing my footing, to see a familiar face from the past.
“There she is,” Nigel, my old friend from back in the day says as he releases the door to give me a tight hug. “How's my girl been?” he asks. He looks too good to be visiting, dressed in a dark blue pinstriped suit and dress shoes.
“Nigel, what's up?” I say as he lets me go just enough to look up at him. Damn, he gives good hugs. “And more importantly, what are you doing here?”
“Girl, it's been a while and we miss you around the way,” he says, allowing the door to completely close and leaving us outside to quickly catch up.
By his “we” I know he means Raheem. Whenever we'd get in a fight, which was often, Nigel would always play the middle man. But, this is the longest we've gone without talking, mostly due to us all leaving our old school, Family Christian, at the same time. Both of them now live in Windsor Hills, which isn't far from Inglewood, but still a completely different hood from my mom's.
“A while? Try two years,” I say, releasing myself from his embrace to look him in the eye.
“So, you're balling like that now, huh,” he says, grabbing my wrist and eyeing my gold bracelet. “Must be nice chilling with the White folks,” he says. “But I'll know soon enough.”
“What do you mean by that,” I ask. “Is Westingle turning all White or something?” I say, referring to their school. It's basically the Black South Bay High. My mom tried to get me to go there, but no such luck. Her address wasn't in the right area and she missed the deadline for submitting a transfer request.
“No, but the coaches from South Bay said they could promise me a starting position, basically guaranteeing me recruiters from the top schools in the nation looking at me for scholarships. Now, a brotha can't pass that up, can I?” he says, throwing me off a little.
“So, you mean to tell me you're going to my school?” I ask, almost shouting. Oh, hell no. This can't be good. And, knowing Raheem, he'll be at every game, if not trying to transfer himself. They are each other's clique, no other members allowed or needed.
“Yeah, you got a problem with that?” Nigel asks, smiling. “Don't worry; I won't blow your cover, as long as you don't blow mine.”
“No, not at all,” I say as Mr. Donald opens the door. But, hell yeah I got a problem with it. First Nellie's nomination and now this. What the hell?
“Jayd, you know our new student Nigel?” Yeah, a little too well. But, Mr. Donald doesn't need to know all that.
“Yeah, me and my girl here go way back,” he says, putting his arm around me and giving me one last hug before I head to the main hall.
“I was just going to get my book,” I say, leaving the two of them to talk.
“I'll catch up with you later, Jayd. Raheem gave me a letter for you, but I left it in my locker.” A letter saying what, I wonder? All I need is more drama to deal with.
 
After voting, Nellie, Mickey and I decide to hang in South Central for the remainder of lunch. Although I miss my man, I need to chill with my friends, too. Most of the usual suspects are still voting in the cafeteria. So, it's unusually peaceful in the quad area.
“Do you think I made it?” Nellie asks.
“I think so. The other names on the ballot weren't nearly as recognizable as yours. Well, except for Laura,” I say. Laura's the first lady of ASB and that unofficial position always has its perks.
“What's the big deal,” Mickey says, picking at her hamburger. We each settled for cafeteria food today, which isn't so bad. But, the voting line was long and our food has gotten cold. “So what if you don't win. Does it really matter?” The look on Nellie's face surely makes Mickey regret her statement.
“How can you say that?” Nellie asks, beginning what I predict to be the tantrum of all tantrums. Whenever her voice raises ten octaves, I know she's about to throw a fit. “This is very important to me. And, it's good for our social status,” she says, giving Mickey the evil eye.
“Okay, whatever. Slow your role and bring it down a notch,” Mickey says, taking a bite out of her lukewarm burger. “All I meant was you shouldn't be disappointed if you don't win.”
“That's just the type of negative thinking I don't need. And besides, I wouldn't be worried about our social status if Jayd had come to Byron's party with us as planned,” Nellie says, bringing up old news.
“Why are you dragging me into this,” I say as I get up from the bench where we're seated to throw away my chili fires. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's cold potatoes.
“Because Jayd, not showing up to Byron's party wasn't a good move. It seems like you just don't care about your popularity anymore,” Nellie says, sounding truly concerned. “Yes, it helps you're dating Jeremy. But, he's not concerned with popularity at all and that's okay for him. He's a rich White boy. You, on the other hand, need to think more seriously about your reputation.” Both Mickey and I look at Nellie like she's lost her damned mind.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Mickey says, finishing off the last of her fries. To be as skinny as she is, the girl can out eat all of us combined.
“I'm talking about me winning. It doesn't help my campaign if I hang out with someone whose reputation is taking a turn for the worst.”
“What the hell?” I exclaim, almost choking on my Coke. “My reputation is just fine, contrary to popular belief. And besides, if it weren't for your affiliation with me you wouldn't have been nominated in the first place,” I say, checking my uppity friend. Just then, Misty, KJ, and Shae return from the cafeteria to their usual post at the table across from our bench.
“Hey y'all,” KJ says, smiling at me like he's just won something special.
“Hey KJ,” Nellie says. Mickey and I are still in a state of shock over Nellie's growing head.
“I don't even need to ask who y'all voted for, do I?” Nellie says, hot on her campaign trail. She's taking this princess thing a little too seriously. But, I guess Seth had it right this morning. Nellie does have just enough bitch in her to make it to the top.
“Of course we voted for you, Nellie. I made sure everyone in South Central did,” KJ says, unwrapping his sub sandwich while Misty sits next to him, holding his Snapple in her hand. This girl's so sprung on him I'm almost embarrassed for her.
“Yeah. We Black folks stick together, ain't that right Mickey,” Shae says, obviously trying to say something to me without directly saying it.
“Don't ask me. I couldn't care less about all this homecoming shit. Although I am going to the dance.” Now, that's a shocker. Last year her man was on lockdown in county jail and Mickey didn't attend any school functions. But, this year is different I guess.
“And, was that supposed to mean something to me Shae?” I ask. I don't really want to confront her, but I can't let her get away with that little comment of hers. How come she thinks I'm such a sell-out? Black folks get on my nerves with that mess.
“Not at all,” Shae says, smiling. “I'm just saying if there's a Black name on the ballot, you know we're going to pick it because that's how we get down over here.” Yeah broad, clean it up why don't you. Frankly, I've had enough of her and Nellie. Besides, I can't stand to watch Misty practically feed KJ for another second. I wonder what my man is up to. Maybe I can catch up with him on my way to drama class.
“Well, as lovely as this little chat has been, I've got to roll,” I say, grabbing my backpack from the ground before getting up to leave.
“Can't keep the White boy waiting, huh,” Misty says.
“Better than being someone's maidservant,” I snap back at her before saying bye to my girls and heading away from the quad and down the hill. “I'll catch up with y'all after school,” I say to Nellie and Mickey, ignoring Misty's evil glare and KJ's intense eyes.
“Jayd, I'll walk with you,” Nellie says, hurriedly picking up her bag and tossing the rest of her chicken strips into the trash can before following me. It's not like her to leave Mickey, so this must be good. “I'll see y'all in class,” she says to Mickey and everyone else, since they all have fifth period together.
“Jayd, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings about the whole reputation thing,” she says. “I just never imagined I could get nominated at this school for anything,” she says, looping her arm into mine, forcing me to listen. Honestly, I don't want her to win if this is what's going to happen to her. She's already enough to deal with. Becoming princess will just make her ass even more uptight and stuck up.
“I know. And, for the record, I couldn't care less about what people up here think of me,” I say, not letting her completely off the hook while letting her know we're still cool.
“I know. And you're right. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been nominated. So, thank you, girl. This means so much to me,” she says, returning to her princess dream. “I can't wait until the nominees are announced tomorrow. I just know I'm going to win.” For Nellie's sake, I hope if she does, Matt, Seth and Chance are going to be right there for her. Because, folk won't be happy with her nomination and when the shit hits the fan, I don't know what she's going to do. She's never had to face any drama of her own up here. And, if my dream predicted correctly, they'll be plenty to go around.
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 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 (and do so responsibly; saying, “That's stupid!” is not allowed). 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 Book
Choosing a book is the most fun. THE FIGHT is of course an excellent choice, and since it's 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 the author has a website 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 will 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. SECOND CHANCE, as will every book in the Drama High series, comes along 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 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 where 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!
 
 
 
Sacramento Public Library
 
 

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