Fast Forward (7 page)

Penitentiary

Monday
morning. It was the first day of school, again. But this time everything was different. I seriously thought I was ready, but driving up and walking into Penn Hall High gave me second, third and even fourth thoughts. There was no way I was ready for this.

See, all my life I went to Hazelhurst Academy for Girls, so it was a serious culture shock: guys walking around in school, no uniforms in sight, old everything, ugly everything, noise everywhere and metal detectors. What’s up with all that? They had massive security and armed police officers.

My grandmother and I went to the main office and went through the paperwork process. Thank goodness for
computers and the Internet. The school was able to acquire my full Hazelhurst transcript within seconds. They saw my grades, my awards, my accomplishments and they also saw that I’d been fighting. I knew exactly when the vice principal read the notation ’cause she looked up at me and frowned. They didn’t know my mom and didn’t have a clue and probably didn’t care how her death affected me.

“You’re seeing a counselor? Dr. Tubbs?”

“Yes. I had my first session last Thursday.”

She nodded, then of course it came. She read me the riot act about rules and consequences. And just because I came from a private school I wasn’t going to get any special treatment. She said that there were kids in the school that had real issues and that everyone was treated equally.

I nodded appropriately, giving her the standard I-get-it look. But the truth was I was getting scared. This was nothing like I imagined. I thought it was going to be easy because it was a public school. I was wrong.

The vice principal gave me a class roster and a map of the school. She told me that this was still first period and that the days were split with four classes each. There were blue and red days, and I’d catch on eventually. She wished me luck and with one last warning, she sent me to class.

Two minutes later, I knocked on the door and walked into English class. I gave the teacher a form, and he told me to take a seat. All eyes were on me as I found a seat in the back of the class. I sat and looked up at the board. They were studying the
Crucible
and the Salem witch
trials. We did this last year, so I pretty much knew what was going on. So I’m sitting there and everybody tried to turn around to get a look at me, the new girl.

Okay, I knew it was going to be a long day after that. I suffered through the next two classes, went to my next class, had lunch and then went back to that same class. I ate alone.

My last class that day was French. They were pretty much up to what I was learning, so it was pretty good. I’d gotten all my books but didn’t get a locker yet so I had to lug all this stuff home.

I was walking down the street loaded down when this girl came up to me. “Hey, you’re new right?”

“Yeah, I’m Kenisha Lewis.”

“I’m Cassandra Mosley, but everybody calls me Cassie. Yeah, I thought I knew you. You live around the way. You go to Freeman Dance right?”

“Yeah, you?”

“I live down the street. I’ve seen you and your friends dance. I don’t know their names, but y’all are tight.”

“Jalisa and Diamond. Diamond is really good.”

“Yeah, that’s it. I heard y’all dance with Gayle Harmon and her steppers sometimes. Do you know Tyrece Grant?”

“We danced with them once. It was tight. We had fun, but it is so hard. They never get tired, and their moves are perfect.” I said, deliberately not answering the question about knowing Ty or hanging out with him.

“For real, that is so tight. So you just moved here to D.C.?”

“I’m staying with my grandmother. I used to live in Virginia and go to school there.”

“What school? My cousin lives in northern Virginia.”

“I went to Hazelhurst.”

She shook her head that she’d never heard of it. “This is my house,” she said. We stopped walking. “I usually walk to school. The school buses take too long. So, I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, I think I’m in your English and French class. If you need any help catching up, let me know.”

“Thanks. See you tomorrow,” I said and kept walking. My grandmother lived on the next block. As soon as I saw the house I felt relieved. Then I heard my name called. I knew that voice, I turned around. Li’l T came running up behind me.

“Hey, you heard me calling you girl. You ain’t stop.”

“Hello, I stopped, duh. I’m standing here aren’t I.”

“I saw you at school today, girl. You go to the penitentiary? Since when?”

“Since today,” I said, walking.

Li’l T followed. “Girl, you look good. Why don’t you hook a brotha up with those digits.” I started laughing. “I’m serious. You and me can do this thing now that Lurch is out of the way.”

“Lurch? Who’s that?” I asked, then it hit me. He was talking about LaVon. I laughed harder. LaVon was tall and thin. He was six-foot-three, and I guess maybe he did do the Lurch thing, particularly since Li’l T was so short.

“Ah, but what about Terrence?” I asked.

“You ain’t seeing Terrence I know.”

“Why not, what’s wrong with Terrence?”

“Nah, nah, chill. He aright, I guess. He’s too old for you. You need some young blood. Check, I know how to treat a girl.”

“Li’l T, Terrence is seventeen. I’m sixteen. We’re a year apart age-wise. Besides, you need to find somebody your age.”

“Nah, bump that. Them young girls too silly. I want a mature babe on my arm.”

“I don’t think my grandmother’s seeing anybody,” I joked.

“See, you wrong, messing with a brother like that. You wrong.”

“I’m sorry,” I said and wrapped my arm around his shoulder, “I was just playing. You know you my homeboy.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got your homeboy. So, like, you in eleventh?” I nodded. “That’s tight. So why don’t you hook a brotha up with your girl’s number.”

“Li’l T, Chili is not my girl. We don’t even talk.”

“Nah, man. I ain’t talking about that hoochie. She played out like the eighties.”

“What do you know about the eighties. You weren’t even born then.”

“I hear things. I’m up on my old school.”

“You don’t even know what old school is,” I said.

“I know old school, and I know Chili is past it.”

“I bet,” I said as we approached my grandmother’s house. I stared up the path. “So wait, who were you talking about? Jalisa or Diamond?”

“Diamond.”

“Diamond? Oh, please. Stop dreaming,” I said. “She would make you cry and you know it.” I started laughing. Li’l T was a trip. He was always into something. I walked up the path just as my cell rang. It was a text message from Terrence. -
Sup, how was sk00l?
-

“Yo, yo, hook me up. Think about it.”

“Bye,” I said, and waved without looking back. I got to the front door and reached for my key. My dad opened the door. Crap, I didn’t even notice his car parked out front. “Hey, Dad.”

“Get in here. We need to talk.”

I walked into the living room and dropped my heavy book bag. My little brothers were there talking to my grandmother. As soon as I walked in, they looked up and ran to me. “Kenisha,” Jr. yelled. Jason mimicked him.

“Hey Peanut, hey Butter,” I said, palming their heads like I always did when they got fresh haircuts. “How you guys doing?”

“Fine,” Jason said, holding on to my hand while Jr. started taking my books out the book bag.

“Mrs. King, would you please take the boys to the…”

“Hey guys, guess what? My grandmother made gingerbread men cookies the other day. I think we still have some in the kitchen.”

“Yeah.” They started screaming and jumping up and down. My grandmother stood up and cleared her throat. They immediately silenced, calmed down and looked at her. I shook my head and chuckled. Courtney would never be able to do that. My grandmother led the boys to the kitchen, and I stayed with my dad in the living room.

“I started at Penn Hall High School today,” I said, figuring I’d get the conversation started and over with. I knew he was mad. His face was red-hot.

“Yes, I heard. And I can’t believe you would do something so stupid…” he began.

Yep, I was right, he was mad.

“…what’s wrong with you? First you’re arguing with teachers, not doing your assignments, fighting. Now you just walk out and not listen. You’re thoughtless and…”

I could not believe he was actually saying that. He called me thoughtless. Talk about being a hypocrite.
Please.
It was his stupid drama with Courtney that started all this mess from the very beginning. I don’t know why he had to go there.

“…your behavior is totally unacceptable and I’m not putting up with it anymore. Courtney is right. You do act like a pampered brat…”

And she would know. She’s a hypocrite, too.

“…I told you that I was getting a tutor and then you just walked out without saying a word to me. I told you to stay in the house, I called all day Saturday looking for you. Did it ever occur to you that I might have been concerned?”

“Yes, but I was supposed to come here Saturday, so I did.”

“That’s not the point, Kenisha. I specifically told you to be at the house when I got back.”

“Dad, the only reason I decided to go to Penn Hall is because that’s where you wanted me to go before, so I just figured I might as well go there now.”

“But you knew I was talking about getting a tutor.”

“Courtney was right. There’s no need to spend all that money for a private tutor. I can go to Penn Hall for the rest of the semester then transfer back to Hazelhurst next semester. I’ll keep up with my grades at Penn Hall, plus do extra work to prepare for the Hazelhurst placement exam. I can do this. I know I messed up, but it’s not fair for everybody to suffer because of me.”

“Kenisha, it’s not about saving money. I told you to stay at the house. I meant it. I’m the parent, I make the decisions about your future, not the other way around. I’d rather you have a tutor. You don’t know Penn Hall.”

“But I went there today and nothing happened. I got my books and my classes, and I even met someone in my class who lives down the street. Her name’s Cassie and she’s nice.”

He didn’t say anything. He just stood there. “You’re just like your mother, stubborn and obstinate. When did that happen?”

I half smiled. “Funny, she always said the same thing about me being like you.”

He shook his head and sat. “I really miss her,” he said.

“But Dad…” I started.

“I know, I know,” he said interrupting, “if I loved her this much, then why Courtney?” He looked away, shook his head and sighed heavily. “The truth is I don’t have an answer for that. Your mother and I began our relationship like an explosion. I fell in love with her the instant I saw her. She was with someone else…”

“Jaden, Jade’s father. I know. I heard about the car accident.”

“She never got over it. I’d hoped that I could take away some of her pain. Then after you were born, she was so happy. She had both of you with her. In the end, I don’t know if anything I could have said or done would have changed things. Rehab didn’t work so…”

“Wait,” I interrupted. “Mom was in rehab? When?”

“She went to visit a sick friend, at least that’s what we told everybody, even you. You were probably too young to remember. She was away for about six weeks. That’s when you stayed here with your grandmother a while.”

“I don’t remember. So what happened after rehab?”

“She came back, she was her old self again—happy, fun and beautiful. Then I guess the demons returned,” he said then stared away. I waited for him to continue, but he seemed lost in his memories.

“I guess it is what it is,” I said.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said, then focused on me, seeming to snap out of his memory haze. “Okay, so fine. You go to Penn Hall and keep up with your grades because you are finishing your education at Hazelhurst. Barbara would have wanted it, and I do, too.”

“I’m going back,” I affirmed without a doubt.

Dad stood and looked down at me. He nodded and smiled. “I better get back to Courtney. She’s probably worried about us.”

“This pregnancy is hard on her, huh?” I asked. “I mean she’s always pissed off about something. Is it hormones or what?”

“Yeah, but she’s actually a very sweet woman. I do care about her.”

“Do you love her?” I asked cautiously.

“I don’t know. It’s not like it was with your mother.”

“Are you going to marry her?” I asked.

“No,” he said without pause or consideration.

“So why live with her? I know she thinks she’s going to marry you one day. It’s not fair, not that I’m so tight with her or anything like that. It’s just that it’s the same thing you did with Mom.”

“Your mother was the only woman for me, still is. I should have married her, but I didn’t. Marrying someone else wouldn’t seem right.”

“She’s got two of your kids and one on the way,” I said. He just shook his head no, so I figured the conversation was over. We don’t usually do the in-your-face, in-your-business personal thing. I mean, he stays out of my life and I stay out of his, so us talking like this was totally new. I kinda liked it.