Chapter+9

Dontavious’s mom screamed at him the whole drive to Booker T. Washington Alternative School. “Why do you have to always be getting yourself in trouble, Dontavious? I’m really done with you. I’m dropping you off at this school and it’s your problem how you’re going to get home,.” she said without a breath and loudly enough to be heard by a passenger in a passing car. “But Mama, I’m not supposed to go to Booker T. until tomorrow,” Dontavious tried to explain. “The dickens you say. There’s no way I’m leaving you at home by yourself. I’m taking you to the other school, walking you inside to make sure you don’t leave, and then I’m going back to work and pray I still have a job to go back to; and I’m telling you, Dontavious, I better not get any calls from this new school telling me you’re in trouble,” she said as she pinched his arm. Dontavious flinched and said,” Owwww. That hurt.” “I told you to be quiet. Zip it. I don’t want to hear a word out of you. You are in more trouble than you’ve ever been in before and I’m not playing with you any more. I’m about ready to take you to an orphanage.” “I’m sorry, Mama.” Dontavious whimpered. “Yes, you are sorry. I regret the day you were born.” //Ouch, that hurt//, thought Dontavious as he gritted his teeth. A fire raged inside him. He regretted being born too. He wished he could just jump out of the car. He truly was repentant for getting in so much trouble. This was all his dad’s fault. If his dad hadn’t left, then he wouldn’t be heading for alternative school right now. His mom pulled up on the curb and slammed on her brakes. “Get out,” she ordered. Dontavious did as he was told. His head hung and he was no longer the tough guy at school. Instead he walked in like a whipped dog. His mom shoved him through the doors of the office at his new school. “This sorry excuse of a boy I’m ashamed to say is my son, Dontavious Davis.” Dontavious hung is head. He stared at the floor. He was too embarrassed to look up. The secretary, Mrs. Coleman, said, “I received a call from South Elm Middle earlier today and I told them that Dontavious should come tomorrow. It’s too late today to enroll him.” His mom held your palm up like a policeman stopping traffic and said, “You’re talking to my hand. I’m late for work and there’s no way I’m coming back here tomorrow to enroll him. If I miss any more work I’ll lose my job. I tell you I have to get back to work now. Also I’m not picking him up today after school. I’m outta here.” With those words she went to the double doors of the office and knocked a student entering into the wall closest to the door. “I’m sorry you got in my way,” she said as she stormed out the front door of the school. Mrs. Coleman walked inside the principal, Mr. Booker’s office, and said,”We have an issue. Dontavious’s mom just dropped him off and said she wasn’t coming back. I told her that he couldn’t come until tomorrow. Do you want me to call the police?” “No, I went to school with Dontavious’s parents and so I know them well. His dad abandoned both of them not too long ago and both Dontavious and his mom are angry. They are both taking out their frustrations on anyone who gets in their way. He can ride the bus home. We’ll let him stay. His family has been through enough to create more problems for them. Take him into Mrs. Hayes office and ask her to make him out a schedule, then let him go on to lunch.” Dontavious got his schedule and looked puzzled. The counselor had put him in A.M. He didn’t know what that was and there was another class he didn’t recognize. He wondered what B.M. was. He noticed he didn’t have Tech lab or P.E. Everything else on his schedule was the same. As Dontavious entered the school cafeteria, he felt bewildered and humiliated. At South Elm Middle, he loved walking into the cafeteria. Everyone there knew him and feared him. He loved hearing his name called. He loved it when students moved to let him sit wherever he wanted. But as he walked inside this new school, he didn’t see any familiar faces. No one called his name. He regretted every bad thing he had said and done to Doyle. He wished he could turn back time. He would make different decisions he thought to himself. He scanned the room and looked for a vacant place to sit. There was a seat at a table full of tough looking boys. //Well, maybe I can make friends with them and maybe I can have some fun here//, he thought quickly forgetting his repentant ways. “Hey, my name’s Dontavious,” he said and smiled as he started to sit his tray down. “Get lost, loser. You’re not welcome here.” The group laughed as they said his name and laughed loudly. Stripped of pride and self confidence, Dontavious looked around for another place to sit. He saw a group of giggling girls and thought maybe they’d have heard of him. After all he was the star football player at South Elm Middle. Any girl at his old school would be excited to have him grace them with his appearance. “This seat is taken,” said one of the girls and then she laughed at him. Dontavious looked around almost full of panic. He felt like all the eyes in the cafeteria were on him and that everyone was laughing at him. He turned in every direction and then he saw the principal walk up to him. I have assigned you a Booker T. Washington Newcomer Buddy. His name is Dexter. He will eat with you and show you to your classes. Dontavious looked at the nerd in front of him and almost couldn’t believe his eyes. He had heard that everyone in the world has a twin. The thin boy in front of him looked like Doyle’s twin. The boy extended his right hand. What a nerd, he thought. No one in the eighth grade shakes other student’s hands. Today was a living nightmare. He wondered if it would ever end. Dexter pulled out hand sanitizer from his pocket. “Things around here are not always clean. You can borrow some of my hand sanitizer if you like, “he offered. Dontavious shook his head and thought about saying something mean but then decided to hold his tongue. He had already been in enough trouble for one day. Instead he just shook his head. Dexter said, “Well show me your schedule and I’ll show you where all your classes are.” Dontavious obediently pulled his schedule out of his jeans. “They signed me up for two classes that I don’t know what they are,” said Dontavious. Dexter looked at the paper and then snickered. B.M. That is behavior modification. A. M. is anger management. You’ll enjoy that. It’s a class that teaches you how to become more sagacious so you can assimilate better.” Dontavious looked at Dexter like he had two heads. “Speak English, fool what did you just say?” “Oh trust me I’m not a fool. I make straight A’s.” “Why are you here then?” asked Dontavious perplexed.
 * Chapter 9**
 * New Kid in School**