“He's not going anywhere, Ms. Toni. And besides, I think you're overreacting.”
“Am I? Does your grandmother know about his little drug problem?” she asks, knowing I ain't told Mama nothing. As I try to think of a savvy comeback, I notice students rushing up and down the halls, slamming lockers, and sneaking last urgent conversations and kisses before the final bell for fourth period rings.
“Ms. Toni, that was a low blow. Everyone deserves a second chance. Besides, I have to go before I'm late for class.”
“Fine, Jayd. But we're not done. Come see me by tomorrow or I'll have you summoned out of government in front of your new man, do you hear me?” Ms. Toni yells after me as I rush down the hall. I really don't want to be late. That'll just make Mrs. Peterson's day, and I ain't about to give her the satisfaction. It's going to be weird not seeing my baby in class, especially since he's my buffer as far as Mrs. Peterson's concerned. I can't wait till after school when I finally get to hug my man.
Â
Thank God the rest of morning is uneventful. Instead of kickin' it with Mickey and Nellie at lunch, I choose to chill alone. I just don't feel like dealing with everybody talking about Jeremy right now, especially not when I'm trying to help him. I decide to calm down before confronting Misty. Instead, I spend my time talking to Jeremy on the cell and filling him in on the day's drama, which has only just begun for me.
When I get to Mrs. Bennett's classroom, hoping Jeremy's already outside, she notices me standing by her door and signals me to come in. I'm almost nauseated by the pungent mixture of gardenia perfume and the strong coffee percolating in the corner. Her room looks like a country inn in a French magazine, with two dozen student desks in the center of her perfect picture.
“Jayd, what are you doing here?” she asks, obviously annoyed by my presence.
“I'm here to meet Jeremy. He told me to meet him after school,” I say, pissed that I'm here before him. My plan was to meet him outside and keep stepping. Not to actually engage in a conversation with this evil woman. She's hella snide and creepy, like the witch in the “Hansel and Gretel” story, ya know? Just weird. And she's real tiny and old like all the witches in the fairy tales too. Why Jeremy would ever choose to be friendly with this woman is beyond me.
I wouldn't put it past Mrs. Bennett to give private lessons to some of her male students on things other than the English language, like that other teacher who made her student her baby daddy. I bet she's got a crush on Jeremy and some of his cute surfer friends. She strikes me as the conniving, jealous type. I don't know what it is about her, but this woman gives me the creeps.
“Jayd, what exactly is your relationship with Jeremy, hmm?” she asks, while putting on her thin-framed glasses. She slips into the chair behind her desk and looks up at me over a stack of papers.
“I don't have to answer that. I'll wait outside for Jeremy,” I say, turning around to walk out the room. I'm going to kill Jeremy for being late. What could be keeping him?
“Look, Jayd, I don't mean to pry,” she says, holding a red ink pen in her left hand and tapping the papers with her right, “but, it's come to my attention that you may be involved in a relationship with Jeremy. Is this true?” she asks.
I turn to face her again. “None of your business,” I say, trying to restrain myself from cussing her out.
“Look, Jayd. You and I both live in the real world, right?” she asks, trying to get me to agree with her, but I know it's a trap. This is how she lures in her victims during class. Then, she goes for the kill. “Jeremy is a great guy. Have you ever wondered why he would want to be with someone like you when he could have any girl in the entire school?” she asks, cool as a cucumber.
“What the hell did you just say to me?” I snap, ready to drop these cupcakes and slap the mess out of her. I can't wait to tell Ms. Toni what this broad just said to me.
“Oh, Jayd, please calm down the ghetto attitude. It's so unbecoming of a young lady,” she says, picking up one of the papers and reading the title page.
“Seriously, Jayd,” she says, looking over her glass rims at me. I want to walk out the door, but I'm glued to my spot. “What does he see in you? Your friend Mickey's the cutest of all of you here.” She turns around and reaches behind her, seizing the coffee-stained mug sitting on top of the bookshelf behind her desk. She then reaches over to the coffeepot and pours herself a cup. I hope she drops it and burns herself. I'm seething now.
“Who is the you?” I ask, already knowing she means out of all the Black girls.
“You know who I mean.” She takes a sip of her black coffee and continues, “All I'm saying is don't be stupid. He's just dating you because he's curious, Jayd, that's all. I wish our boys weren't so tempted by your kind. But, it seems to happen every year with him.”
“Are you on crack or something? How dare you talk to me like this? You're lucky I've got good home training; otherwise I would've told your ass off a long time ago,” I say, getting hotter and hotter as the minutes pass. Where is Jeremy? And, what does she mean by this happens to him every year? “You don't know anything about me or my girls or my friendship with Jeremy,” I say, not wanting to defend my relationship to this broad, but I can't let her get away with talking to me like this.
“Jayd, don't you think you're in a little over your head?” she asks.
“Things are not always as they appear,” I say, wishing I had something to throw at her.
“And, sometimes they are just that and nothing more,” she says, looking me up and down like she's reading my life story. I hate the way people like Mrs. Bennett look at me, especially people who think badly of me and my folk: poor, colored people from the hood. It can be any hood anywhere in the world. It's just something about being broke that makes us different in the eyes of the other people. This bitch is definitely one of them with a special twist; she's as racist as they come. And, like all racists, she thinks she's absolutely right with her ignorant ass.
“Tell Jeremy I'll meet him in the quad.” I can't take any more of her bullshit today, not even for Jeremy. How do such evil people become teachers? He'll just have to go out of his way to find me. I've had enough for one day.
Just as I think she's finally finished, she persists in a low, harsh voice barely audible as I walk away, “You're not the right type for him, Jayd. He's way out of your league.”
I would turn around and snap back at her, but I don't want to give her the satisfaction. I just want Jeremy to hurry the hell up and come on. As I approach the quad, maneuvering my way through couples making out and other students hangin' out after school, I see KJ and Misty in our old hangout spot. What are they doing here? And, why do I care?
I've been wondering what to say to Misty all day about the snitch rumor. Now's the perfect time to confront her and force the truth out of her. I need to release my anger, and she's the perfect outlet.
“Jayd,” KJ says, sounding surprised to see me. “What are you doing over here? Shouldn't you be on the bus by now?” he asks, readjusting himself on the cozy bench made for two.
“And shouldn't you be at practice? Or are you playing a different sport these days?” I say, referring to Misty's everlasting games.
“Whatever, Jayd. Don't be mad because you gave up this man for your new man who's now on lockdown,” Misty retorts, smacking her gum loudly, which has always annoyed the hell out of me.
“Speaking of which, Misty, did you have anything to do with Jeremy's bust?” I ask, getting straight to the point. Jeremy should be here any minute, and I don't want him to witness this little episode. This is between me and Misty. No one else. But, I do want KJ to be a witness to this girl's true character, as if he doesn't already know who Misty truly is. He may be ready to move on, but I'll be damned if it's with this girl.
“Don't blame me if your man's a drug dealer. That's on him,” she says, expertly evading the question. “Besides, he would've been caught eventually. Criminals always are,” she replies with a wicked grin. It's taking all of my restraint not to throw these cupcakes at her. KJ's lying back, enjoying his ringside seat at yet another chick fight.
“Ladies, please, not again. Y'all just got off suspension a few days ago. Do you really want to do this now?” KJ mock intervenes. “Besides, Jeremy's not worth it.”
“What?” I exclaim. “Are you kidding me, KJ? Misty basically admitted to snitching, and regardless of the circumstances, you know that shit is foul and deserves an ass whipping,” I say, ready to throw blows.
“Misty's a lot of things,” he says, checking her ego a little. “But a snitch ain't one of them, right, Misty?” he asks, looking Misty in the eye, awaiting her reply. Instead of denying it, which is exactly what I thought she'd do, she surprises me by telling the truth.
“I didn't mean to tell on him; it just sort of slipped out when I was talking to my mother. And, Stan and Dan happened to be standing right there,” she says, batting her long, curly eyelashes at KJ, feigning the innocent victim. I want to slap the shit out of her right now, but I want to get to the heart of the matter first.
“Misty, what did you tell your mother about Jeremy?” I ask, wanting the full confession.
“I just told her I heard he meets his clients after lunch by the parking lot to exchange goods. That's all. Stan and Dan busted him on their own,” she responds, conveniently making herself look like a helpless victim, and KJ's falling for her act. I hope that's all he's falling for.
“Your mouth's writing checks your body can't cash, Misty. You need to watch your back,” I say, not believing her act for a minute. “If Jeremy goes down for this, you're going with him.”
“Jayd, regardless of how he got busted, Jeremy's no good,” KJ says as he grabs his backpack from the ground next to his feet and rises from the bench. “When you're ready to come back to me, let me know. You've got the number.” And, with Misty hot on his trail, he walks away, leaving me fuming. First Mrs. Bennett, now Misty. Broads come in all shapes and sizes, I suppose.
School let out almost twenty minutes ago, and I'm still waiting for Jeremy. I wonder what's keeping him. I should probably text him and let him know where I am, just in case Mrs. Bennett doesn't deliver the message. I'll tell him about this little episode, but not yet. I'll wait until after his hearing tomorrow. Today I want to concentrate on keeping him at South Bay High and with me for as long as I can, no matter what obstacles our enemies place in our path. Speaking of foes, Ms. Toni walks up to me, catching me off guard as I sit down on an empty bench and send Jeremy a text message.
“Hello, Miss Jackson. What are you doing here after school?” she says, looking over my shoulder at my phone. She's a good foot taller than me and makes me feel like a midget from where I'm sitting. “I hope you're not waiting for that boy,” she says, walking from behind the bench to sit down next to me. Placing the envelopes in her hand on her lap, she looks at me and can read the frustration on my face. “Jayd, what's wrong with you, girl?”
“Nothing,” I say, pressing send on my cell and flipping it closed. “I'm just tired of people running their mouths up at this stupid school,” I say, raising my voice slightly and forgetting who I'm talking to. “Sorry,” I say.
“It's okay to be upset Jayd,” Ms. Toni says, smiling at me. “Just tell me what happened,” she says. “Does it have something to do with Misty and KJ? I saw them walking toward the main parking lot a moment ago.”
“Yeah, most of it. Can you believe Misty snitched on Jeremy and no one cares? Had I done something like that, the entire Black student population would be out for me,” I say. “And, I know you don't approve of what Jeremy did, but he doesn't deserve to be targeted because Misty hates me.”
“Oh, Jayd. You can't control what Misty does. Don't you know that by now?” she says, pulling a tissue out of her sweater pocket and handing it to me. “Crying over that girl is a waste of tears. She'll always start mess because she has nothing else better to do, just like her mama.”
“Ms. Toni, that's not nice,” I say, laughing a little. I'm glad I ran into her. Talking to her always makes me feel better. Or, at the very least, she makes me laugh.
“Well, it's the truth and you know it. All Misty and her mother do is talk mess, and that's not to be envied or feared. All Misty can do is talk because she can't walk like you do, Jayd. Just know she'll always be around to cause mischief and she won't catch you off guard so often.”
“I know you're right,” I agree. “But, I just feel like I can stop her with one good beat down,” I say, again forgetting my place. Ms. Toni's cool, but she's still an adult and doesn't like to hear me talk about fighting.
“Jayd, the best way to get back at her is by ignoring her. Don't let her get to you, and certainly don't be confrontational. She lives for getting a rise out of you,” Ms. Toni says, lifting my chin with the tip of her finger and forcing me to look at her. “Jayd, your future's too bright to let your enemies get the best of you.” She sounds so much like Mama sometimes. What would I do without either one of them? I'm lucky to have more than one mother figure in my life, especially at school. If Ms. Toni had been at my junior high school, maybe I wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble back then.