Caught Up in the Drama

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  Questions for Discussion

  1. Camille’s newfound fame goes straight to her head, and fast. Why do you think this is? How can Camille be so quick to accept this new lifestyle and leave her friends behind? How do you think you would act if you were in her shoes?

  2. Alexis’s parents are fighting more and more, and things at home are becoming very stressful. How does Alexis cope? Have you or your friends had to deal with a divorce? How did you handle it, or help your friends do so?

  3. How do the girls respond to Camille’s new attitude, and how does Camille react to the girls? How do you think that reflects each girl’s personality and her individual friendship with Camille?

  4. Camille’s boyfriend, Xavier, breaks up with Camille after seeing her kiss Sisco while taping the video. Do you think he was justified in doing so? How did Camille and Xavier each mishandle their argument? Discuss how communicating and being more honest with each other might have affected their relationship.

  5. Camille knowingly gets into trouble with her mother because of the outfits the producer makes her wear, and especially because of Sisco’s aggressive sexual behavior. How could Camille have been more assertive in protecting herself? Could she have done so without jeopardizing her role in the video? What choice would you have made in Camille’s place?

  6. A new girl, Tyeesha, becomes part of the Good Girlz when Camille is absent. How do the other girls immediately judge her, and why? How does she prove herself in their eyes? Have you ever judged someone based on appearance, only to discover that they are different than you expected? Explain.

  7. Alexis thinks that her parents’ divorce is her fault, and that she can fix it. Do you think that her solution to the problem made sense? Do you think she would have made such a rash decision if Camille had answered her phone call? When Alexis runs away, we see her interact with her old friends for the first time in this book. How is their friendship dramatically different than the one she has with the Good Girlz?

  8. Camille lies to the Good Girlz when she falls in with a new group of friends, even when Alexis is in obvious need of her shoulder to cry on and her best friend to talk to. Why do you think Camille is influenced by these new girls, even though they use her? Why does she trust them more than the Good Girlz?

  9. What causes Camille to finally realize that she has abandoned her friends? Why do you think it takes her so long to change her ways? Do you think she has really learned her lesson this time? How does she prove that to her friends?

  10. Alexis, Angel, and Jasmine have a difficult time accepting Camille’s apology. Have you ever found it hard to forgive a friend? How can they move past what has happened among the four of them?

  11. The girls have known each other for a very long time, and yet Camille’s fame still threatens their friendship. At the end of the book, how has each character matured, and do you believe their friendship has become stronger?

  Activities to Enhance Your

  Book Club

  1. Many women featured in music videos today are ignored or disrespected. How do you think these videos influence the perception of women? Discuss with your group what you can do to empower yourself as girls and women. Discuss your favorite videos, songs, and singers that recognize women as strong and intelligent.

  2. The book kicks off with a talent show in which Camille shocks her friends with her talent—they knew she could dance, but they had no idea she could sing! Arrange a talent show with your friends and show off your secret talents.

  3. Caught Up in the Drama is the sixth book in the Good Girlz series. If you haven’t already, read several of the others and discuss the series and the characters as a whole. How does each girl develop and grow? How does reading more of the books help you to understand the characters and their actions more thoroughly?

  Don’t miss the next Good Girlz adventure

  Drama Queens

  Coming Fall 2010

  Turn the page for a sneak preview of

  Drama Queens . . .

  Angel

  College life was off the chain! At least that’s the way it seemed as I looked out across the courtyard of Prairie View A&M University. There were people everywhere, laughing, talking and just hanging out. Most of the people were watching the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity do an impromptu step show.

  Our recruiting guide said it was called “Hump Day on the Hill,” a time when all the students come together, dance, listen to music and just socialize. They even had a deejay showcasing his newest music.

  “It’s Wednesday and we like to celebrate to help get through the week,” our guide, a petite, pretty brown-skinned girl named Lauren said. She was leading us and about twenty other students. “We do it every week, except finals and dead week.” The girl turned to smile at Miss Rachel, the sponsor of the Good Girlz, our community service organization. Miss Rachel had arranged this campus tour after me and the other four Good Girlz, Camille, Alexis, Jasmine and Tyeesha, expressed interest in visiting again. We’d come about two months ago and I think all of us were sold on coming to this college after we graduated in a few months. “And don’t worry, it’s not all fun and games,” Lauren said. “We wrap up Hump Day on the Hill with a prayer or a spiritual song.”

  Miss Rachel nodded her approval. Personally, the prayer was all-good, but right about now, just seeing the groups of people mingling was enough to make me know I’d made the right decision—Prairie View was where I wanted to be. We had all applied after our first visit, when we’d come to the campus for a Girls, Inc. conference. So far, none of us had received acceptance letters, but I knew after today we all wanted to go here now more than ever.

  “Girls, you all enjoy the show, I’m going to run inside to the restroom,” Miss Rachel told us.

  We waved as she walked off, before turning our attention to a fraternity called the Que Dogs, who were stepping in gold boots and had dog collars around their necks. It was all pretty entertaining, then, out of nowhere, we heard, “So, you ladies enjoying the tour?”

  I looked up to see the cutest guy I’d ever seen in my life. He was about six feet tall, sandpaper-brown with deep dimples and a head full of curly hair.

  “We are,” Camille said, immediately moving over to shake his hand. Camille Harris was the boy-crazy one of the group. She batted her eyelashes at him and my heart sank. That meant she was about to get her flirt on so he’d be off limits to me. Not that he’d even want me anyway. I was the shy one out of the five of us. I’d been told I was cute—this one guy even said I looked like a younger version of the singer Shakira—but the fact remained, I had a two-year-old daughter. These college boys probably wouldn’t want anyone with kids.

  “That’s nice,” the guy said to Camille. “I’m Rico. My friends call me R-Train.” He adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. His smile made my stomach flutter. He had on a PV T-shirt and some tan cargo shorts.

  “And I’m Camille.” She pointed at us. “These are my friends, Jasmine, Alexis, Tyeesha and Angel.”

  We all waved, except for Jasmine. She was being her usual grouchy self. She’d just gotten through complaining about how hot it was, even though I could tell she was enjoying the campus tour.

  Rico reached out as if he was trying to take Camille’s hand. She smiled coyly as she stepped forward.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you . . .” Rico stepped around Camille and took my hand. “. . . Angel. Is that what she said it was?”

  My eyes widened in shock. Jasmine and Tyesha busted out laughing. Embarrassment covered Camille’s face but Rico didn’t seem to notice or care.

  “So where are you ladies from?” he asked, still holding my hand.

  “Umm, we’re from, ah, we’re from Madison Hi—”

  Alexis immediately cut me off. “We’re from Houston. Just checking out the school.” She shot me the evil eye. I’d forgotten our pact that we weren’t going to let people know we were still in high school during our tour. Although I didn’t see what the big deal was, everyone on the tour
was from a high school.

  “Houston?” He nodded. “So, you’re right down the road?”

  I couldn’t do anything but nod back.

  “So that means if I wanted to see you again, I would only have a forty-five minute drive.” He looked at me like we were the only two people standing in the courtyard.

  “Yeah, um . . . w-we . . . ” I couldn’t believe I was acting like I was a blubbering fool. He was going to think I was so lame.

  Jasmine, who, thankfully, knew me very well, stepped to my aid.

  “What makes you think she wants to see you again?” Jasmine said, removing his hand from mine. I was glad she was smiling so at least she wouldn’t scare him off. At six feet tall, with an athletic build, it wasn’t anything for Jasmine to scare someone off.

  “I don’t know if she does want to see me. But I’d really like to see her again,” he said, still staring at me.

  I was completely speechless. And for once, so was Jasmine. I think she was waiting on him to run some type of game, but when he didn’t—he just stood there looking at me with those piercing gray eyes—she didn’t know what to say.

  “Seriously, I think you’re beautiful,” he told me. “And no, I don’t know anything about you. You might be a serial killer.” He broke out in a big smile. “But I sure would like to get to know you.”

  “So you know that you’d like to know her even though you don’t even know her?” Alexis asked, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

  We all turned to stare at her. For all of her money (Alexis came from a filthy rich family) Alexis couldn’t buy a decent line. My girl was corny as all get out.

  “Actually, I do,” Rico said, not looking the least bit confused.

  “Well, handle your business then,” Tyeesha said, stepping up and playfully pushing his shoulder. She was the newest one to the Good Girlz and had fit right in. Her joking kind of broke the mood and we all laughed.

  “Why don’t you let me give you a private tour?” Rico said, gently reaching out, taking my hand again and pulling me toward him.

  Jasmine snatched me back. “I don’t think so, Brother Man. You could be the serial killer.”

  He laughed. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking.” He dug in his backpack and pulled out a piece of paper. “Let me give you my cell phone number. I live here on campus, but it’s nothing for me to swoop down to Houston and pick you up. So give me a call. Maybe we can get to know each other over the phone—first. Then you can let me give you that private tour.”

  “Unh-unh,” Jasmine said, wagging her finger. “Ain’t gon’ be no private tours. We don’t know you like that.”

  “That’s why I’m giving her the number.” He scribbled his number on a piece of paper then handed it to me. “So she can get to know me like that.” He winked. “Angel, I await your call.” He blew me a kiss before walking off.

  I tried to keep it together so I didn’t appear to be a total geek, but I wanted to jump up and down and do a happy dance.

  “Girl, you better call him,” Camille said, genuinely excited for me. I had thought she was going to be bothered since he’d dissed her.

  “You don’t want him?” I asked. Yes, he was cute, but that was one thing the Good Girlz didn’t do was talk to someone else’s man. Camille, Jasmine, Alexis and I had been tight since joining the Good Girlz two years ago. Tyeesha joined a few months ago, but she had worked her way into our circle like she’d been there all along.

  Camille waved me off. “Please, you know how I do. I was just flirting. Besides,” she playfully wiggled her neck, “even if I did want him, he obviously only has eyes for you.”

  “Who was that?” We all looked up to see Miss Rachel peering off in the direction where Rico had walked off.

  “That’s about to be Angel’s new man,” Alexis sang. “They call him R-Train.”

  “Like the subway?” Miss Rachel asked, shaking her head. She didn’t wait for anyone to answer as she wagged her finger our way. “What have I told you girls? You don’t need to be worried about any boys, men or anything else.”

  “Oh, Miss Rachel, it’s natural, human nature,” Camille joked.

  “I got your human nature,” she replied. “I told you where having boys on the brain will land you.” Miss Rachel readily admitted that, like Camille, she used to be boy crazy as a teen and she’d had more than her share of trouble behind it. She’d started the Good Girlz after marrying a preacher and deciding she wanted to keep young teenage girls from making the same mistakes that she made.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Camille said, albeit respectfully. We’d all heard this speech before. And although she didn’t act like it, Camille had come a long way. She’d actually come to the Good Girlz behind a boy named Keith. He’d broken out of jail and Camille was hiding him in her grandmother’s house. She didn’t know he’d broken out of jail, but when the police rolled up on them playing house, Keith bolted and left Camille to take the rap for “harboring a fugitive.” The judge let her come to the Good Girlz instead of keeping her in juvenile detention.

  Truthfully, we’d all had our share of boy drama, including me. I got pregnant at fifteen. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not promiscuous. In fact, that was my only time. And as much as I love my daughter, Angelica, I definitely could’ve waited to have her because being a teenage mom was no joke.

  Thankfully, Angelica’s father, Marcus, had come around. It took him two years, but he was now a part of Angelica’s life. He and I were cordial, but that’s about as far as it went. We’ll never get back together. I think part of him still resents me for having a baby, like I did it all by myself.

  “Angel got his number and everything,” Tyesha said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  “How old is that boy?” Rachel said, frowning.

  We all shrugged.

  “I don’t know,” I finally said. “It’s not like we got into a whole bunch of details.”

  “Well, he looks old to me,” Miss Rachel said.

  “I’m not even thinking about him,” I said. I just wanted to get the spotlight off of me. I had every intention of calling Rico. I just didn’t want Miss Rachel all up in my business. It wasn’t every day that someone as cute as Rico showed an interest in me. And I was at the point in my life when I was ready to show him some interest right back. Shoot, I was graduating in two months and I didn’t even have anyone I could take to the prom.

  “Good,” Miss Rachel said. “I didn’t bring you all up here to this school to pick up guys.” She looked over at Lauren, who appeared to be saying good-bye to everyone. “Well, girls, the tour has wrapped up. Dr. Breyer would like to meet with you ladies in her office.”

  We made our way back across the campus to the vice president’s office. I wondered why we were going to see her, but Miss Rachel was moving so fast I couldn’t really ask any questions.

  “She doesn’t really have anything to do with enrollment,” Miss Rachel began, “but her husband and my husband play golf together. So she wanted to meet you personally.”

  We made our way across campus and into a nicely decorated office. A large photo of a panther hung on the wall and there were photos of happy-looking college kids everywhere. The furniture looked worn but the whole office seemed like it was student-friendly.

  The secretary ushered us back and we all took a seat around Dr. Breyer’s large oak desk. She greeted us with an enthusiastic smile. A tall, pretty woman with a warm and friendly face, she reminded me more of a grandmother than a vice president of a college.

  After some brief introductions, she said, “Well, girls, I don’t have much time because I have to get to a meeting, but I am so proud of what Rachel has done with the program and I wanted to personally give you these.”

  We all looked confused for a moment as she handed each of us an envelope. We turned them over, still looking confused. Miss Rachel stood in the background, grinning like she was crazy.

  I was the first one who tore into mine and all I saw was congratulations.
“Oh, wow,” I said. Camille, Jasmine, Alexis and Tyeesha all ripped theirs open at the same time and they, too, squealed in delight.

  “Yes, congratulations are in honor,” Dr. Breyer said. “Prairie View A&M University would be very honored if you all would attend.”

  “We’ve been accepted?” Tyeesha asked.

  “Like there was ever any doubt,” Alexis sang.

  “Maybe not for you,” Jasmine replied. Alexis was a brain-iac, but the rest of us struggled from time to time.

  “Of course, this is contingent upon all of you actually graduating,” Dr. Breyer said. “Judging from your records that should be no problem.”

  Jasmine looked like she wanted to say something but decided against it.

  “Thank you,” we all said together.

  “No, thank you, ladies. And I look forward to a personal relationship with each one of you,” Dr. Breyer said.

  “Lorraine, thank you so much,” Miss Rachel said. “You just don’t know how much this means to me and the girls.”

  “Yes, it means a lot,” I said. I couldn’t actully believe I was going to college. My mom had already said she would keep Angelica because she wanted me to further my education. But the reality that I might really get to go didn’t set in until just now.

  “Well, we need to get back down the road.” Miss Rachel stood up. “I wanted to get the girls home before it got too dark.”

  We all stood and shook Dr. Breyer’s hand and we practically floated out of the room. I couldn’t wait to get home and tell my mom. I would be the first person in my family to go to college so I was definitely excited. Then add to the fact that I had met a cute college boy, well, things couldn’t get any better than that.