Chapt 7 "La Donna is Trippin!"

During our eleventh grade year we were all put in the same homeroom, except for Regina. She in the tenth grade homeroom down stairs. Our homeroom teacher's name was Mrs. Adams. She taught at MLK high for twenty-two years AND! She knew Mrs. Millie very well. So you already know what time it was. If we acted up in school, best believe by the time we hit the first step on the porch Millie was at the door just waiting. "La Donna please open up your book and stop talking, "Mrs. Adams requested. La Donna picked up her book from off the floor and placed it on her desk. She never opened it up she just sat their picking at her nails.

About 5 minutes went by when I heard "Quiet!", Mrs Adams shouted. "La Donna Simpson, this is the second time I have had to tell you to close your mouth", Mrs. Adams said in a stern authoritative voice. "Dang Mrs. Adams I ain't even say nothing, I was just looking behind", La Donna replied in a smart ass demeanor. "Well unless you have the ability to read through the back of your head, turn around and shut your mouth", Mrs. Adams answered. The class began to laugh at La Donna. "The next person to make so much as a PEEP! will be staying with me after school, Is that understood?." The whole class except La Donna responding "Yes Ma'am!" "La Donna what is your problem?", Mrs Adams asked." "I don't like the way you always try to embarrass me in front of everybody", La Donna snapped. "Embarrass you?", Mrs Adams replied with the craziest look on her face. "Little girl you are embarrassing yourself!"

Mrs Adams got up from her desk and began walking towards La Donna. "La Donna, I am not going to argue with you today", she said while sitting in the empty seat in front of La Donna. "I'm tired of talking to you" "But Mrs Adams I wasn't even- Mrs Adams interrupted "I said close your mouth, do you see what I mean?," she asked. "At every staff meeting I've been to for the last two years, all the teachers that have had you in the class complain about your lack of ambition and that funky attitude." "I didn't know yall luv me that much to be talking bout me all amongst yallselves and erthang," La Donna laughed. The boy that sat behind me laughed too. Mostly because he was high. "Mr. Charles, since you think somethings funny and cannot follow directions like your fellow classmate here, I'll see you a 3 pm sharp!" Mrs Adams snapped without even taking her eyes off La Donna.

"Girl you are just as smart as anybody walking around this school" Mrs Adams continued. "Why don't you apply yourself?", she asked. "Because this stuff yall teaching me ain't gon help me outside this school." La Donna replied "And NOT having a High School Diploma aint gon help you either!", Mrs Adams said doing her best La Donna impersonation. "Ladonna you have been labeled what they call in the teaching world "UN-Teachable" "UN-teachable, what yall tryna say I'm stupid" La Donna asked crossing her arms together. "No! You are smart La Donna, but you are acting like a dummy.", Mrs Adams replied. LA Donna just sat in silence staring at the wall.

Mrs Adams got up from the desk and walked back over to hers. She grabbed a piece of chalk from off her desk and began to write on the chalkboard. LA DONNA SIMPSON WAS NOT BORN TO BE A DUMMY...She place the chalk in the holder and sat back down at her desk, and continued working on her lesson plans. London looked right in my direction then she turned around and looked at Vanessa, who was seated in the row across from her in the back. I could see veins in her forehead began to swell. Why was she getting upset? , Mrs. Adams is just trying to help her, I thought. La Donna pushed her books on the floor, got up from her desk and began to storm out of the class. "Ms. Simpson if you walk out of my class, you will not be allowed back in", Mrs Adams warned. La Donna open up the classroom door. BAM!! Then slam it as she left. The School's principal decided to give La Donna one more chance because Mrs. Millie ask him too. Two weeks later La Donna was sent to the Brighton Alternative School for troubled youths, because she punched a substitute teacher in the face.

"London!" "London!", Regina yelled while she was walking towards me in the cafeteria. "What Regina?", I replied. I really hated when she brought her loud self over to my table, this girl can run her mouth for days, all she do is talk about boys, I thought to myself. "Girl what do you have on", I asked. "You didn't have that on when I seen you get off the school bus. "Oh you like it?", Reggie bought it for me. "And what did you give Reggie?" I asked. "Wuteva", she replied. "Anyways Girl! The quarterback for the Varsity team said you was cute and he wanted to talk to you. "So why doesn't he come over here and talk.", I replied. "Prolly cuz you got that mean ass look on your face, why don't you trying smiling sometimes?", Regina said. "Aren't you supposed to be in class, tenth grade lunch was over with thirty minute ago.", I asked. " I know I know I'm going but he is really cute and Shit! he is the varsity quarterback what more do I need to say." "Girl you could be home coming queen", She laughed. "Queen London!" "Doesnt that go go together", She asked. "I know what would go good together", I said. "What's that", Regina replied. "Regina and her classroom, BYE! Regina turned around , walked over to where she was sitting which was full of guys on the football team by the way and grabbed her books, and began to walk towards the cafeteria exit. "Where you going sexy!", yelled one of the guys as he undressed Regina with his eyes as she twisted her Georgia Peach out the door. Regina didn't even break her stride, because she knew I was not playing with her.

I can't believe that girl, she keeps her mind on those boys more than she does her education, she does just enough to get by, but that won't last forever, I thought to myself. The group of guys got up from their table and turned in their lunch trays. I was sitting so close the the door I heard one of the guys tell his buddy "She the reason why Regina left ol cock-blocking ass bitch.
I just laughed inside, because I knew the same dudes are going to replace the dudes who currently stand around at the Gas Station all day doing absolutely nothing. They would rather chase tail than chase education. I was turning in my lucnch tray when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and standing before me was the same guy Regina said wanted to talk to me.

"Hi I'm Tayshawn, your Regina's sister London, right?", he asked like he didn't already know. "May I help you?", I replied. "Actually I was just wondering what you said to her to make her get her stuff and leave. "Nothing special, I just got it like that". I replied. "Wow so you got a attitude to match that mean ass look on your face", he laughed. "Why does everybody keep saying that?, I said with a smirk on my face. "Because it's true", Tayshawn whispered in my ear. I started to smile, only because his breathe was tickling my ear. "See you smiling now!" he said as he tried his best to break through my defenses. I don't know what it was but I became really comfortable around him. "So can I walk you to your class", he asked. "I guess it won't hurt", I replied.

Tayshawn walked with me to my locker, and then to my class. "So since we cool now would it be ok if I walked you home?"he requested. "OK, but only half way because one I don't know you like that to show you where I live, Two the lady I stay with will start fussin if she sees me walking up the street with you." "I will never hear the end of it", I said. "OK, I'll meet you out front after school", he said as he ran off to his class. "OK!", I shouted down the hall. I turned around and went into my class, just waiting for the bell to ring.

When school was finally over I ran to my locker and picked up my bookbag. I told the Vanessa and Regina I would see them when I got home, then I went out to meet u with Tayshawn. "I thought you was gonna stand me up", he said as I walked down the stairs towards him."I wouldn't do you like that, I dont play those types of games.", I replied. "Thats good to know, so that means I can trust you", Tayshawn said. "They question is can I trust you", I answered.Do you have something against me that I don't know about or something?", He said. We just started talking today" "I could have pissed you off already", he laughed."Look Tayshawn you a football player, I know you got girls chasing you around all day, but I'm not gonna be one of them.", I snapped. "Two", I continued before Tayshawn interrupted me. "London I just want to be friends." "The girls that chase me, all they see is dollar signs." "They see Tayshawn the football player." "They don't see Tayshawn the person."

As we started walking down the street Tayshawn keep reassuring me that this wasn't a con to get me in bed. "I just want to be friends. Nothing more, nothing less", he said. "Just friends?", I asked. "Just Friends", he replied. I was in shock. I never had a guy just want to be my friend, I thought. It took about an hour for us to get to the half ay point to my house. It usually only took fifteen minutes. We talk so much it seemed time slowed down. Come to find out, we have more in common than I thought.I didnt ride the school bus anymore after one of the girls in my school got raped. The Bus driver didn't even stop the bus to help her. so no more Bus for me. besides most of the drivers were coke fiends King's people sold to. I tried to tell Vanessa and Regina but Regina said she had too many fine boys on the bus this year to miss out. Vanessa was so quiet you barely knew she was on the bus, but she could take care of herself so I wasn't too worried. I enjoyed getting the fresh air anyway.

"OK, this is far enough, thanks again Tay", I said. "It's cool anytime", he said as began to walk around the corner.I began walking down the street, it took me 5 mins to reach my house when I turned the corner, I stopped. There was abrand new BWM pulling up in our driveway. The bass from the car was hitting so hard I could feel it in the ground. When I looked over toward the porch I seen Vanessa and Mrs. Millie sitting on the porch. I wonder who is in that car, maybe wann king's people. Naw they knew better than to come by the house if he wasn't there and I didn't see his car parked on the street, I thought to myself wiping the sweating from my forehead. Oh yea, I'm about the three shades from black now!! All of the sudden the car's passenger side door opened. I couldn't believe my eyes, out steps La Donna. Here comes the drama...