No Mercy (16 page)

Laura begins to protest but realizes it’s in vain. She’s busted and we all know it.

“And, Cameron. I must say that I’m very disappointed in your behavior. What possessed you to attack Jayd?”

Cameron’s mother sighs with impatience. “I don’t see the point of this continued grilling, John. The girls served their time yesterday.”

Before the principal can answer Mr. Adelizi responds. “The point is, Mrs. Preston, that Cameron’s behavior is grounds for expulsion.” Mr. Adelizi points to the school code of conduct on the wall behind him.

Finally, someone lays down the law on this trick. If it were me in the hot seat I’d already be kicked out of South Bay High.

              “The girls said they were sorry for the misunderstanding,” Laura’s mom says, coming to Cameron’s defense. “Isn’t that enough?”

             
“No it isn’t,” I say, standing up for myself. “I missed a day and a half of classes because of Cameron’s actions and had to serve in house suspension when I did nothing wrong.”

             
“Jayd, please,” Mr. Adelizi begins, but he knows I’m right.

“We’re not little kids anymore,” I continue. Even Principal John appears to be listening. “And I for one am tired of being treated like a criminal when I’m the victim here in more ways than one.”

              “What do you mean by that, Jayd?” Mr. Adelizi asks, still in counseling mode.

             
Cameron’s entire demeanor changes from a badass young woman to a helpless child at the mere insinuation of the real reason we’re all in this predicament. I’ve held my tongue long enough trying to protect Jeremy. He didn’t even know how to have my back when the time came: To hell with him and his ball and chain, as Chase calls her.

             
“Cameron’s been blackmailing my ex boyfriend, Jeremy, to be her boyfriend,” I say, feeling the weight of deception lift from my shoulders. “And he doesn’t want to be with her. Jeremy wants to be back with me and that’s why Cameron attacked me. Can I go now?”

             
“That’s simply not true!” Cameron’s mom screams at the top of her lungs. “She’s lying! Look at her. What boy in his right mind would choose her over my daughter?”

Laura’s mom shakes her head in agreement. “Cameron’s perfect! Just like Laura.”

              The term ‘hoe sit down’ was made for moments like this, but I can’t disrespect my elders no matter how foul they may be.

             
“If you don’t believe me check her fancy phone,” I say, pointing at the sparkly device permanently glued to the girl’s right hand. “Cameron has the video that broke us up saved on her cell. She’s been holding it over Jeremy’s head as collateral to get her way for months, and I’m done.”

             
I stand up and wait for permission to leave. It finally comes via Mr. Adelizi.

             
“I’ll take it from here, Jayd. And we’re sorry you had to endure this type of injustice,” Mr. Adelizi says. He looks at the principal who looks stuck between a rock and me.

             
“We’ll make sure this doesn’t go on your permanent record and that your teachers are fully aware of the situation,” Mr. Shepherd says. He looks down at the papers on his desk and sighs heavily.

             
I smile victoriously at my enemies and leave the office. I feel better already. If there’s a way to get that same type of vindication when it comes to how Mrs. Bennett constantly persecutes my ass I need to find it. 

“Jayd, I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Mickey says, walking me down in the main hall. I only have a few minutes to get to English class and no time for her latest emergency.

“What is it, Mickey? I’ve had a rough morning.” I slam my locker door shut and head toward the Language Arts corridor.

Mickey
pulls a braid out of her purse and waves it in my face. “My hair came out in second period. Can you please put it back in for me?”

“Mickey, you know I don’t deal with anything fake,” I say, laughing at her dilemma. Only she would ask me to stop what I’m doing to help her out when she hasn’t spoken more than two words to me in weeks.

“Really? Have you looked in the mirror lately?” she says, referring to my eye color.

Rather than tell her the unbelievable truth, I snatch the braid out of her hand and lead her toward my class. I glance inside hoping Mrs. Bennett doesn’t see me and notice that we have a substitute today. There is a God, and she has a little mercy on me. This day just keeps getting better and better.

“Bend down,” I say, setting my book bag and purse down by the front door. Most of the other students are in class talking and sitting in the wrong seats, clearly taking advantage of the sub.

“Thank you so much,” Mickey says, tilting her head forward so that I can reach the back of her head. “I would’ve done it myself but I can’t get a good grip in the back.”

“You can’t get a good grip because your hair is thinning from you stressing it out,” I say, observing her crown. “How did this happen anyway? It looks like it was snatched out.”

The sub looks out the door and notices me working. Like most of the white teachers up here, she
doesn’t know what to say and steps back inside.

“It was an accident,” Mickey says, pressing her index finger at the root of the braid to keep it from pulling out the rest of her hair. “I was in the girl’s bathroom and it got caught in one of the stall doors. That shit hurt like hell.”

“You’ve got to be more careful,” I say, finishing up the braid. The bell starts to ring and I braid faster, not wanting to be marked tardy even if I am standing in the doorway.

“Thank God Misty was there to help me get untangled. Not that I like the trick or anything, but she did help me out.”

“Misty helped you?” I ask, suspicious of the good deed. “Are you sure she didn’t trap your braids in the door intentionally?”

“Jayd, you’re so paranoid about everything,” Mickey says, feeling the braid reinforced against her scalp. It looks better than the rest of her braids, that’s for sure. “You should go to that college party tonight. You need to loosen up.”

“Honestly I forgot all about it.” Both Nigel and Keenan wanted me to make an appearance and I turned him down. Maybe I should reconsider. I need to let my hair down and enjoy life a little.

“Well, think about it. Later,” Mickey says, strolling to class.

If she only knew what was going on in my world Mickey wouldn’t dare ask me to attend any kind of party. I’m surprised she’s considering going. With Nigel being the top football recruit for UCLA next Fall, I’m sure he’s going to be there. Come to think of it, most of my dilapidated crew should be in attendance, including Rah. All rational signs say don’t go, but something about my bright vision is telling me to check it out. With all of my closest friends in one place something bad is bound to happen, and it may be just the time for me to cast a protection spell to cover us all.

“You should come to the party, Jayd,” Nigel says, turning the corner late to his own class.

“What, are you spying on me now?” I say, giving him a quick hug.

“Not you,” he says, as serious as a heart attack. Mickey’s not the only one who can scheme to get what she wants. “It’ll be fun, Jayd. What’s wrong with that?”

Nigel’s right. I need to blow off some steam, and the party will give me and Keenan a chance to hang. I’ve been neglecting him for far too long.

“Okay, I’ll go.”

“Rah, I’m so tired of our back and forth that I’m getting on my own damned nerves.”

-Jayd

Drama High, volume 15: Street Soldiers

~13~

THE TALK

It was the longest Friday ever. I tried to hunt down Misty and grill her about her good deed but she was nowhere to be found. Mickey also disappeared after lunch off to God only knows where. With any luck everyone I need to lay eyes on will appear at tonight’s festivities. I took time to look up an incantation that should throw a much needed protection blanket over me and my crew.

The plan is to meet at Chase’s house and then he’ll drive me and Nigel to the party in Westwood, truly a city unto itself. Keenan gave me a tour of UCLA’s sovereign town and I was in awe of the wealth surrounding the university campus. As much as Nigel wants to front like he’s not, I know he’s equally impressed, especially with the illegal perks that come with his station. Chase is Nigel’s top champion for accepting gifts from all of the schools interested in Nigel, which is a slippery slope but neither of them will listen to reason. They just want to have fun and enjoy the moment.

“
Maybe you should take notes from your friends and stop trying to be the mama all the damned time
,” my mom chimes in. I’m running late as it is and don’t need her mental harassment right now, but I have no choice. She can jump in and out of my mind at will even when we’re standing in the same room.

“Mom, you can just talk to me, you know,” I say, eyeing my understated outfit in her floor-length mirrored closet doors. Although most of her wardrobe is at her fiancé’s house, she leaves some pieces here just in case and I’m grateful for it. Being restricted to wearing white underneath everything severely limits my wardrobe options.

“You think I don’t know what I can and cannot do?” My mom can be so much to handle sometimes and she knows it. “All I’m saying is that you have the rest of your life to work, Jayd. Have some fun without attaching work to it while you can, because after high school, shit gets real.”

“I’m not braiding anyone’s head tonight,” I say, running my fingers through my wavy tresses. I took my cornrows out a little while ago and decided to just let my hair be. It feels good.

My mom glares at me with that look that says, “You know what I’m talking about, young lady.” Daddy gave it to her and me, and now she’s throwing it around.

“Mom, you do realize that Mama’s not safe and neither am I or my friends as long as Esmeralda’s spell is in effect?”

“That type of bull right there is why I got out when I did,” my mom mutters under her breath. She always reminds me of how much better her life is because she gave up her sight after she unwisely left Mama’s house when she was a teenager.

“In hindsight, do you really think that was the best way to go? You forget I lived it,” I say, recalling one of my worst sleepwalking experiences ever. Esmeralda stripping my mom’s power was more painful than anything I’ve ever experienced, including Mickey’s labor pains. My mom’s right; it’s not easy living with our gifts but I can’t imagine being any other way.

“I didn’t forget a damned thing, Jayd, including the hell that heffa put me through.” We both shiver at the thought of Esmeralda. “But she didn’t have Rousseau then. Esmeralda’s more powerful than I ever imagined she could be, and she’s going after my mother and my daughter. I hate to admit it but I’m scared that we may not win this battle, Jayd.” My mom sits at the foot of her bed and I join her. I’ve never seen my mother this worried before.

I put my left arm around her narrow frame as she rests her head on my shoulder. “That’s exactly why I have to stay on my game, mom. In this moment, I’m the only one who can do the work necessary to check Esmeralda and hopefully send Rousseau back to whatever hellhole he crept out of.”

“I want you to be seventeen, Jayd,” my mom says, her emerald eyes tearing up. “Take a break from the spirit studies and voodoo dolls and whatnot. Be a teenager, go to a party and have some fun. Meet some other boys besides Keenan the player.”

I begin to protest but it would be in vain. My mom’s convinced Keenan’s no good for me.

“All I’m saying is to enjoy your youth while you still can. Trust me when I say that you have the rest of your life to be grown.”

I hug my mom tightly and allow her tears to fall onto my bare shoulder. “Priestesses don’t get days off,” I say, sounding more like Mama than myself. “Besides, I’m enjoying the green eyes. They’re quite fierce if I do say so myself.”

My mom lifts her head and examines my eyes, searching. “Be careful with your newfound powers, Jayd. Often times the ancestors temporarily gift us with things because we’re in grave danger.”

The coldest chill ever sweeps over my body, transferring all of my mother’s fear into my being. I move my arm; the jade bracelets make a loud clinking sound as they settle on my wrist.

“I can’t tell you what to do, Jayd. You came out of me a grown ass woman,” my mom says, wiping her face clean. “All I can do is warn you. I may not have my powers the way I used to but I still have a mother’s intuition. There are things in this world you’re simply not ready to handle, and I think you should allow yourself more time to grow into the powerful woman you’re so obviously becoming.”