which connect all the classrooms through announcements from the main office. I donât know if itâs because of all the stage equipment or what, but our cells rarely work in here.
âWeâre going to sit outside and soak up some sun,â Leslie says as she and Alia head to the outside benches. These White girls are serious about their tans. âWant to come, Jayd?â
âUhmm, no. Iâm cool,â I say. What the hell do I need with a tan? Sometimes folks donât think before they speak. But, sheâs being nice, so thereâs no need to clown.
âWhat do you need to talk to Chance about? Iâm here if you need to vent, baby,â Matt says, sitting up in his seat. But something about his look tells me he already knows why Iâm concerned.
âYou know, donât you?â I ask.
âOf course I do. You think my boyâs going to get busted and Iâm not going to find out about it immediately?â Matt says with a big grin across his face. Damn, news travels fast around this campus. I wonder if wordâs got back to South Central yet. If so, I know Misty and KJ are ecstatic.
âYeah, weâre tighter than the gay mafia,â Seth says, and he should know. Anybody can look at Seth and know heâs swinging on both sides of the fence.
âWell, how come yâall so cool? Iâm freaking out about what just happened, and yâall act like itâs nothing,â I say, socking Matt in the arm for being so coy about what he knows.
âI didnât want to let on in front of the girls. You know how yâall like to talk. Besides, thereâs no need to worry about Jeremy; he can take care of himself. And, if he canât, his dad can.â Matt has a good point. These rich boys have a whole different set of laws. I wish I could holla at my girls before schoolâs out about what happened with Jeremy, but right after drama class I have to head clear across campus to dance class, and then to the bus stop. I donât think Jeremy will be able to take me to Compton today after all. Iâll just have to wait until I get home to get this off my chest.
Â
âGirl, you just lucky they didnât put your ass on lockdown with him,â Nellie says, putting her two cents in the three-way conversation between her, me, and Mickey. I barely walked in the door before my cell began to ring.
âFor real, Nellie. You just know they would have loved to pin it on you, Jayd,â Mickey says.
âIâm still in shock heâs a dealer. Jayd, did you know Jeremy and his crew were our local drug cartel?â Nellie asks, sounding as judgmental as ever.
âNo, Nellie. I didnât know that Jeremy and his friends were involved in any kind of illegal activity,â I say sarcastically, while putting my backpack down on the hallway floor. That damn thingâs too heavy.
âLook, yâall, donât overreact. I want to call Jeremy and make sure heâs all right before I start judging the boy,â I say, rushing them off the phone.
âJudge the boy about what?â Mama asks, coming in from the backyard.
âOh, nothing, Mama. Nellie and Mickey are just hating on Jeremy as usual,â I say, trying to redirect Mamaâs BS detector. Iâm not telling anybody around here about this.
âNo, weâre not. You better tell Mama the truth, Jayd,â Nellie tries to shout through the phone loud enough so Mama can hear her.
âYour girls have your best interests at heart. Listen to them sometimes,â Mama says, passing me in the hallway to go to her room. Sometimes she likes to play devilâs advocate.
âIâll talk to yâall later,â I say, finally hanging up the phone.
âJayd, what was that all about?â Mama asks while hanging her outdoors work dress on the closet door. I guess she wasnât satisfied with the answer she got. Ready to settle in for the evening, she
âWeâre going to sit outside and soak up some sun,â Leslie says as she and Alia head to the outside benches. These White girls are serious about their tans. âWant to come, Jayd?â
âUhmm, no. Iâm cool,â I say. What the hell do I need with a tan? Sometimes folks donât think before they speak. But, sheâs being nice, so thereâs no need to clown.
âWhat do you need to talk to Chance about? Iâm here if you need to vent, baby,â Matt says, sitting up in his seat. But something about his look tells me he already knows why Iâm concerned.
âYou know, donât you?â I ask.
âOf course I do. You think my boyâs going to get busted and Iâm not going to find out about it immediately?â Matt says with a big grin across his face. Damn, news travels fast around this campus. I wonder if wordâs got back to South Central yet. If so, I know Misty and KJ are ecstatic.
âYeah, weâre tighter than the gay mafia,â Seth says, and he should know. Anybody can look at Seth and know heâs swinging on both sides of the fence.
âWell, how come yâall so cool? Iâm freaking out about what just happened, and yâall act like itâs nothing,â I say, socking Matt in the arm for being so coy about what he knows.
âI didnât want to let on in front of the girls. You know how yâall like to talk. Besides, thereâs no need to worry about Jeremy; he can take care of himself. And, if he canât, his dad can.â Matt has a good point. These rich boys have a whole different set of laws. I wish I could holla at my girls before schoolâs out about what happened with Jeremy, but right after drama class I have to head clear across campus to dance class, and then to the bus stop. I donât think Jeremy will be able to take me to Compton today after all. Iâll just have to wait until I get home to get this off my chest.
Â
âGirl, you just lucky they didnât put your ass on lockdown with him,â Nellie says, putting her two cents in the three-way conversation between her, me, and Mickey. I barely walked in the door before my cell began to ring.
âFor real, Nellie. You just know they would have loved to pin it on you, Jayd,â Mickey says.
âIâm still in shock heâs a dealer. Jayd, did you know Jeremy and his crew were our local drug cartel?â Nellie asks, sounding as judgmental as ever.
âNo, Nellie. I didnât know that Jeremy and his friends were involved in any kind of illegal activity,â I say sarcastically, while putting my backpack down on the hallway floor. That damn thingâs too heavy.
âLook, yâall, donât overreact. I want to call Jeremy and make sure heâs all right before I start judging the boy,â I say, rushing them off the phone.
âJudge the boy about what?â Mama asks, coming in from the backyard.
âOh, nothing, Mama. Nellie and Mickey are just hating on Jeremy as usual,â I say, trying to redirect Mamaâs BS detector. Iâm not telling anybody around here about this.
âNo, weâre not. You better tell Mama the truth, Jayd,â Nellie tries to shout through the phone loud enough so Mama can hear her.
âYour girls have your best interests at heart. Listen to them sometimes,â Mama says, passing me in the hallway to go to her room. Sometimes she likes to play devilâs advocate.
âIâll talk to yâall later,â I say, finally hanging up the phone.
âJayd, what was that all about?â Mama asks while hanging her outdoors work dress on the closet door. I guess she wasnât satisfied with the answer she got. Ready to settle in for the evening, she
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