Lady J

by L. Divine

  “Okay, everyone settle down,” Mrs. Sinclair says as Matt dims the lights, preparing the atmosphere for the main event. I wore a simple white dress and my Montego Bay woven sandals, giving me a very clean look. Mrs. Sinclair always says that less is more when it comes to auditions and I feel her on that rule. “Welcome to the auditions for Lady and Sir Macbeth. We have a number of tryouts to get through, so let’s get started.”

  Ms. Toni winks at me from across the room and I smile back. I have to catch up with her about yesterday’s events, especially where Mr. Adewale is concerned. If he becomes a teacher here, I might just flunk a year to stay with him.

  “Jayd and Chance, you’re up first,” she says, taking a seat in the audience as Chance joins me in the center of the room, ready to say our lines. As Matt dims the lights and Seth closes the doors, Chance’s straight face starts to crack a smile as I attempt to get into character. I’m trying very hard to ignore him, but it’s no use. He’s going to force me to smile with him. So much for mastering my new skill today.

  “Chance, I’m sorry, sweetie, but this isn’t a comedy,” Mrs. Sinclair says. Ms. Toni rolls her eyes and drops her pen, ready for Chance to sit down. Damn, he’s not going to mess this one up for me. Chance’s slight smirk becomes an all-out laugh, causing the audience, filled with our classmates, to fall out with him, me included.

  “Okay, that’s enough. Chance, you’re dismissed for now. Jayd, I hope you know a monologue,” Mrs. Sinclair says. This isn’t funny at all. I’ve prepared for the dialogue with Chance, not a solo performance.

  “Come on, Mrs. S, I’m cool now,” Chance says. But if it’s one thing Mrs. Sinclair won’t tolerate, it’s the wasting of her time. She’s got a new man and two babies at home, so I know she’s ready to get this show on the road.

  “Let’s go, Chance, now. You’ll have an opportunity to audition for another role, but not the lead, not now. Jayd, act five, scene one. I know you know the lines because you said them all last week in class, remember?” Mrs. Sinclair winks, forcing me to recall the assignment where we had to pick a monologue from the play to memorize. I forgot all about that until just now and she’s right. That’s my next-favorite scene in the play: the sleepwalking episode.

  “ ‘Out damned spot! Out I say,’”I begin, hushing the mumbling crowd and immediately grabbing the judges’ attention. Mrs. Sinclair cracks a tiny smile and that gives me the will to get into character all the way.

  “ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. O, O, O.’ ” All I have to do is act like a crackhead during this scene and I’ve got everyone convinced I’m this crazy queen. Who knew that living in the hood would give me advantages in Shakespearean theater?

  “ ‘To bed, to bed; there’s knocking at the gate.’ ” As I walk toward the door, all eyes are on me. I know I’ve got this part in the bag. “ ‘Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed to bed.’ ” As the monologue ends, the sound of clapping spreads around the room. The applause is contagious and even the other contestants standing outside clap.

  “Well done, Jayd. Well done,” Mrs. Sinclair says as I return to my seat in the audience. I feel good about my piece, and from the looks on the judges’ faces, I’m not the only one. I can’t wait to tell Mama how I did.

  When I get off the bus in Compton, I can’t help but think about Misty again. Her mom usually takes her home after school if she doesn’t get a ride from one of her friends first. But she wasn’t at school today, and for some reason I’m worried about her. Misty’s house is close by, on the way to Netta’s shop from here. I could walk down her block instead of the usual route, just to see if everything looks okay.

  When I approach Kemp Street, I get this strange feeling, like I’ve done this before. As I begin to recollect my déjà vu, Felicia and haters come from across the street to be my personal tour guides down their block. Ah hell, here we go.

  “Are you lost, little girl?” she says, giving her girls a good laugh. The four of them should really get hobbies, jobs or something.

  “I’m not interested in your help, Felicia, so just leave me be,” I say, impatient with her bull. She’s ruining the high I’m still on from my monologue. As we approach Misty’s house, I notice the grass is overgrown and that her trash cans are lying on her front lawn, like no one’s been here in quite some time. What’s really going on here?

  “What are you doing on our block?” Flava, the Latino chick of their crew, says. I see today is one of those days that they’re not going to go away so easily. Shit, all I need is to get into a fight right up the street from where my grandmother is. I’ll hear about how I couldn’t make it down the block without getting into some drama for the rest of my life.

  “I was taking the long way for exercise,” I say, walking ahead of them and picking up my pace. They’re less likely to throw blows on a main street, and Wilmington is only a few steps away. Netta’s shop is next to the gas station on the corner and I know they won’t try anything once I’m near the salon.

  “Well, we wouldn’t want you cheating on your workout, now would we?” Felicia says while her followers step in my path, blocking my way. I’m completely surrounded by four girls who hate me just because I’m me and I have no allies in sight. Everyone on the block seems to be oblivious to what’s going on over here, but I wouldn’t expect anyone to help me anyway. I don’t want to fight, but it doesn’t look like I have much of a choice. Felicia’s been hating on me all of my life, and it wouldn’t be like her to let this opportunity pass by.

  “I know this hair is fake, just like her grandmother’s,” Monica, the hefty one in the crew, says as she flicks my ponytail.

  “Hating’s not good for your health,” I say as I yank my ponytail away from her hand, causing L.B., the tiniest in the crew, aptly named after her true hometown of Long Beach, to shove me—and it’s on.

  “Oh no, you didn’t try to get smart with my homegirl. You need to be humbled, little girl,” L.B. says. She continues the shoving contest as I strap my backpack tightly around my waist, ready to throw down. I know I’m going to lose, but they won’t get away without taking a couple of blows themselves.

  “What she needs is a lesson in respect.” Felicia steps in the middle of the circle, throwing the first punch. I duck and return the smack, hitting her right in the face.

  “Jayd, what are you doing?” Bryan says, breaking up the fight. Where did he come from? I know he’s not still dealing with Monica’s older sister. I thought he gave her trifling ass up weeks ago.

  “Defending myself,” I say as he pulls me from the center of the group, where Felicia’s still standing, dumbfounded that I got in the only blow. “These tricks interrupted my stroll to Netta’s shop,” I say, following Bryan up the block.

  “This ain’t over, Jayd,” L.B. says as she and her crew take it back across the street. I really have to watch my back around here from now on. I know they’ll happily jump my ass if they get the chance again.

  “Damn, Jayd, you’re like a drama magnet. What were you doing on Kemp anyway?” he says, glancing back at the scene behind us as we continue to walk toward the intersection. I’m glad he showed up, even if it was because he was creeping during the day.

  “I could ask you the same question,” I say. We look at each other and silently agree not to mention this episode to Mama. All I need is her worrying about either one of us. Besides, I got what I wanted and got to slap Felicia in front of her girls without getting hit. I’m cool with the whole thing.

  “Touché, little queen, touché,” he says as we split up at the gas station. I gather my composure, ready to tell Mama all about my audition and about Misty’s strange behavior. I wonder if she could give me a little insight into how to help Misty without getting hurt in the process. I also need some advice on how to handle my situation with Rah. If Mama and Netta can’t help me, then I’ll have to go to my girls.

  Wa
lking into Netta’s Never Nappy Beauty Salon feels like walking into one of those day spas I see advertised on television. It’s the closest thing we’ve got to one and I feel privileged to have private access on Mama’s Tuesdays. I still want to know why my mom didn’t care for Netta too much back in the day. But I promised my mom I wouldn’t give away any of her secrets. And besides, I can’t hide much from her these days anyway.

  “Hey, lil queen,” Netta says as she spins Mama around in her chair to greet me too.

  “How was school, baby?” She looks so relaxed when she’s sitting in Netta’s chair. Her hair has grown so much that I can’t see her eyes through it hanging over her face.

  “It was good,” I say, ready to tell them all about my audition. “I finally got to say my lines today. But at the last minute, my teacher wanted me to do a monologue and, if I do say so myself, I rocked it,” I say, not letting them get a word in edgewise.

  “That’s great, baby,” Mama says, not feeling my excitement. She’s never been completely into my school life. She’s just glad I stay out of trouble most of the time. Anything else I do is extra.

  “Oh, Jayd, I’m so proud of you,” Netta says. I’m glad she’s feeling me. “What were you performing this time?”

  “Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene,” I say, still feeling the presence of the insane character. Saying those lines took a lot of energy out of a sistah.

  “Oh, girl, I love Shakespeare,” Netta says, spinning Mama back around to face her on the stool. “I hope you get it. You’d make an excellent queen in any culture.” Netta winks, lightly smacking on her Juicy Fruit gum. “Speaking of royalty, how’s your little king doing? I always did like Rah,” Netta says.

  “Rah has been keeping you company more and more lately, hasn’t he, Jayd?” Mama says. Why are they asking me about him?

  “He came by looking for you, but we told him you weren’t here. You just missed him,” Netta says. No, he didn’t try to invade on my shop time with Mama. Now I know he’s tripping.

  “Is everything all right between you two?” Mama says, looking at me through the reflection in the mirror at Netta’s station. “He said he would stop by the house to see if you went home first.”

  “Yeah, everything’s what it is,” I say, feeling a little defeated by Rah’s energy. “I don’t know what to do about him. Rah’s never been easy to deal with, you know.”

  “Jayd, you need to get your mojo back, that’s what you need to do,” Netta says as she braids a crown around Mama’s head, making me envious of her technique. She’s been doing hair for so long it’s automatic to her by now. Every time I braid, I have to think about the parts, size, and perfection. And my work still doesn’t come out as tight as Netta’s.

  “How did I know you would say that?” I say. Anytime a woman has a problem with a lover, Netta assumes it’s because she’s given up her power to the man in the relationship, thus losing her mojo.

  “Because you’ve been listening, girl,” Netta says, winking at me and directing me toward her shrine room at the back of the shop. “Go ahead and take one of those love mojos out of the back. Don’t give it back until you don’t need it anymore.” I know who could really use this: Misty.

  “So, how did he miss you? He should have seen you walking up the street at least,” Mama says, probing into my whereabouts, which I was hoping to avoid reporting. But Mama never misses a beat.

  “I actually wanted to check up on Misty. She’s been acting strange lately and she wasn’t at school today. I think it has something to do with KJ.”

  “That’s not all it has to do with,” Netta says under her breath. By Mama’s look, whatever Misty’s dealing with is pretty serious.

  “Baby, Misty’s grandmother died,” Mama says without too much emotion in her voice. Mama and Misty’s grandmother never did get along. “I found out when I looked into Esmeralda’s house.”

  “You mean when you looked through Esmeralda’s cats’ view of her house,” I say, teasing Mama, who’s not in the mood.

  “Whatever, Jayd,” she says, impatiently. “Misty’s mama is one of her newest clients, and that can’t be good.”

  “That’s the understatement of the year,” Netta says, this time much louder. “You see what happened to the grandmother and she’s been dealing with Esmeralda for years. That woman is no good, Lynn Mae. You need to show her who’s boss once and for all.” Netta’s serious about getting rid of Mama’s enemies. She’s a homegirl for real.

  “Netta, I can’t go around getting rid of people. I’m not the mob. But I do agree she needs to be dealt with.”

  “What do you think Misty’s mom wants from her?” I say, curious about Esmeralda’s business. She doesn’t seem to work nearly as hard as Mama and she doesn’t drive. I wonder how she makes her living.

  “Well, I’m sure it’s about their house. It belongs to the grandmother’s late husband, who’s not Misty’s granddaddy. So I’m sure they’re worried about keeping a roof over their heads. His family already stopped paying to keep the house up. Now it’s just a matter of time before Misty and her mama will be out on the street.” Damn, that’s rough.

  “If they really wanted to keep that house, they would’ve gone to your grandmother,” Netta says, putting the finishing touches on Mama’s do. She looks stunning and her hair, like a crown. “But they went to the vampire. I swear she’s worse than the witches in that play of yours,” Netta says, giving us all a good laugh.

  “Yes, but sometimes people want quick fixes and magic, which I don’t do. So they go to the one they think can help them the quickest and that’s usually their downfall.” Mama’s right. Just like the witches in Macbeth misled the king, which eventually led to his demise, seeking help in the wrong places can do the same thing for Misty and her mom. Even though she’s being the bitch from hell in my life, as usual I feel like I have to do something to help her, no matter how hard she bites back—and I know she will. After all, that’s what bitches do best.

  8

  Survival of the Bitchiest

  “Your Mama’s old fashioned and your daddy don’t play/ You’ll always be this lovely because they made you that way.”

  —OUTKAST

  Misty missed another day of school yesterday. I was glad, though, because I didn’t need any distractions. The auditions continue for the lead roles and I need to concentrate on both the competition and the tryouts for the character of Macbeth. I’m just glad I don’t have to kiss any of them, Chance included.

  “Hey Jayd,” Seth calls out in the cafeteria. I rarely see Seth outside of class. Even if the students are so-called liberals, many of them still don’t approve of homosexuality. “See the results yet?”

  “No, I thought they weren’t going to be up until after school,” I say, surprised at his question.

  “Oh, you know how Mrs. Sinclair loves drama. She posted them a little while ago,” he says, waving his hand as only he can do. “Honey, you’d better get down there before the crowd.”

  “Thank you,” I say, skipping the lunch line and heading toward the drama room. “Aren’t you coming?” I ask, realizing he hasn’t moved from his spot.

  “No. It doesn’t matter to me who gets the parts. My job is always secure,” he says. Seth’s nothing if not pragmatic.

  “Fine. Be that way then,” I say, feigning hurt. But he’s right. The folks behind the scenes have stable positions. It’s the actors who are vulnerable to getting cut.

  “I hope you get it though,” he says to my back as I race down the hill.

  When I get down there, Laura and Reid are already there. Reid has a huge smile on his face and Laura’s facing the wall. I know this trick didn’t get my part.

  “Here comes my wife now,” Reid says, as I move through the small crowd to read the paper on the wall that lists the parts and the names of the actors playing them. He’s got to be joking. There’s no way fate would allow us to be in the same play together, let alone play a married couple.

  “No,”
I say at the news that I’ve been cast opposite this jackass. This can’t be happening. I check the paper one more time, just to make sure my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me and everyone else.

  “Come to daddy,” Reid says, making everyone in the crowded space laugh. Chance comes out of the classroom door to chaperone me in. Why is this happening to me?

  “I just found out. You have my sincerest apologies and congratulations,” he says before laughing at my twisted fortune.

  “Shut up, fool,” I say, punching him in the arm. “At least I don’t have to be a ghost,” I say, making fun of his supporting role. But playing the best friend does suit him more.

  “Hey, Banquo is hella flyy. You know I’m going to hook his gear up.” Chance is crazy. He’s also taking this lightly, to my surprise. Usually he doesn’t lose quite so gracefully.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re finding the situation funny. How the hell am I supposed to play opposite Reid, especially after what he did to Nellie?” I know he wasn’t totally to blame. Still, he was the mastermind behind my girl’s near-naked exposé.

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Jayd. But if you’re going to rock Lady Mac B, you’re going to have to deal with Reid’s punk ass for the next four weeks, just like the rest of us.” Chance is right, Reid is a punk-ass and I’m sure him being among the Thespians will be just as uncomfortable for him as it will be for us.

  “Did I hear right?” Nellie says from out of nowhere. She and Mickey must have decided to take a stroll down the hill after lunch. I guess they were wondering where the crew went, and since Nigel and Mickey are still at each other’s throats, being in South Central must be no fun today.

  “Yeah, unfortunately you did,” I say, leaving the crowded corridor and joining my girls. Mickey looks completely disgusted, which is her usual expression when she ventures down this way. “Reid got the lead role and I’m cast opposite him.” No matter how many times I say it aloud, it still doesn’t sound right.