Can't Stop the Shine (5 page)

After being corrected by her teacher, who sided with Randy, Mari sulked through the rest of the class. She didn't even speak up to answer questions to which she knew the answers. Randy ran away with the discussion.

Walking out of Early World Literature and toward her locker, she was so wrapped up in how to dispose of Randy that she almost knocked Asha over in the hallway.

“You need to watch where you're going,” said Asha, avoiding their collision.

“Oh yeah. Sorry,” said Mari.

“Hey, I think you've got some visitors here.”

“What?”

“There were these two black girls up here asking for you.”

“Who were they?”

“I don't know,” said Asha. “I do know that one of them was really loud and her clothes were a lot on the eyes.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Mari, scanning her brain for who could be at East Moreland looking for her.

“They were down by the boys' school. The one with the plastic pink stilettos and the pink Tar-zhay jeans was talking to Derrick. He's such a nerd. I don't even think he noticed how skanky she looked.”

Mari realized that Asha was most likely talking about Shauntae and Colby. She knew she had to find them before Shauntae caused a problem.

“Where did you say you saw them?” asked Mari.

“On the steps in front of Royal Hall. You better get down there if you know those girls. They were driving some kind of hooptie-looking thing and blasting some hip-hop. They won't last long around here with security.”

Mari ran down the covered steps from the girls' school through the administration building and out the side door. She was right. There was Shauntae leaning against a beat-up white Caprice Classic, which Mari thought would be perfect for MTV's
Pimp My Ride.
Derrick Travis, a black junior at East Moreland, was standing right up against her. Mari knew that half the campus could hear Lil Jon and the East Side Boys. At least thirty students, mostly white, were milling around in the courtyard and outside the sliding glass doors of the lunchroom. Everybody's attention was directed at Shauntae's display. Glenn and Ed, two other black male juniors, were making their way to the car where Colby was sitting in the driver's seat.

She was just about to head toward Shauntae when she saw Mrs. Reeves, the black senior adviser, step out of the lunchroom.
Oh Lord,
Mari thought, jogging down the hill.

“Girl, what are you doing up here?” she yelled, running up on Shauntae.

“I tried to call you on your cell, but you weren't answering, then Derrick here rolled by and, well, you know,” said Shauntae, touching Derrick's face.

“You know I keep my phone off when I'm at school.”

“That's your problem right there—ever heard of vibrate? And what? I can't come up here?” she asked as Mari shoved Derrick out of the way. “Hey, don't push him. He's a cutie.”

“Yeah, don't push me,” said Derrick, moving back toward Shauntae.

“Colby! Turn that down,” shouted Mari, turning toward the car. “Y'all can't play music like that up here.”

“What do you mean ‘music like that'?” asked Shauntae, raising her right penciled eyebrow. She had grabbed Derrick back by his belt loops. “Black music? Hip-hop? You know all these white kids listen to is Eminem. They need to hear some of this crunk.”

“That's n-not what I meant, Shauntae,” stuttered Mari, wondering what she really did mean. “I meant that you can't play music loud like that on this campus.”

“Umm, hmm, whatever,” said Shauntae, reaching in through the passenger-side window and bumping down the volume. Derrick's eyes widened as her pink thong peeked out at all of East Moreland. “Why didn't you ever tell me y'all had such fine men up in here?”

“I don't know,” said Mari, annoyed, watching Glenn and Ed on the other side of the car talking to Colby.

“So can I get your number?” asked Derrick, touching Shauntae's waist.

“I was looking for a pen, baby,” purred Shauntae.

“Look, what's up? Y'all got a holiday or something? Why aren't you at school?” asked Mari.

“I didn't feel like going,” said Shauntae, not taking her eyes off Derrick.

“Yo, G,” Derrick called to Glenn, “you got a pen, man? I need to get this girl's number.”

“Hold up, man,” said Glenn. “I'm trying to talk to this honey right here. What's your name again, slim?” To Mari's dismay, Colby smiled as Glenn took her hand.

“Ooh. That's my part,” said Shauntae, all of the sudden shaking her hips. “Crank that up, Colby.”

“No, Colby, don't crank that up,” Mari ordered.

“Girl, you know how we do. When Lil Jon says ‘Ohhhkaaaaay,' you know we gotta let the masses know,” said Shauntae, grinding against Derrick. “I said crank it up, Colby.”

Colby obeyed, and no one but Mari paid any attention to the growing crowd of white kids watching them and the two Mercedes and one Jaguar that were stopped behind them.

“Hey, you gotta move. There's people behind you,” Mari screamed. She thought she would die of embarrassment.

“Shiiii…they can go around,” said Shauntae, dancing around Derrick.

Fed up, Mari pushed Shauntae and Derrick aside, reached in the car and turned the radio off, ripping her new Baby Phat blouse on a jagged lock that was not pushed down.

“Hey! Why you trippin'?” said Shauntae.

“Yeah, Mari,” said Derrick. “What's wrong with you?”

“I told you you need to move. People are trying to get around you,” said Mari.

“Damn, girl,” said Shauntae. “Colby, pull over.”

“You're not about to leave, are you?” asked Derrick, following Shauntae over to the steps.

“Yes they are,” said Mari. “'Cause I have to go to class.”

“I've got a free period next,” said Derrick. “Shauntae, I can give you a tour of the campus.”

“They came up here to see me, and I have to go to class, so they're leaving,” said Mari.

“Ladies, can I be of some assistance?” asked Mrs. Reeves, walking up behind them. “Mari, if you have guests on campus, they need to sign in in the administrative office.”

“No, Mrs. Reeves, they were just leaving,” said Mari, glaring at Shauntae.

“Help me up, baby,” said Shauntae, reaching to Derrick. “We do have other places ta be. Other peoples ta see.”

With a cutesy “whoops” and a devilish smile, Shauntae fell against Derrick as she popped up. Mari grimaced and avoided looking at Mrs. Reeves.

“We were just coming up here to check you out. You never invite us up here. Like this school is so damned special or secret or something,” said Shauntae, writing her number in pen on Derrick's hand.

“I'll take you on a tour myself sometime really soon,” said Mari, hoping to pacify Shauntae. “Hey, Glenn, don't you have physics next? Professor Tungsteen locks the door.”

Continuing to talk to Colby, Glenn ignored Mari.

“Stop being such a hater,” said Shauntae. “You know Colby don't get no play. Let her talk to that little nerd if she wants to.”

“Y'all gotta go,” Mari pleaded. “For real.”

“We're going, dawg,” said Shauntae, getting into the car.

“Ladies, if you would like to visit Mari again at East Moreland, you should let her know that you're coming, so she can be prepared,” said Mrs. Reeves. “Guys, let these ladies leave. Don't be late for class.”

At Mrs. Reeves's direction, Derrick, Ed and Glenn immediately said their goodbyes and headed back up the steps. Shauntae was outdone.

“Who asked you?” she questioned Mrs. Reeves, rolling her eyes. “You need to mind your own business.”

“This is my business, young lady. I suggest you develop some respect for your elders,” said Mrs. Reeves.

Shauntae pursed her lips, looking Mrs. Reeves from head to toe and back again. “You right about one thing. You sure are an elder,” said Shauntae, turning to Mari. “We're leaving your stuck-up-ass school. Happy now?”

Intense embarrassment and helplessness to improve the situation left Mari speechless. Bending over, the best she could do was throw up the peace sign to Colby, who waved back sheepishly. Mari knew coming up to the school was Shauntae's idea.

Shauntae flicked a bird to East Moreland as the car sped off, smoke and loud backfire adding to Lil Jon's lyrics. Mari hung her head, wishing the ground would swallow her up. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to find a warm smile accompanying Mrs. Reeves' touch. “Come on, Mari. I'll walk you to your next class,” she said.

As they made their way up the steps under the burning gaze of at least fifty students, Mari thought about how she'd met Mrs. Reeves. The stately, well-coiffed, suited-down black counselor was the very first person Mari met who was associated with East Moreland. Mrs. Reeves attended the same church as Mari's great-aunt. She came over to the Jefferson house a few days after Christmas when Mari was in seventh grade and somehow, Mari remembered, she'd ended up in the living room with Mrs. Reeves, just the two of them together. Mrs. Reeves asked her about everything that day—sports, school, even boys. But she liked Mrs. Reeves's vibe so she didn't mind the questions. Mrs. Reeves treated her like an adult.

But she was afraid of what Mrs. Reeves would say about Shauntae showing up at East Moreland, and she sure didn't expect her first question.

“So why haven't you invited those young ladies to East Moreland before?” asked Mrs. Reeves, ushering Mari toward a gold-rimmed plush red sofa and seating herself upright in the matching chair.

“I don't know,” said Mari, wondering how they got to her office. She didn't even remember the walk.

“They are your friends, aren't they?”

“Uhh…yes.”

“So…”

“I don't know,” Mari said, picking some imaginary lint off the sofa. “I guess I didn't think they'd like it or something.”

“Why not?”

“I don't know. They wouldn't understand it up here. It's just easier for me to go to school here and not have to explain a lot of stuff to them about what it's like here.”

“Well, what is it ‘like' here?” asked Mrs. Reeves, making the quotation marks sign with her fingers.

“You know, there are a lot of rich people who go to school here—rich white people.”

“You don't think your friends would understand rich white people?”

“Not really. They're just different.”

“Different how?”

“They don't really get to see a lot of the stuff I see up here,” said Mari, “like going on out-of-state trips and to plays and museums and stuff.”

“Would you go and do those things if you didn't go to school here, Mari?”

“Probably, because my mother is a dancer, you know, and she used to take me and my sister to all of this creative stuff when we were younger.”

“Sweetie, you're blessed to be exposed to lots of different types of experiences,” said Mrs. Reeves, taking off her glasses and resting them on the table in front of her. “Everybody doesn't have those opportunities.”

“I know. I know, but they just don't know how to act in different places. You can't act the same everywhere you go,” said Mari, pulling at the fresh hole in her blouse to distract herself from tearing up. “I'm so embarrassed.”

“It's natural to be embarrassed when you're trying to make the best of a situation that's out of your control. I'm sure your friends didn't really mean to embarrass you,” said Mrs. Reeves, trying to be hopeful. “They were probably just curious about where you went to school.”

“They never asked me, and I just didn't think about it. I didn't even realize I'd never asked them up here until Shauntae said it.”

“Well, don't worry about it. I will say one thing, though. Be patient with those who don't have the same advantages or opportunities as you. Sometimes lack of knowledge and understanding manifests itself as petty jealousy.”

Sniffling, Mari just nodded and accepted the tissue Mrs. Reeves handed her.

“Sounds to me like you're the lucky one in your group of friends. You're a very smart young lady, Miss Mari. I've seen your test scores. Lead by example. Those who want better for themselves will recognize that trait in you and follow and make their own paths.”

“Okay,” said Mari, looking at the clock on the wall. “Oh my God, I am sooo late for class. I've gotta go.”

“Don't worry. I'll give you a note,” said Mrs. Reeves, writing one out. “Whenever you want to talk, I'm around, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks,” said Mari, taking the note and hurrying out the door. She'd begun feeling better in the confines of Mrs. Reeves's office, but as soon as she was outside, the rush of embarrassment was so strong she felt naked in the hallway. She nearly sprinted to her next class, hoping no one who'd seen Shauntae and Colby would approach her on the way.