Drama High: Second Chance

—N.W.A.

Riding the bus this morning will be especially eventful with my little basket full of cupcakes. It’s never easy carrying anything extra on the bus. The drivers can be cool when they want to be and allow passengers to carry food, even though it’s against the rules.

When I get to the bus stop, Pam, the neighborhood crack head, is sitting at the bus stop talking to herself. Mama feeds her sometimes. But, normally, Pam’s too out of it to care if she eats or not. It’s not cold, but the morning chill is still in the air, and she’s wearing nothing but a tank top, some biker shorts, and flip-flops. Whenever I see Pam, chills come over me like I’m in the presence of a ghost. I wonder where her family is and how anyone ever gets this far out there.

“Good morning, Pam,” I say as I sit down next to her on the tattered bench. We’re the only two people out this early in the morning, but she’s heavily engaged in conversation with herself. She’s mumbling and doesn’t respond to my greeting, yet I feel obliged to at least get her to make eye contact. “Pam, how are you this morning?” I ask, only to be ignored again. Mama says I should always speak to Pam just to let her know I see her, unlike the other folks around our neighborhood who pretend she doesn’t exist.

As the bus pulls up to the curb, Pam finally speaks. “Jayd, tell your mama I said hi,” she says as I rise from the bench and head toward the opened double doors of the MTA bus.

“I will, Pam. I’ll see you later.” Before I finish my statement, Pam’s again engrossed in her side conversation with people only she can see.

“Are you coming or not?” the rude bus driver says, rushing me up the steps and onto the nearly empty bus. “And there had better not be any crumbs on my bus when you leave, either,” she says, referring to my basket of goodies and the sign on the bus indicating no food allowed.

“I’m not gone eat on your bus,” I say, walking to the back of the bus to stretch out before my first transfer in Gardena. Sometimes the three bus rides are a bit much for me. I get tired of the long commute from Compton to the South Bay every morning. I wish I could sleep on at least one of the buses. But, I don’t want to risk missing any of my stops.

When my final bus pulls up to the stop near South Bay High, my phone rings, displaying Nellie’s name on the Caller ID. What could she possibly want this early in the morning?

“Hello,” I answer as I exit the Torrance bus and head up the steep hill toward campus, trying to balance my backpack, Jeremy’s basket, and my cell phone all at once.

“Hey, girl. Are you here yet?” she asks. It must be nice to have a mom and dad to take her to school every morning and who’ll pick her up if need be.

“Almost. I’m actually walking up the hill as we speak.”As usual, the local residents are outside walking their dogs, watering their lawns, and sending their children off to school, all the while watching me from the corner of their eyes, making sure I don’t steal their lawn ornaments or whatever other possession they may think invaluable.

“Well, hurry up and get here. We’ve got news, girl.” What now? I can’t even have a nice walk in the morning without some drama jumping off.

“Why you can’t just tell me over the phone? I need to return a book to the library before I go to my locker this morning, so I’m not going to have time to talk before first period.” I couldn’t help checking out one of my favorite books, Mama Day, for what must be the fifteenth time while in the library last week. I love Gloria Naylor’s writing.

“Because, I want to see your face when you hear what I have to say.” This can’t be good if Nellie can’t tell me over the phone.

“Just spill it, Nellie,” I say, halfway up the hill. By the time I get to campus and go to the library, I’ll have just enough time to get to Spanish class before the bell rings.

“Girl, rumor has it Misty’s the one who ratted out Jeremy’s little side occupation. Ain’t that some shit,” she says as I stop in the middle of my stride to catch my breath. What the hell?

“Are you serious, Nellie? Where’d you hear that from?” I ask, resuming my hike at a much quicker pace than before. Why does that broad always have to be in the middle of some shit?

“Well, apparently Shae overheard Misty telling her mom all about it in the office yesterday. You know Misty’s friends with Stan and Dan,” Nellie responds. How can a student be friends with campus security?

“So, what are you gone do,” Mickey says, shouting through the phone. Nellie must have her cell on speaker because I can hear other students all around them. “See, you should’ve whipped her ass when you had the chance,” she says, reminding me of last week’s fight. “Trecee didn’t finish the job, and I think you should.”

“Fighting is definitely not the answer. But, I agree with Mickey,” Nellie says, reclaiming control of the conversation. “Something needs to be done about that girl.”

“I agree with both of you,” I say, feeling my heart beat faster as I step onto campus, heading straight for the library. This broad’s gone too far now. Snitches are not respected in our hood, at all. And, there’s usually only one way to deal with a snitch. But, I don’t want to get too ghetto out here with these White folks. Misty isn’t worth my education or my freedom. If I fight Misty now, it’ll be a straight beat down from the girl formerly known on the street as Lyttle, and that’s dangerous territory.

“Excuse me, there’s no cell phones in the library,” says one of the librarians from behind the counter. She’s so old she looks like she’s been here since the library was first built.

“I’ll have to talk to y’all later. Meet me at my locker at break. Maybe by then I’ll have something figured out,” I say, not really wanting to hang up in the middle of the conversation. What the hell am I going to do about Misty? Her being a broad I can handle. But, a snitch? Never.

“Hey, Jayd. What’s in the basket?” Nellie asks as she and Mickey walk up to my locker. I was unable to concentrate in my first two periods, thinking about how I should respond to this new drama with Misty.

“It’s a gift for Jeremy,” I say, making sure the basket is completely covered. I don’t want them to see what’s inside. I know they would make fun of my messed-up cupcakes. But, as long as they work, I don’t care what they look like.

“I thought he was suspended,” Mickey says, trying to snatch the basket.

“He is. But I was hoping to catch up with him after school,” I say, carefully placing the cupcakes back into my locker before walking to class. I also have to figure out a way to get him to eat them in front of me. If I’ve learned one thing about Mama’s recipes, it’s to follow them to the letter. “Have y’all seen Misty this morning? I want to have a word with her before I go around accusing her of a crime she may not have committed.”

Nellie and Mickey look at each other in total disbelief.

“Are you kidding, Jayd? After everything this girl’s done you’re still willing to talk to her?” Mickey asks, looking like she wants to slap some sense into me.

“I just want to hear it from her mouth before I jump to conclusions,” I say, taking my backpack off to get my English and Spanish books out and place them in my locker before retrieving my government and math books and placing them in my backpack.

“You need a talk show with all the discussing you try and do with this girl,” Nellie says, leaning up against the lockers next to mine, getting a bird’s-eye view of the busy hall. “Speaking of which, have you told your man about this new discovery?”

“No, I haven’t talked to him yet. But, I’m sure he’ll call before lunch.”

Or maybe we can just chill or maybe ... And there’s Jeremy, right on cue. I retrieve my cell from my purse, eager to hear his voice while my girls wait patiently to continue our conversation.

“Hey, baby. How’s lockdown?” I ask, knowing he’s probably having the time of his life.

“Very funny, Lady J. I’m chilling, catching up on repeat episodes of College Hill. How’s school?” he asks, in the sexiest damn voice to ever come through my cell. And, I love it when he calls me Lady J. It sounds so OG.

“It’s school. You ain’t missing nothing, except for all the gossip about you being the next Scarface,” I say, only half joking. I don’t want to tell him about Misty quite yet, not until I know the truth. The rumors are growing more ridiculous as the day goes by, and it’s still early.

“So, what are you doing for lunch? I wish you could come over, but my mom’s here and she’s pissed at me. Are you going to miss me?” he asks, sounding a little nostalgic.

“Oh, my God, Jeremy. Do you miss me already? It’s only been a day,” I say, flattered. Speaking of which, I better go. There’s the warning bell. All the other students are already wrapping up their conversations, including my girls.

“Hey, baby, I hate to go, but I’m gone be late if I don’t,” I say, not really wanting to end our conversation, but I still need to talk to my girls and get to class on time.

“Cool. Don’t say anything witty until I get back,” he says. I laugh, missing him even more.

“I’ll try not to.” Before I could recommend meeting up at the bus stop after school, Jeremy suggests another idea.

“Can you meet me at Mrs. Bennett’s class after school? She’s going to let me pick up my work so I don’t fall behind, and I thought I could still give you a ride home, if that’s okay with you.” He’s so sweet, thinking of me in his time of need. I’m so glad I made these cupcakes for him. I just pray they keep my man out of jail and at South Bay High. And, that he trusts me enough to eat them, no matter how jacked-up they look.

“Only for you,” I say, and I mean it. I hate Mrs. Bennett. She’s notorious for being a supporter of anything anti-Black. Because of her reputation, the school made her host the Black History Month celebration last year. It was a success only because she had movies in her room every day during lunch for the entire month. That was her way of celebrating: showing old Black movies, like Pinky, all month long.

I had the twisted pleasure of having Mrs. Bennett last semester for English. She teaches tenth and twelfth grade A.P. English, which means I have to have her one more time if she stays here. She was as much a bitch then as she is now, and I don’t normally call broads bitches. But, she and Misty are exceptions to the rule.

“Why do we have to meet in her class? I hate that woman. You know that,” I say.

“She says she wants to talk to me about something. I’m sure she just wants me to know she has my back at the hearing,” he says, reminding me of his impending appointment with fate tomorrow.

“What does she have to do with it?”

“She’s one of my character witnesses. We’ll talk about it later. You’d better go before you’re late,” Jeremy says, and he’s right. I only have a few minutes left before the final bell rings.

“Jayd,” Mickey says, interrupting my conversation. “We’ve got to go. See you at lunch?”

“Yeah, I’ll see y’all later. We need to finish our conversation. And, Nellie, tell everybody in your class to mind their own damn business,” I say as they walk away. I know all of them South Central folk have class together and they’re having a field day with this new bit of drama.

“Jeremy, I’ll call you at lunch,” I say as I start speed walking down the main hall.

“All right, I’ll talk to you then. Bye, baby.” Ooh, I love it when he calls me baby. I feel like we’ve been together forever. As I walk down the main hall toward Mrs. Peterson’s room, I notice Ms. Toni coming from the main office.

“Hey, Ms. Toni. How are you this morning?” I ask, stopping to give her a big hug. It’s always nice to see her.

“Hello, Miss Jayd. You’re on your way to government, right?”

“Yes, Ms. Toni. And I know you heard about Jeremy and the whole bust thing, but it’s not as bad as it sounds,” I say, trying to diffuse this argument before it begins.

“Oh, no? Is that why you haven’t been by my office this week?” She’s right. I have been avoiding her. But only because I know she won’t approve of my seeing Jeremy, especially not now.

“Jayd, what are you thinking? That boy is trouble waiting to happen. Now, usually I don’t speak ill of students. But, Jayd, I’ve seen this happen to young, Black girls time and time again. These rich White boys are all alike.”

“All alike how?” I ask, waiting to hear her answer.

“They’re spoiled, bored risk takers, Jayd. I’ve seen too many decent girls ruin their reputations over the wrong boys. You’re too smart for him, Jayd. And I don’t want you to be pulled down with him. And he is going down for this one.”

“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.

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.

“What if one of my enemies is a teacher?” I ask, not wanting to bring up Mrs. Bennett, but I can’t get her off my mind. Ms. Toni has a problem with most of the teachers up here because most of them have a problem with her simply because she’s Black. But Mrs. Bennett, in particular, irritates the hell out of Ms. Toni.

“Okay, what else happened?” Ms. Toni asks. “I guess these tears aren’t just for Misty, are they?”

“No,” I say as I blow my nose into the tissue. “I went to Mrs. Bennett’s room looking for Jeremy, and she was just as rude as ever.”

“What did she say to you?” Ms. Toni asks in a serious voice. She sits up straight and looks at me hard, waiting for my reply.

“It wasn’t so much what she said as the way she said it. She always speaks to me with the most racist tone I’ve ever heard. And, she called me one of those girls, like all Black girls are different from other girls.” And Mrs. Bennett’s right. We are different. But not in the way she meant it. Her “different” was inherently negative and unequal.

“I know what you mean. When we have staff meetings it’s as if I’m the only other person in the room who hears her racist jargon. She’s a crafty one,” Ms. Toni says, looking past me and off into the distance. “You know, Jayd. You shouldn’t take this lying down. Whatever she said to you should be documented. And, the best way to do that is to request a hearing with the principal, Mrs. Bennett, and your counselor. Your mother or grandmother should also be present, for support,” she says, patting me on the leg.

“I don’t want to get them involved in something like this. They don’t have time to fight my battles,” I say. Mama and my mom don’t like coming up to school for anything that doesn’t involve me graduating. Everything else they feel I should be able to take care of on my own.

“Okay, Jayd. But you need an adult to stand by you. The administration won’t take your claim seriously if you don’t. So, I’ll be there to act as your self-appointed ombudsman. You have a right to one, according to the student bylaws,” she says, referring to the bylaws and constitution booklet every student receives in their annual registration packet.

“I don’t know, Ms. Toni. It’s her word against mine. And, if I don’t win, she’ll hold it over my head next year in A.P. English.”

“Don’t worry about next year. Right now you need to let her know she can’t get away with treating you as less than equal. Think of how many other students she’s done this to,” Ms. Toni says. “Think about what I said seriously, Jayd. Unlike Misty, Mrs. Bennett is a person in a position of influence and power. Focus your energy in the right direction and really make a difference,” she says, reclaiming the envelopes in her lap and rising from her seat. I get up to give her a hug.

“I will, Ms. Toni.” As we embrace, I can’t help but wonder what’s holding Jeremy up. I also wonder if Mrs. Bennett’s going to tell him her version of our little conversation.

“Come and talk to me tomorrow, Jayd. Right now I’m running late for a meeting.” As she walks off toward the staff lounge, I continue to wait for Jeremy. If he’s not here in the next fifteen minutes, I’ll have no choice but to leave in order to catch the next bus and still make it home at a decent time. I hope he gets here soon. The late bus is usually crowded, and I don’t want to stand all the way to my Gardena transfer.