Drama Queen Read online

  “Hey, Karen. I’m not doing all that great. I failed a home pregnancy test.” Kayla sighed.

  “You failed an office pregnancy test, too, sweetie. But let’s not look at it as failing. I know many women who would love to have these positive results.” She washed her hands and read Kayla’s chart.

  “I wish it was them rather than me. I can’t believe this.”

  “Believe it. Well, let’s check you out. Lie back.” Kayla lay back on the table and Karen began her examination. Kayla closed her eyes and tried not to think about why she was there. For a moment, it felt like a regular exam until Karen pulled out an odd looking probe and said, “Now, how about we take a look and see what we’re working with?”

  “What’s that?” Kayla almost began to panic.

  “I’m gonna do a vaginal ultrasound and see exactly how far along you are. It may be a little uncomfortable, but no pain.” She could see Kayla was worried.

  “I been on the pill for years. How did this happen?”

  “Well, even the pill isn’t one hundred percent foolproof. Women get pregnant on the pill too, Kayla.”

  Karen wasn’t making Kayla feel any better. She didn’t know what she wanted to hear, but she knew that it wasn’t what Karen was saying.

  “How far along am I?” Kayla asked. She figured that she had been with Geno about three months ago.

  “Well, the ultrasound puts you at around ten weeks. That would give you a due date of about November twenty-first. Thanksgiving Day. I guess that would give you a conception date of, uh, February Fourteenth, Valentine’s Day,” Karen said matter-of-factly as she calculated.

  “Dear God, no.” Kayla sat stunned and could not move.

  Kayla went home, called both her jobs and took the rest of the week off. She turned the ringer off on her phone and climbed into bed. She thought about the baby she was carrying and what she should do. Here she was single, not even able to make ends meet while working two jobs, and now she may have another mouth to feed. And she didn’t even want to think about the father. That bastard couldn’t even commit to a movie date, let alone a baby. She had barely even talked to him in a few weeks, now she was gonna call him and tell him she was knocked up? Be for real. Kayla didn’t even want to think about her parents’ reaction. Everything she had worked so hard for could now be ruined by a fucking one-night stand. There was no way she was gonna keep this baby. It made no sense.

  I can’t have this baby, she thought as she drifted off to sleep. She woke to the sound of her doorbell ringing. “Hey, girl,” she said and opened the door for Yvonne.

  “I see you’re not feeling better.” Yvonne followed Kayla into her bedroom and watched her climb back into bed. “I tried to call you but you didn’t answer. Mrs. Warren just left a message that I would be subbing for you the remainder of the week, so I decided to come by. Did you go to the doctor?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And?” Yvonne sat at the foot of the bed.

  “She said I have a virus and it has to run its course.” Kayla slid deeper under the covers. She wasn’t ready to share the truth with anyone, especially after she decided to have an abortion. She knew that would be one decision she’d take to her grave.

  “I figured you did. You know it’s been going around the school. I’m surprised I haven’t gotten it yet,” Yvonne told her.

  “This is one virus you don’t want to catch,” Kayla murmured.

  “Let me get you something to drink.” She took Kayla’s empty glass off the nightstand and went into the kitchen. When she came back, she gave Kayla a cup of tea and a bottle of water, then filled her in on her students. “Do you need me to do anything else while I’m here?”

  “No. I just wanna sleep.” Kayla managed a weak smile. “But can you let Tia and Roni know that I am okay? I turned my ringer off and I don’t want them to worry.”

  “Done.”

  “Thanks, Von.” She sat up and took the saucer holding the steaming liquid.

  “Okay. Call me if you need anything.” Yvonne gave her tired looking girlfriend a hug and made sure the door was locked behind her as she left.

  She was lying back in her bed trying to watch Law and Order when there was another knock. She grabbed her robe and hobbled to the door. She looked through the peephole and saw Roni standing outside.

  “Didn’t Yvonne call you?” Kayla shook her head at her.

  “Yeah, but I wanted to check on you myself. And since you’re not answering your phone, here I am. What’s wrong with you?” She followed Kayla back to the bedroom.

  “I got the flu, that’s all. Damn.” She could not look at her as she answered. Roni knew her too well. The two shared a sisterly bond that she and Anjelica never had.

  “The flu, Kay?”

  “Yeah, Roni. The flu. Let it go, okay?”

  “You’re the one on the defense, Kayla. I just asked what the hell was wrong with you. Now it would be something else if you were lying, wouldn’t it?”

  Kayla tried to brush her friend off, but it wasn’t working. She was scared and had to tell someone. Roni was her best friend, but she was embarrassed. Shit, it was Roni who gave her the condom that she didn’t use. How could she tell her that she was that irresponsible? All of the questions and feelings that Kayla felt overwhelmed her and she began to cry.

  “Kayla, talk to me. What is going on?” Roni hugged her girlfriend and tried to comfort her. Kayla told Roni about her unplanned pregnancy. She even told her about the night she spent with Geno, and how it made her feel even worse knowing that he had moved on, but she was still harboring feelings for him.

  “Kayla, it’s okay. Geno is gonna be a good father. He still loves you and he will love this baby too.”

  “But, Ron. You don’t understand. I can’t have this baby. You don’t get it. Geno isn’t the father. Craig is,” she admitted to her best friend. She had finally said it. She even felt somewhat relieved.

  “Damn.”

  “Exactly. I cannot keep it. It makes no sense.”

  “Kayla, it doesn’t have to make sense in order for you to keep it. You don’t know what you’re saying. You have never believed in abortion, Kay. But now because the man you wanted to be your baby daddy ain’t, you want to get rid of it? That’s not even you, Kay. You don’t even think like that.” Roni sat up and looked at her.

  “But Ron, I don’t have no money to take care of a baby. And what about Mama and Daddy? They are gonna be pissed too. And Craig, don’t even get me started on him,” Kayla cried.

  “You know that if you want to have this baby for real, Kay, it’s gonna be taken care of. Your mama and daddy are still gonna love you no matter what. And we can let the child support judge take care of that nigga if he don’t wanna act right. I just want you to see all the sides of this before you decide to do something I know you don’t want to, Kayla. Take it from someone who’s been there. It’s not an easy thing to do. But I am here for you no matter what you decide to do.”

  “Ron, I . . .” Kayla began, but Roni cut her off.

  “Senior year, sweetie. Remember? But I did what was best for me at the time. Why do you think I stay on y’all about condoms? A lot of good it did you, I see.”

  Kayla could not help but laugh. She was glad she had decided to confide in Roni. They talked a little while longer and then Roni stood up to leave.

  “Know that I love you and support you, and so do a lot of other people, Kay. Unconditionally, no matter who your baby daddy is.” She hugged Kayla and said good-bye.

  6

  For three days Kayla’s routine consisted of sleeping, taking showers, drinking tea and water, eating crackers and throwing up. On Thursday morning, she rolled over and looked at the alarm clock. The numbers read eleven twenty-one. November twenty-first, my due date. Kayla did the only thing she knew how; she began to pray.

  Okay, God, I am finished having my pity party. It’s just you and me now. What I did was wrong, and I am asking you to forgive me. But I know that what has come
out of it is a blessing, not a curse. Please, God, guide me and tell me what to do. Give me the strength to make it through this, because I can’t do it without You. She closed her eyes and did not realize that she had gone back to sleep until she checked the time, and this time it read two-fourteen. Kayla knew what her next move had to be. Okay, God, here goes, she thought as she reached for the cordless phone and dialed the numbers.

  “Hey, beautiful. I was hoping you would call me,” Craig said when he answered.

  “Hi. Are you at work?” she asked him. She could not remember his schedule.

  “I get off at three. Why? What’s up?”

  “I need to talk to you. Do you think you can stop by on your way home? Or maybe I can meet you at your house?” Kayla felt that this was something she should tell him in person rather than over the phone.

  “No! I mean, I’m not going straight home.”

  “Then can I meet you somewhere?”

  “What’s the deal? I guess I can swing by your place. Is this gonna lake long, because I have somewhere to be.”

  “No. I just need to talk to you.” Kayla tried not to be irritated by his covertness. She gave him directions to her apartment and got up to prepare for what she was about to do.

  “Nice place.” Craig gave her a quick hug and kissed her lightly.

  “It’s not quite as lavish as yours. Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?” She remembered to be cordial. He is a guest, she reminded herself.

  “No, no thanks.” He looked down at his watch, “So is this just a ploy to get me into your bed?” He smiled his sexy smile; always the flirt. He sat on the soft, hunter green sofa that Kayla had inherited from her parents’ den.

  “Definitely not. That’s the reason I’m in the shape I am in now.” Kayla tried to say what she needed to say without coming straight out and telling him.

  “Um, you look like you’re in great shape to me, Beautiful.”

  “Not for long.” She chose to sit in the chair across from him so she could look him right in his face.

  “All right, Kayla. What is this all about? Come on. I told you I gotta be somewhere.”

  “Okay. You know I’ve been sick, right?” she began.

  “Yeah. I know you called me some other nigga’s name at the club last week. You said you were tired. What’s wrong?” He began to look worried.

  “I’m pregnant,” she told him quietly. She looked in his face for some type of reaction. He just nodded his head.

  “Okay.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “By you,” she whispered.

  “What? Me? Are you sure? We were together only one time.” He responded like she had made a bad menu choice, rather than told him she was carrying his child. She thought it would go a lot worse than it was. Kayla had heard horror stories from other women when they told guys they were pregnant and it was unplanned.

  “It only takes one time, Craig.”

  “All right. So, how much you need?”

  “What do you mean?” She was confused.

  “For the procedure. I mean, you want me to pay half. Isn’t that why I’m over here?”

  “What procedure?” the realism of what he was talking about sunk in. “The only procedure I’m having is a full-term delivery,” she said angrily.

  Craig looked down at his watch. “Look, Kayla. Obviously you haven’t thought this all the way through. I ain’t in no position to have a baby. I mean, you said so yourself you gotta work two jobs to make ends meet. How you gonna take care of a baby?”

  Now, this is the reaction Kayla was expecting. She felt the anger rise in her body. “I plan on doing what I need to and do a hell of a job taking care of my baby! I mean, it is my body!”

  “This baby might not even be mine. I ain’t even gonna get into this with you, Kayla. But if it is, I’m telling you that I can’t take care of a baby. Not right now. I just can’t. Now you can be a superwoman and do what you want to do because it’s your body or whatever. But I’m just trying to tell you up front. I ain’t trying to have a kid right now!”

  “Then your ass shoulda considered that when you went raw dog on me. And furthermore, you ain’t my prime choice to be the father of my child. Nigga, ain’t nobody trying to trap your ass if that’s what you’re thinking!” Kayla got up and stood in his face, taking him by surprise.

  “The only thing I’m thinking is that you done lost your damn mind!” He took a step back for fear that she would swing on him.

  “I ain’t lost my mind yet! Look, I did not call you over here to argue. I’m just trying to talk to you about the situation at hand.” She took a deep breath and rubbed her temples, trying to calm down.

  “The situation at hand is this, you are not trying to hear nothing I have to say right about now and I gotta go. I’ll call you later once you’ve calmed the fuck down and are rational.” He stood up and walked out, leaving her stunned, wondering what she was supposed to do next.

  7

  It was May and Kayla was now three months pregnant. She still hadn’t told anyone, with the exception of Roni and Craig, because she didn’t feel ready yet. She was still trying to convince herself that she was making the right decision by keeping this baby. She hadn’t talked to Craig since the night she’d told him about the baby. She didn’t call him and he didn’t call her; not that she expected him to. She figured that she wouldn’t really start to show until after school was out, so she wouldn’t have to do a whole lot of explaining to her parents or her students until the start of the new school year, if they let her return.

  Kayla was sitting at her desk, grading papers as her students worked on their Mother’s Day cards. Next year, I will be celebrating Mother’s Day, she thought. Suddenly, David, one of her students was on the ground.

  “Stop!” She heard him yell out. She stood just in time to see another student, Nate, snatch something out of his hands as he tried to get up.

  “Gimme my glue stick, punk!” he responded.

  “It’s not yours!” David began. The remainder of the class began to crowd around to get a front row view.

  “Nate! David! What is going on?” Kayla rushed over to stop whatever was about to start.

  “This punk took my glue stick! I just took it back!”

  “It’s mine, Ms. Hopkins. Look at the bottom. My mom put my initials on it. He picked it up when it rolled on the floor,” Dave explained.

  “Give me the glue.” Nate stood, looking at her like he wanted to kill her, but Kayla was determined not to bend. She looked at him just as hard and yelled, “Now!”

  “I hate you!” Nate yelled as he picked up the desk and hurled it at her. The students began to duck and scream as Kayla watched it fall in front of her.

  “Pick it up,” she told him calmly. He looked confused, so she told him again, “Pick it up. You missed the first time. Now this time I need you to hit me so I can sue your parents for your house and their cars, and I can sue the school, too. Now let’s try it again. Pick it up.”

  “No!” He spat at her.

  “I’m giving you another chance. Pick it up. If you’re gonna get suspended for it, at least get the satisfaction of knowing that you hit me, Nate. Now pick it up.”

  “I ain’t getting suspended,” he laughed. “Don’t you know how much money my parents donate to this school? Mrs. Warren ain’t suspending me, ’cause if she do, my parents are gonna pull me out. Can’t you see? I rule this school.”

  “We’ll see. Well, I gave you a chance and you didn’t take it. Don’t even bother taking your books. I’ll bring them down when I bring your referral.” She walked back to her desk and went back to grading her papers.

  Her students were still stunned by the incident and were not moving. “Finish your gifts so you can take them home,” she announced. Nate stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

  Kayla waited about fifteen minutes before she went down to the office, giving Nate and herself some time to cool off. She was so mad she wanted to smac
k him. She was going to demand expulsion for him. Nate was more of a problem than the school deserved to deal with, and she was no longer going to tolerate his behavior. She walked into the office and found him sitting in the waiting area.

  “Where is Mrs. Warren?” she asked the secretary.

  “Giving a tour. She should be right back. Did he really throw a desk at you?” She looked shocked.

  “Yep,” Kayla answered and looked at the crude little boy, sitting like he owned the joint. “I’ve gotta go back to the class. Tell Mrs. Warren she can buzz me if she needs me.” Kayla proceeded down the hallway.

  “Ms. Hopkins?” She heard Mrs. Warren’s voice and looked up. “We just left your classroom.”

  “You did?” Kayla commented, not realizing who “we” were. She hated the dimly lit hallways of the school.

  “Yes, this is Mr. and Mrs. Coleman. They are enrolling their son, Nigel, in the fall.” Mrs. Warren introduced the couple. As Kayla extended her hand, she looked at the gentleman’s face and nearly passed out.

  “Ms. Hopkins is one of our best teachers.” Mrs. Warren beamed.

  “Avis Coleman.” The dark skinned woman with the bad weave job shook Kayla’s hand. “This is my husband, Craig.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Kayla did not look at them. She kept her focus on Mrs. Warren. “I hope my students were on their best behavior?”

  “Of course. They have made some beautiful gifts for their mothers. They will be so pleased on Sunday,” Mrs. Warren said to her.

  “Your classroom is so nice,” Bad-weave Wife commented.

  “Yes, it was beautiful,” Craig had the audacity to say. Kayla wanted to punch him in the forehead. The motherfucker was actually smiling at her.

  “Thank you. Well, I have to be getting back to help them finish up. Enjoy the rest of your tour.” She quickly returned to her classroom and sat down. Her head was going in fifty million directions and she felt like she wanted to throw up. Somehow, Kayla made it to the restroom in the teachers’ lounge and stood over the sink to splash cold water on her face.