Getting Played Read Free Page A

out. I guess a new baby in the house can do that. And I know dealing with Courtney, my dad’s live-in whatever, and her crazy-ass self can do that, too. Now that she’s dealing with that postpartum thing it must really be a hot mess.
    I went over there last weekend, but only stayed one night. Courtney was screaming her head off. The thing is, she’s usually screaming her head off about something. But last weekend she was unreal, even by her standards. She kept yelling about wanting my dad to marry her and swearing if he didn’t she’d never speak to him again.
    Really, truthfully, I don’t think that was much of a threat. Knowing my dad, Courtney not speaking to him was probably exactly what he wanted. Then of course, seeing his expression as he ran out of the house more than proved the point. I didn’t see him the rest of the night. That didn’t stop Courtney from still losing her mind.
    The boys, Kenneth James Jr., named after my dad, and Jason, my other half brother, stayed by my side the whole time I was there. They even slept in my bedroom. They fell asleep on my bed watching Monsters, Inc . I didn’t have the heart to move them to their bedroom. I felt bad for them. When I was leaving, they cried and wanted to come with me. Courtney was pissed, and my dad was MIA as usual. It’s a trick he perfected years ago. When there’s drama, he disappears. So Saturday afternoon I left.
    â€œKenisha.”
    I turn around to see Ms. Grayson standing in the hall. I must have blown right past her without even seeing her. “I gotta go, Ms. Grayson,” I say, before she adds more drama to my day.
    â€œWhat’s going on with you?”
    â€œI’m fine,” I say, and start walking again.
    â€œHold up. Whatever it is you have to do can wait a few minutes.” She walks over to me with her eyebrows all scrunched together frowning. “Now, what’s going on with you lately? A month ago you were my best student. Now you’re surly, angry and ambivalent. Your grades are all over the board lately. You’re not focusing. Are you having family problems?” she asks.
    I start laughing. “Me, family problems—you gotta be kidding, right? Which ones?” I ask sarcastically. She looks at me. I hate having to explain. “Okay, you mean the family problem where my dad kicked me and my mom out of our Virginia house a few months ago, so he could move his pregnant girlfriend in. Or maybe you’re talking about the one where my mom took a handful of pills and killedherself. Oh, and then there’s some drug dealing nut-job in the neighborhood who tried to rape me two weeks ago. So exactly which family drama are you talking about?”
    She looks stunned. “Kenisha, I’m so sorry,” she whispers.
    â€œWell don’t be. Like I said before, I’m fine.”
    â€œNo, you’re not. Come on. Let’s go back to the classroom and talk. We can figure some of this out.”
    â€œI can’t. I have to go home and take care of something, then everything will be fine after that.” I start walking away.
    â€œKenisha, wait.”
    â€œI gotta go, Ms. Grayson.”
    â€œAll right, Kenisha, but I want to talk to you first thing Monday morning. I get in early and I don’t have a first period class. Just tell your teacher to call me and I’ll excuse you from the class.”
    â€œYeah, okay,” I say, knowing as soon as I talk to my dad, that isn’t going to happen. So I hurry to my locker but know I’m already too late ’cause I can hear them before I even turn the corner. Troy and his boys are at his locker, which is right next to mine. Crap, more drama. This is the last thing I need. I’m so not in the mood for him. I start walking toward my locker, ignoring him as his boys back up smiling. Troy turns around. He sees me. Shit. Here we go.
    â€œHey, it’s Kenishiwa. You waiting around for