Quinton.
Quinton approached her and flashed his handsome smile. “Where are you sitting? Let me get this,” he said, grabbing her lunch tray to carry it. Jamika spotted three girls sitting at a four-seated table, and motioned to that table so that Quinton could not sit with her. They passed a group of guys that all looked to be seniors.
One of the guys called out, “Yo, Q. Is that you?” He pointed at Jamika with a wicked smile.
“Damn, can’t I just walk a pretty lady to her table?” Quinton asked the guy, blushing. “Man, I just wanted to know, ‘cause black girl got it goin’ on. Fresh meat all day!” he said, with a wink at Jamika. Jamika could see that dark and light skin was not an issue at Dillard High and that made her feel good.
Quinton sat her tray on the table that she’d pointed to and turned to leave with a quick, “See ya later, cutie.” Jamika smiled, and began on her lunch.
“Quinton always flirting, I guess he has a new victim. These freshmen are dumb as hell,” one of the senior girls stated as if Jamika wasn’t sitting right there. Jamika just ignored the girl and continued to eat her lunch.
Jamika looked around at all the different students. She took mental notes of the way they were dressed, the pretty hairstyles, and the students that were coupled up. She was then jolted back to the conversation at the table. She thought she’d heard Marquis’s name mentioned. One of the girls was saying, “Yes, girl. Reva said she knows that he’s going to propose to her, because his sister told her. He already told her to skip sixth hour, and meet him in the back of the school by the gym. It’s the first day of school anyway; they aren’t missing anything in class. He’s got her a ring and everything! Reva lucked up and got her a good man, girl.”
Jamika had to say something this time. “Excuse me, did you say Marquis?”
“Uh-uh, she all up in your mouth and shit,” one of the other girls said, annoyed.
“Listen here, little girl,” the first girl began to speak again. “You need to learn how to stay o—”
Before she could finish, Jamika was up on her feet with her palms flat on the table, flaming mad because she knew what she just heard. She only wanted it repeated as confirmation. No wonder she seemed not to be able to find or even run into Marquis. It all made sense. Then these seniors want to disrespect her on top of it all. She realized that they didn’t know her, but they were about to not forget her.
“Listen bitch!” Jamika started in a steady, “ready to beat ass, just make the wrong move” voice while looking the girl directly in the eye. “You shouldn’t talk about people around other people, not knowing who the fuck they know. Now, you don’t know me like that. I ain’t no damn little girl. You keep talking shit and this freshman gonna mop the floor with your ass!”
Jamika prepared herself mentally to fight, but then realized there wasn’t any need as the table had become completely silent. Other nearby students looked on in amusement.
The third girl, who until now had remained silent, spoke in a voice of reason to her girlfriends, “I’m not missing my damn credits behind no damn freshmen and their obsession over another girl’s man. We graduate this year. I’m done. I’m leaving. Y’all coming?” The other two slowly rose and gathered their things to leave with their friend, but not before exchanging glances of disgust with Jamika.
During fifth period Stagecraft, Jamika could barely concentrate as the instructor, Mr. Simon, went over basic tools they’d be using to build sets. All she could think of was that her boyfriend was possibly about to ask another girl to marry him. She kept telling herself that maybe she had heard wrong, but Marquis was not a common name. She couldn’t sit still, wanting the class to be over so she could skip her sixth hour class to go to the gym to see if it was her Marquis meeting some girl named Reva. It was
Quinton approached her and flashed his handsome smile. “Where are you sitting? Let me get this,” he said, grabbing her lunch tray to carry it. Jamika spotted three girls sitting at a four-seated table, and motioned to that table so that Quinton could not sit with her. They passed a group of guys that all looked to be seniors.
One of the guys called out, “Yo, Q. Is that you?” He pointed at Jamika with a wicked smile.
“Damn, can’t I just walk a pretty lady to her table?” Quinton asked the guy, blushing. “Man, I just wanted to know, ‘cause black girl got it goin’ on. Fresh meat all day!” he said, with a wink at Jamika. Jamika could see that dark and light skin was not an issue at Dillard High and that made her feel good.
Quinton sat her tray on the table that she’d pointed to and turned to leave with a quick, “See ya later, cutie.” Jamika smiled, and began on her lunch.
“Quinton always flirting, I guess he has a new victim. These freshmen are dumb as hell,” one of the senior girls stated as if Jamika wasn’t sitting right there. Jamika just ignored the girl and continued to eat her lunch.
Jamika looked around at all the different students. She took mental notes of the way they were dressed, the pretty hairstyles, and the students that were coupled up. She was then jolted back to the conversation at the table. She thought she’d heard Marquis’s name mentioned. One of the girls was saying, “Yes, girl. Reva said she knows that he’s going to propose to her, because his sister told her. He already told her to skip sixth hour, and meet him in the back of the school by the gym. It’s the first day of school anyway; they aren’t missing anything in class. He’s got her a ring and everything! Reva lucked up and got her a good man, girl.”
Jamika had to say something this time. “Excuse me, did you say Marquis?”
“Uh-uh, she all up in your mouth and shit,” one of the other girls said, annoyed.
“Listen here, little girl,” the first girl began to speak again. “You need to learn how to stay o—”
Before she could finish, Jamika was up on her feet with her palms flat on the table, flaming mad because she knew what she just heard. She only wanted it repeated as confirmation. No wonder she seemed not to be able to find or even run into Marquis. It all made sense. Then these seniors want to disrespect her on top of it all. She realized that they didn’t know her, but they were about to not forget her.
“Listen bitch!” Jamika started in a steady, “ready to beat ass, just make the wrong move” voice while looking the girl directly in the eye. “You shouldn’t talk about people around other people, not knowing who the fuck they know. Now, you don’t know me like that. I ain’t no damn little girl. You keep talking shit and this freshman gonna mop the floor with your ass!”
Jamika prepared herself mentally to fight, but then realized there wasn’t any need as the table had become completely silent. Other nearby students looked on in amusement.
The third girl, who until now had remained silent, spoke in a voice of reason to her girlfriends, “I’m not missing my damn credits behind no damn freshmen and their obsession over another girl’s man. We graduate this year. I’m done. I’m leaving. Y’all coming?” The other two slowly rose and gathered their things to leave with their friend, but not before exchanging glances of disgust with Jamika.
During fifth period Stagecraft, Jamika could barely concentrate as the instructor, Mr. Simon, went over basic tools they’d be using to build sets. All she could think of was that her boyfriend was possibly about to ask another girl to marry him. She kept telling herself that maybe she had heard wrong, but Marquis was not a common name. She couldn’t sit still, wanting the class to be over so she could skip her sixth hour class to go to the gym to see if it was her Marquis meeting some girl named Reva. It was
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