Keep It Movin'

Sixteen year old, Jayd Jackson; growing up in the poverty stricken hood of Compton California, learns that responsibility is a major factor in becoming an adult. Her hectic life is cluttered around drama, which smothers her more and more every day. Instead of living with her actual parents, Jayd lives with her grandmother(Mama/Lynn Mae) and 4 uncles, and her cousin Jay. As Jayd and Mama grow together they also grow many problems in the process. Going through past relationships, she realizes no one can give her love like her family. Even though her relationship with her mother and father may not have been so strong, she works through it and understands why her grandmother takes care of her, and loves then through it all. Working along the side of her Grandmother, they work hard doing hair. Although she is in school she makes money on the weekends but mostly in the summer when her time isn't limited and also does hair. While trying to focus on school, she going through so many reoccurring problems with friends and family. Tugging at each other, Jayd tries balancing her life but finds it very difficult. She is in a relationship with a boy named, Rah, who was her first love from middle school but is stuck in the middle of all his problems. Rah has a son he takes care and deals with his crazy baby-mama(Sandy) and ex-girlfriend(Trish) as the same time. Although she keeps trying to keep the relationship from turning into a failure, he past keeps popping up reentering her life. Jeremy, Jayd's ex, and Jayd agree to just being friends but its very difficult to just be friends when feelings are involved. In the story Jeremy says Jayd is "the type of girl wanted by a lot of guys," and that he is "jealous of Rah"(pg. 28, line 18-21),meaning he wants to be with Jayd but knows its going to be difficult since so many guys want her. The more Jayd hangs out with Jeremy, the more Rah starts hanging out with Sandy; thus causing an end to the petty relationship. After seeing how well Jayd does handling; her Advanced Placement classes, work, and drama, her father feels it is time for her to get some wheels(a car) some of her transportation problems to vanish. Jayd also gets hit with betrayal by old friends like Misty. As they were former best friends, that label gets changed to "frienemies."

This famous quote gets used by hundreds of thousands of people everyday. This quote just brings reality to the fact that everyone cannot be trusted and the people you call your friends, you have to watch them the most because they can and will do you the dirtiest. Misty, being and old friend of Jayd's, tries ruining her any chance she get such as spreading rumors both true and false around he school, yet always finding ways to call Jayd her friend. And Nellie through it all, is there for Jayd no matter what, that's a true friend. Jayd's grandmother tells her," you are blessed enough to be born in an active house and when you're alone and want to latch onto people, they latch back on to you,"(page 162) this gives evidence that she is well liked and people want to be around her. 

The video is a scene from the "Perks of Being a Wallflower" and it reminded me of Jayd and Misty's relationship because Misty sometimes tries putting Jayd down in public but exposing her secrets to the general population at school!

This was an interesting story because although it was a fictional novel, it seemed very factual. The novel included many type of different drama that is also displayed here at our school. Things like pregnancies, relationships and house hold problems are very real and are displayed in the story too. There were many times in the story where I felt some type of connection, like when Jayd was talking to a peer about the things that happened with her boyfriend and that got passed around the school but was twisted and added to make more interesting, I thought of when that happened to me. And I thought of all the times I thought I was going to be able to trust a friend and got betrayed.  

1. Predict who Jayd will chose; her first love, Rah or ex-boyfriend, Jeremy and why?
2. What lasts longed friendship outside the family or inside the family?