weren’t a lot of fights. I couldn’t stand the kids who were snobby just becausethey had the smart thing going on. I don’t like snobby people.
I was hoping things were going to work out, even if Mr. Culpepper was ready to come down on us real hard. Mrs. Maxwell, the principal, was good people and she gave us as many breaks as she could. But if I did have to leave Da Vinci I didn’t think it would be the end of the world. At least I didn’t until I got home that evening.
THE CRUISER
LIFE ON THE HIGH C’s
Education is a journey on the high seas of life.
—Adrian Culpepper, Assistant Principal
By LaShonda Powell
We are all glad that we are taking a journey on the high seas of life with Adrian and his crew. But why do we have to mess up every day by struggling to get an A or a B when a good, strong C will do? When we are out in the world will anybody know what grades we got in the eighth grade? Will anybody care? Although “balance” begins with
B
and A, the
C
near the end of the word is just as important. And from LaShonda’s point of view both the
B
and the
A
are working too hard to get noticed.
A
shows up twice and
B
has pushed its way to the front.
The Cruiser
thinks that life should be laid-back and enjoyed.
CHAPTER TWO
Gone with the Breeze
M y moms was at the table checking herself out in the hand mirror she always had around. She had this weird thing on her head that might have been a hat and her eyes looked a little red, like she had been crying or something.
“So what do you have on your head?” I asked her.
“Mickey Mouse ears,” she said. “You like them?”
“Yo, I’m falling out,” I said. “What do you have them on for?”
“They were lying on a set today,” Mom said. “Would you be embarrassed if I had to wear Mickey Mouse ears in a film?”
“Not really,” I said, searching in the back of the refrigerator for jelly. “You got a new job?”
“Not quite,” she said.
If you read any of the black magazines you have probably seen my moms. She’s pretty and she does modeling. Usually she’s just smiling and holding up a tube of toothpaste or a bar of soap. Sometimes she’s only wearing her underwear and I don’t like that because I don’t like guys in the school saying that my mom is hot.
If you live in Seattle or Portland you might have seen my father on television. His name is Donald Scott and he’s a weatherman. My parents were divorced when I was four and I don’t remember my father living with us. He got married again and has another kid, a girl. He sends me gift certificates to bookstores on my birthday and at Christmas and if he’s in New York he’ll call the house to see if I want to see him. Usually I don’t. Everybody thinks that he has two voices, one for television and one that he uses the rest of the time. He doesn’t. Whenever he talks it sounds like he’s announcing his life and any moment he’s going to break out with the weather forecast. It’s not that I don’t get along with the dude. I do, but I like my mom better even if I’m not supposed to choose one over the other.
“Work is work. Isn’t that what you always say?” I asked Mom.
“This is different.” She had on a long face, which meant something was bothering her.
“And?”
“And Marc thinks he can get me a part in a new comedy film,” she said. “They’re going to shoot it outside of Savannah, Georgia, so I’d have to go down there. You okay with that?”
“Sure.”
“What would you be doing if I went away for two months for a shoot?” she asked.
“Drinking beer and having pizza parties,” I said. “What else?”
“I’m serious,” Mom said.
“If you got a part in a movie how come you’re not excited?” I asked. “They want you to take your clothes off?”
“Would I be in a movie where I took my clothes off?” she asked. “Would I?”
“Then why are you acting like something’s wrong?”
“This is supposed to be a remake of
Gone with the
I was hoping things were going to work out, even if Mr. Culpepper was ready to come down on us real hard. Mrs. Maxwell, the principal, was good people and she gave us as many breaks as she could. But if I did have to leave Da Vinci I didn’t think it would be the end of the world. At least I didn’t until I got home that evening.
THE CRUISER
LIFE ON THE HIGH C’s
Education is a journey on the high seas of life.
—Adrian Culpepper, Assistant Principal
By LaShonda Powell
We are all glad that we are taking a journey on the high seas of life with Adrian and his crew. But why do we have to mess up every day by struggling to get an A or a B when a good, strong C will do? When we are out in the world will anybody know what grades we got in the eighth grade? Will anybody care? Although “balance” begins with
B
and A, the
C
near the end of the word is just as important. And from LaShonda’s point of view both the
B
and the
A
are working too hard to get noticed.
A
shows up twice and
B
has pushed its way to the front.
The Cruiser
thinks that life should be laid-back and enjoyed.
CHAPTER TWO
Gone with the Breeze
M y moms was at the table checking herself out in the hand mirror she always had around. She had this weird thing on her head that might have been a hat and her eyes looked a little red, like she had been crying or something.
“So what do you have on your head?” I asked her.
“Mickey Mouse ears,” she said. “You like them?”
“Yo, I’m falling out,” I said. “What do you have them on for?”
“They were lying on a set today,” Mom said. “Would you be embarrassed if I had to wear Mickey Mouse ears in a film?”
“Not really,” I said, searching in the back of the refrigerator for jelly. “You got a new job?”
“Not quite,” she said.
If you read any of the black magazines you have probably seen my moms. She’s pretty and she does modeling. Usually she’s just smiling and holding up a tube of toothpaste or a bar of soap. Sometimes she’s only wearing her underwear and I don’t like that because I don’t like guys in the school saying that my mom is hot.
If you live in Seattle or Portland you might have seen my father on television. His name is Donald Scott and he’s a weatherman. My parents were divorced when I was four and I don’t remember my father living with us. He got married again and has another kid, a girl. He sends me gift certificates to bookstores on my birthday and at Christmas and if he’s in New York he’ll call the house to see if I want to see him. Usually I don’t. Everybody thinks that he has two voices, one for television and one that he uses the rest of the time. He doesn’t. Whenever he talks it sounds like he’s announcing his life and any moment he’s going to break out with the weather forecast. It’s not that I don’t get along with the dude. I do, but I like my mom better even if I’m not supposed to choose one over the other.
“Work is work. Isn’t that what you always say?” I asked Mom.
“This is different.” She had on a long face, which meant something was bothering her.
“And?”
“And Marc thinks he can get me a part in a new comedy film,” she said. “They’re going to shoot it outside of Savannah, Georgia, so I’d have to go down there. You okay with that?”
“Sure.”
“What would you be doing if I went away for two months for a shoot?” she asked.
“Drinking beer and having pizza parties,” I said. “What else?”
“I’m serious,” Mom said.
“If you got a part in a movie how come you’re not excited?” I asked. “They want you to take your clothes off?”
“Would I be in a movie where I took my clothes off?” she asked. “Would I?”
“Then why are you acting like something’s wrong?”
“This is supposed to be a remake of
Gone with the
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