Drama Queens

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  “What are you gonna do, call the cops on her?” Rico said.

  “Yes!” Jasmine answered for her. “And if she won’t, I will.”

  “If you call the cops, she’ll just run away and you’ll have made an enemy of your daughter,” Rico said matter-of-factly. “When she turns eighteen in a couple of months, we’ll just move then, and you’ll never talk to her again.”

  Never talk to my mom again? I didn’t know where all of this was coming from.

  “We’ll just keep coming to get her,” Jasmine said.

  “No,” my mother said, letting out a deep, sad sigh. “If it’s what she feels she must do, then so be it. Angel must make her mistakes on her own.”

  It hurt my heart to see so much pain in my mother’s eyes.

  “Just let me say good-bye to Angelica.” She walked over and kissed my cheek, then leaned down and kissed Angelica on the head. “Grandma loves you.”

  Angelica stirred again, and this time her eyes fluttered open. “Grandmama,” she said groggily. She wiggled in my arms, trying to get down. My mother reached over and took her granddaughter.

  “Pumpkin, Grandmama loves you. Don’t you ever forget that.”

  Angelica yawned, stretched, then said, “I duv you more.” Then she threw her little arms around my mom’s neck. That caused her to cry even more, which totally shocked Angelica.

  “Grandmama . . . cry?” she said.

  My mom quickly wiped her tears and tried to compose herself. “I’m okay, sweetie. I just love you so much.”

  “Let’s go!” Rico demanded. “I’m trying to beat rush-hour traffic.”

  The loudness of his voice startled Angelica. She buried her face in my mother’s shoulder for protection.

  “Angel, I don’t have time for this,” Rico snapped. “We need to go.”

  I reached over and tried to take Angelica from my mom.

  “Bye, my sweet, sweet baby,” my mom said, rocking back and forth and squeezing her tighter.

  “Mom, I have to go. We’ll be back,” I said. I couldn’t believe this was happening like this.

  It took everything within her power, but my mom finally let her go.

  “No! Wanna stay with you!” Angelica cried, grasping my mom’s collar.

  “Come on, sweet pea, let’s go.” I tugged at Angelica, and she started screaming.

  “No!” Angelica wailed.

  My mom started crying. “Don’t you see what you’re doing?”

  “Angel, let’s go now!” Rico screamed.

  The entire scene was like something out of a horrible movie as I pried my daughter away, kicking and screaming. My mother sank against the wall, sobbing. My friends immediately rushed to her side.

  I wanted to die when I saw my mother and my friends all in tears. But Rico already had my arm and was pulling me toward the car. “All this drama don’t make no sense!” he snapped.

  I jerked away and stared at my mom, tears streaming down my face.

  “Mami, I’m sorry,” I said.

  Rico’s voice softened. “Angel, baby, I’m not trying to be cold, but this is just making things worse. I know you’re sad and stuff, but this ain’t gon’ help. You’re not going away forever. We’ll come back and visit. She’ll be all right.”

  I couldn’t believe how casual he was.

  “Can I just have a minute to talk to them?” I asked.

  “No, because they’re going to talk you out of doing what’s right,” he said. “So, come on.” He grabbed my suitcase and pulled me out the door. Angelica had stopped fighting me and was gripping my neck like she was scared to death.

  I am doing the right thing, I told myself as I followed him out. I loved Rico, and this was my one shot at happiness.

  My mom and friends watched from the porch as I strapped Angelica in her car seat. I got in the car, continuing to tell myself: You are doing the right thing.

  “I want Grandmama!” Angelica started loudly crying from the backseat. She violently kicked the car seat as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

  “You need to shut her up!” Rico yelled as he turned to pull out the driveway.

  Once again the force in his voice caught us both off guard. It quickly brought to mind the other times he’d lost his temper. He’d never hit me, but looking at his frustrated expression I couldn’t say that he wouldn’t.

  He turned around in the seat. “You’d better shut your little mouth!” he snapped.

  Angelica stopped crying, but the look on her face showed she was terrified. I stared at my baby, then over at Rico. It dawned on me that he had never spent any time with her. What if she didn’t like him? What if he was a child abuser?

  I turned back to see my friends trying to comfort my mom on the front porch of our house. I was leaving everyone I loved behind.

  I glanced over at Rico, the source of all this drama in my life. He still had an agitated look on his face.

  That’s when reality slapped me in the face. As much as I thought I loved him, I knew what I had to do.

  “Stop the car,” I demanded.

  “What?” he exclaimed.

  “Stop the car and let us out.”

  “You have got to be freakin’ kidding me.”

  “I can’t do this.” I looked at him through tear-filled eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t go with you. I wasn’t thinking right. My daughter has to come first.”

  He pulled over to the curb, stopped the car, then turned and stared at me in disbelief. “So, what, ’cause I yelled at your little brat you think I’ll hurt her?”

  I stared at him, really seeing him for the first time. “That’s just it. I don’t know. You don’t know her. She doesn’t know you. But my problem is not just with her. It’s me, too. I worked too hard to graduate to throw away a special day because you’re mad and want me to go with you—now.”

  “Oh, so we’re back to your graduation. You probably want to go hang out with your friends and party.”

  I sighed. It was useless. Everybody had been so right about Rico.

  “You told me yourself how no guys want you,” he continued with a sinister look across his face. “Don’t no guy want a chick with a baby. And then you’re weak and you’re not even all that cute,” he spat. “What do you think you have to offer anybody?”

  Normally, his words would have had me falling apart in tears. And while they hurt like crazy, I knew he was being ugly because he was mad. But, really, I didn’t care. If anything, he’d just proven that I was making the right choice.

  I didn’t bother replying as I reached over and pulled the door handle.

  Rico grabbed my arm, stopping me. “If you get out of this car, that’s it. I’m done.”

  “Let me go, Rico.” As weak as he wanted to claim I was, I was prepared to fight like crazy if he didn’t let me go.

  Rico released my arm, but he banged the steering wheel so hard it caused Angelica to start crying again.

  I jumped out, flung open Angelica’s door and began unstrapping her. I heard his door open, and for the first time, I was really and truly scared. What if I’d made him so mad that he did try to hurt me and my daughter?

  Instead, Rico walked to the trunk, popped it open and pulled out our suitcases. He flung them on the ground. Going to the opened back door, he flung the car seat out, then made his way back to the driver’s side.

  “Fine!” he yelled. “It’s not like I really wanted to marry you anyway! You really want to know the score? I was just marrying you to get my mom off my back. She wanted a daughter-in-law and a grandkid, and since she’s footing all my freaking bills, I try to give her what she wants. It didn’t have nothin’ to do with loving you.”

  Angelica was hugging my neck tightly as I glared at him. I didn’t know if he was just saying that to hurt me or if that had been his plan all along. Honestly, at that point, I didn’t care. I just wanted to get away from him. I didn’t say one word as I turned and headed back toward my house. I heard his car speed off, but I didn’t turn arou
nd.

  I stopped when I noticed my mother and friends standing on the porch staring at me. When I began walking toward them again, carrying Angelica and dragging one of the suitcases, they realized what was happening. They all started racing toward us. As they surrounded me in a big bear hug, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that staying here with those who loved me was the right thing.

  35

  Jasmine

  That’s such a good look on you.”

  I saw my mother standing in my bedroom door. Her eyes were filled with tears. “Mama, what’s wrong?”

  She dabbed her eyes as she walked into the room. She took both my hands and looked me up and down. “Today is the happiest day of my life. My baby is actually graduating from high school. I just wish your brother was here.” She gently fingered the number 31 charm I’d had made after my brother died, then ran her hands over the blue silk robe. “He would be so proud of you.”

  I smiled as I struggled not to get all mushy. “Jaquan would probably tell me I look goofy in this gown and hat,” I tried to joke.

  “There’s nothing goofy about how you look today,” my mother beamed.

  “I’m gonna have to agree with Mama on that one.” I was shocked to see my sister appear in the doorway beside my mother.

  “Did Nikki just say something nice to me?” I asked my mom.

  She nodded as she took in what Nikki was wearing. For once, my sister was conservatively dressed in a navy blue wrap dress with some cute navy pumps. Her micro braids were pulled up into a bun on the top of her head.

  “I don’t know how much more my heart can take,” my mother said, adjusting my tassel. “One of my daughters is graduating from high school. The other looks like a proper young lady, is being all nice and has dumped her triflin’ boyfriend. What more could a mother ask for?”

  Just then we heard a loud crash, then Jaheim yell, “Oooooh, you gon’ get it!”

  My mother closed her eyes, sighed heavily and said, “Looks like I spoke too soon,” before spinning off to see about my brothers.

  “You really do look nice,” Nikki said, approaching me with a big smile on her face.

  “You mean you don’t have anything smart to say?” I asked, returning her smile.

  “Nah, I’m gonna let you make it today.” She paused, then said, “I just wish I had graduated.” Nikki had dropped out in the eleventh grade, and she’d never given any indication that she regretted her decision. “Maybe I’ll go back and get my GED. I’ll never be a college girl like you, but I could at least get my GED.”

  I smiled harder. College girl. I so liked the sound of that. That A-minus had pulled my English grade up, and not only was I getting that Abraham Foundation scholarship but Miss Rachel said she might pull another, smaller scholarship from The Links.

  “Let’s go before they change their minds and find a reason not to give you your diploma,” Nikki said, taking my arm and leading me out.

  My sister’s pleasant attitude continued as we headed to the stadium where the graduation was being held. My grandmother sat up front in her Sunday best, humming old gospel songs. My mom hadn’t stopped smiling, and had it not been for my brothers, fighting and being their usual bratty selves, I would’ve thought aliens had taken over my family’s bodies.

  We parked and headed inside the stadium. I immediately started looking for my friends.

  “Heeeeeey!” Alexis squealed as she raced over toward me. “We’re about to be graduates,” she sang. Her parents were with her, looking proud—although her mom did look a little nervous; she was probably reacting to all the ’hood families, mine included, that were running around the stadium.

  “Can you believe it’s over?” Alexis said.

  “I know, it’s a trip, ain’t it?” I replied.

  “Let’s go get Camille. She’s over there scoping out some boy.”

  I followed Alexis as we went to grab Camille, who was talking to some cute guy while her mom went to the rest room, then we went to find Angel. She was standing in front of her mother, rolling her eyes as her mom fussed over her collar.

  I know we all were happy to see Angel. She hadn’t talked to Rico since the day she’d gotten out of his car. And we couldn’t have been happier. I know she was a little sad, but we’d been trying to tell her she was a beautiful young woman who was going to have to beat the boys off with a stick when we got to college. Miss Rachel had gotten her to see that Rico had zoomed in on her weakness, which was her self-esteem. Personally, I think all that running-off mess came from her being hurt after finding out Marcus had played her. But she seemed to be getting over that. She’d called Marcus yesterday and apologized for the day at the mall and said she wanted the past to stay in the past and just focus on the future. It’s amazing how much someone can mature in a short amount of time.

  “Hello, girls,” Mrs. Lopez said when she spotted us.

  “Hi,” we all said. We also were grateful that Angel had forgiven us for snitching on her.

  “I’m so proud of you girls,” Mrs. Lopez said.

  “Thank you,” we replied together.

  “Where’s the other girl. The new one?” she asked.

  “I’m right here!” Tyeesha yelled, racing toward us, one shoe in her hand. “I’m coming. My heel broke.”

  I lifted my gown to reveal my black flats. “See, that’s why you wear these. Then you don’t have to worry.”

  “Ugggh,” Alexis said. “You didn’t wear heels?”

  “You’re lucky I didn’t wear tennis shoes,” I replied.

  “Places, places,” Mr. Hudson, our assistant principal, bellowed.

  Angel kissed her mom and gently pushed her away. “Gotta go, Mami.”

  We took our places, lining up alphabetically, with the exception of Alexis, who was number two in our class. How she’d managed to come from another school and land the salutatorian spot was beyond me.

  I don’t know how we made it through the graduation ceremony, I was so excited. Afterward, as I stood around in the lobby taking pictures with my friends, I felt like I would burst.

  “Hey, girls, get together so I can take a picture,” Miss Rachel said, motioning for us all to get together. I think she was happier than our parents.

  “Can I get in the picture, Mama?” her son, Jordan, asked.

  “Move, boy,” Miss Rachel said, fanning him out of the way.

  “Dang, I never get to do anything,” he said, pouting.

  Miss Rachel ignored him as she focused the camera on us. “My Good Girlz,” she beamed as we settled into our places. “I should’ve called you guys Drama Queens for all the drama you’ve been through since we got together.”

  “Drama Queens?” Alexis said, nodding. “I’m likin’ that.”

  “Unh-unh, not me,” I said. “I’ve had enough drama to last me a lifetime. I’ll stick with the Good Girlz, because I want nothing but good in my life.”

  “Yeah right, our lives have been nothing but drama,” Camille said.

  “I don’t know, Drama Queens kinda has a ring to it,” Tyeesha said.

  “How about officially, we’re the Good Girlz, and unofficially, we’re the Drama Queens,” Alexis said.

  “Can I be a drama king?” Jordan piped in.

  “Somehow I have a feeling you will be,” Alexis replied. Jordan looked confused as we all busted out laughing.

  “Well, I don’t care what you call us,” Angel said. “As long as you can call us best friends.”

  We leaned in, flashing giant smiles for the camera. It was a picture I knew I would treasure forever.

  Introduction

  The Good Girlz are in their senior year of high school and are thrilled that they have all been accepted to Prairie View A&M University. They will be heading off to college together and can enjoy the rest of their senior year drama-free! That is, until Angel’s new boyfriend wants her and her daughter to move to Dallas with him. Jasmine has no idea how she will pay for college or even if her grades are good enough to graduat
e. A serious scandal surfaces about Alexis, which causes her to lose an esteemed scholarship and may keep her from attending college. And Camille is stuck in the middle of all her friends’ problems. In this latest installment of the Good Girlz series, friendships and futures are put to the test, but one thing remains the same: they will always have each other.

  Discussion Questions

  1. Angel has been through a lot with having a child at such a young age. How do you think she is dealing with it? Do you think her life is more difficult than the other Good Girlz because, with every decision she makes, she also has to consider her daughter?

  2. Jasmine struggles throughout the book with her family life—from being in a single-parent home to financial problems. Do you think Jasmine is a better person because of the struggles she deals with every day? Or would she be better off having a family life more like Alexis?

  3. Camille is always trying to get the attention of boys. Why do you think that is? When Rico is more interested in Angel than Camille, do you think Camille is more upset about it than she lets on?

  4. Most of Alexis’s problems stem from her parents and the money they have. Do you think Alexis is better off than the other Good Girlz, or would she be happier if her parents weren’t wealthy?

  5. Do you think the Good Girlz’ lives are more filled with drama than the average teenager’s? Or do they deal with issues real-life teens face every day? How much of that drama do you think they cause for themselves?

  6. When Mrs. Stafford gives Jasmine a second chance to raise her grade, do you think she deserved it? Aside from Dana getting caught, why do you think Jasmine’s decision to write her own paper was better than Dana’s decision to pay for someone else to write it?

  7. Alexis made a bad decision by letting the twins tape them dancing, but do you think her parents were too harsh? Was it fair that her scholarship was taken away? With all the technology today, has anything similar happened to you?

  8. In the end, do you think Angel makes the right decision by not leaving with Rico? Or do you think she made the decision too late and the damage was already done? Do you think the Good Girlz handled the situation correctly by telling her mother?