Cursed

Chapter Nine

Jayden was still smiling when he merged onto the freeway a few minutes later. Adrienne’s laugh, her beautiful eyes … she made him feel good about himself, something Kimmie and his parents never really did.

He never imagined he could feel so much concern for a person he barely knew. The two hours he spent looking for her made him realize how far under his skin she already was. Maybe it was hearing her sing or maybe it was how different she was. She wasn’t like the guarded, selfish girls he normally dated and definitely not spoiled like his sisters.

She was genuinely sweet, gorgeous, and gifted. He thought of his father’s warning about not drawing attention to himself. The South was still conservative in its view of racial dating. Would that draw attention to him and threaten to expose the family secret? Adrienne was poor, and her daddy was…backwards. Would they make for good media fodder?

She was most likely someone his father wouldn’t approve of. There couldn’t be anything permanent between him and Adrienne, but he could enjoy himself for a while. The rebellious streak in him didn’t want to give up Adrienne the way he’d given up control over the rest of his life to his parents, teachers and coach. No, he could be himself with Addy, and she liked that about him.

His cell rang, jarring him out of his warm thoughts.

“Jay?” It was his mother. “Did you call?”

He clicked the icon on the car’s dashboard to engage the Bluetooth, aware his mother would yell otherwise once she found out he was driving.

“Hi, Mama,” he said. “Yeah I called earlier.”

“I just got off the phone with Grandmama. Went to the grocery store before.”

“Cool,” Jayden said. “She get her AC fixed yet?”

“No.” His mother made a sound of frustration. “I don’t think she never will. You wearing your dog tags?”

“Yes, Mama.”

“She said to tell you not to take them off, even for football.”

“I only take them off in the shower,” he replied.

“Not even then, Jayden. She told me what she told you. You never told me she said you were going to die!” His mother was angry. “If I found out you took off those –”

“Mama, can you please stop with this voodoo crap?” he demanded. “It’s not real. I wear the tags because they’re a family heirloom.” One I don’t need to be ashamed of.

“Don’t you talk about our religion like that, Jayden. She’s trying to save your life.”

“All right, fine,” he said, not wanting to end his night arguing with his mother. “I’m wearing them. Okay?”

“That’s not all she told me.”

God, please, just cut me a break for once, he pleaded silently.

“She told me who will kill you if you take them off.”

“Fine. Who?” he asked.

“A damsel in distress.”

“What?”

“She said it was on the day of a full moon. A white girl with white hair and eyes like jewels.”

Jayden’s brow furrowed. The description sounded a lot like Adrienne, though it didn’t seem possible his grandmama could know about her. Tara was the only one who knew he liked Adrienne, and Tara wouldn’t dare stoop to the level of talking to his poor relations.

“Grandmama hates white people,” he said. “You sure she’s not just venting?”

“Grandmama does not hate white people. The loa Brigit is white and we worship her.”

“So she hates non-deity white people.”

“Will you just listen to me for once, Jay?”

He gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to hang up on his mother.

“Grandmama said grandpapa told her this morning you’d meet this white zombie this week and that she’s from a lost family line sworn to black magic.”

“Is that it?”

“She said this family is cursed, Jayden. The white zombie is gonna kill you, and it’s all your daddy’s fault.”

Of course. Everything is. “How will I know this white zombie from any other white girl?” he asked, amused.

“Grandmama says the curse took the firstborn in the zombie’s family.”

Jayden gripped the steering wheel, recalling Adrienne’s sister. “How does grandmama come up with this?”

“The spirits tell her.”

“She told me that my great grandpapa would protect me after the zombie killed me. Does that make me a zombie, too? Will I be trying to eat other people’s brains?”

“Don’t be disrespectful, Jayden. The walking dead look and act like normal people. If grandmama has to bring you back with a zombie rite, maybe. If the EMTs bring you back, probably not. Why you ask? You meet the zombie?”

“No.”

He wanted to pry more into the zombie business, but didn’t dare for fear his mother might catch on that he’d met someone who fit his grandmama’s description. He wasn’t about to encourage either of them in their unhealthy obsessions with spirits and spells.

“If you find the white zombie, bring her to Grandmama.”

No way in hell. While New Orleans was the voodoo capitol of the South, his family brought their traditions over from Haiti. They were the real thing – nothing commercialized or put on for show. His grandmama made voodoo dolls for good luck. There was a reason there were no stray cats in the neighborhood and a whole lot of mummified cat parts in Grandmama’s shed next to the box of chicken feet. Allegedly, cats and chickens were good luck, though their luck ran out when they crossed paths with his grandmama.

Adrienne, who moved to New Orleans from somewhere else, would run the other way.

Out loud, he said, “All right. Thanks for letting me know, Mama.”

“Just be careful, Jayden. You’re my reason for living.”

“I’ll be around to drive you crazy until you’re a hundred years old,” he promised. “Mama, can I talk to you about something?”

“Sure, Jay.”

“It’s about Izzy.”

Silence.

“Would you consider letting her stay with Daddy full time?”

No response.

“She loves it there. Our stepsister, Chelsea, is her best friend. They go everywhere together. She’s really happy.”

“I been good, Jay,” his mother’s voice was hushed. “I done everything the court said and more.”

“I know, Mama.” Already, he hurt for her. “Isabelle is really happy.”

“She needs to know her relations.”

“When she’s older, I’ll bring her to visit everyone,” he promised.

“I’ll think about it.” She hung up.

Jayden resisted the urge to call her back and press the issue. It was hard for him to broach the subject, even harder not to imagine how poorly his mother might handle the topic. Was she lining up shot glasses? Calling the ex who supplied her with drugs?

He had to have a little faith that she’d do what was right. He was giving her the chance to prove she knew what was best for her daughter. Jayden just wanted her to sign away Izzy willingly in hopes of giving his troubled mother some peace.

He released a breath, thoughts on his grandmama’s latest bizarre prediction.

A white girl with white hair and eyes like jewels.

The description was too accurate for his comfort. He could convince himself it was a coincidence, except for the information Adrienne told him about her sister dying.

He shook his head, spooked for no reason.

Jayden finished the drive to his dad’s and pulled into the smaller garage behind the house. His two young sisters weren’t on the couch waiting for him, which meant Tara had probably dragged them kicking and screaming to bed despite her insistence earlier it was his turn.

Selfish and vain, Tara still had a streak of goodness in her. Sometimes, he forgot she’d come from a background as screwy as his. Tara’s biological parents were both dead. Her mother died of cancer when she was young, and her father passed soon after Chelsea was born. Cherie Washington had adopted the little girl left to her by her dead husband then married Jayden’s daddy, who adopted both girls as his own.

Tara was a good person, if snobby.

The sounds of low talk and scent of cigar smoke came from his father’s study, an indication the dinner party was running late.

He continued down the hallway to the kitchen and automatically checked the refrigerator to make sure the chef had prepared the lunches for the two young girls before he went to his room.

Alone in the quiet room, he flung himself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. His thoughts fluttered between Adrienne’s incredible smile and his mother’s uncanny warning.

He’d never believed in that voodoo crap. He wasn’t about to tonight.

Rousing himself from his thoughts, he set his football gear by the door and went to bed.

After a grueling football practice and fast breakfast, Jayden was ready for a nap. He made it though his first period before going to the Coffee Corner. Mickey was there with a cup in his hand already.

“That thing’s bigger than you,” Jayden teased.

“I’m not going to make it,” Mickey groaned.

“Tell me about it.”

“Where were you last night?”

Jayden smiled mysteriously. He wasn’t certain how to answer, because there was no easy way to explain he’d spent two hours walking around the Iberville Projects looking for a girl no one knew he was interested in.

Mickey perked up. “Kimmie?” he guessed.

Jayden shook his head.

“Who?”

“Let me get my coffee.”

Jayden went through the line then met Mickey’s gaze. He nodded his head to the side, indicating Mickey should follow him.

Mickey did.

“You know the singing angel?” Jayden asked.

“No way!”

“Nothing serious. Just tutoring her.”

“So … you’re not asking her to Homecoming?”

“I hadn’t thought about it.”

“Kimmie would make your life hell.”

And Adrienne’s. Jayden considered, aware it was going to be hard enough for Adrienne to fit in as a scholarship student without Kimmie turning the school against her.

He shouldn’t have to be concerned with what Kimmie thought. It bothered him today more than usual. There were a lot of reasons not to pursue Adrienne: his father, Kimmie, school, the drama of his personal life. Yet he was drawn to her in a way that seemed too strong to resist. Something about her was special.

“Maybe I’ll ask her,” Mickey mused.

“No.”

Mickey laughed. “Okay. Off limits. I get it.”

“Ugh. I just want to play football and graduate valedictorian so I can run away to college. I don’t need more girl drama,” Jayden said.

At that moment, he saw Adrienne, walking with Tara down the hallway. Suspicious of his stepsister’s intentions, he caught her eye and lifted an eyebrow. She grinned.

Jayden scowled. His eyes went to the small form of Adrienne, whose face glowed. Her long hair was in a braid down her back.

“Earth to Jayden,” Mickey teased, waving a hand in front of his eyes. “You’re right. No drama.”

Jayden batted his hand away, aware he stood in the middle of the hallway, gaze on Adrienne.

“She’s just so … pretty,” he said.

“She’s cute. She’s no Tara, though.”

“Dude, I have to live with that. Trust me – you couldn’t handle it,” Jayden said with a smile.

“I’d put up with hell for a chance.”

I know the feeling. Jayden’s eyes strayed once more in the direction Adrienne had gone. He’d ignore the strange warning his grandmama gave him and Adrienne’s father’s racism for a chance to date her.

“Later,” Mickey said, breaking away.

“Later.” Jayden shook his head and headed down the hall.

“How about today?”

He turned at Kimmie’s voice. She stood a few feet behind him, her dark eyes taking in his face closely.

“You still don’t want to date me?” she prodded.

“What? Did you buy a new spell?” he asked.

“Two. One to make you forget every other girl and one to make you love me.”

Jayden rolled his eyes. “The answer is no. I’m telling you. Go get your money back.”

She gazed at him critically. Her eyes fell to the dog tags he wore, and a look of intent interest crossed her face.

“Are you wearing a protection spell?” she asked.

“Goodbye, Kimmie,” he replied and walked away.

She didn’t respond.

Jayden went to his next class and sat down, checking his emails. He had the usual from the guys on the team, but it was Adrienne’s email that caught his attention. He opened it.

Hi J-

Thank you again for rescuing this damsel in distress last night. Your Band-Aid saved my life LOL. We can study at the library tonight or somewhere else. (If you still want to study with me.)

A.

Jayden re-read it. Damsel in distress. The phrase shouldn’t have disturbed him. After all, he didn’t believe in his grandmama’s crazy talk. He reminded himself that people who won the lotto got lucky guessing the right numbers. Maybe – on occasion – his grandmama did, too.

He typed a quick response.

A-

I’ve got to go directly home after school to babysit my two little sisters. I’ll be free by six. Meet at six, campus library?

J.

PS – lunch today?

He suffered through AP American History and Chemistry before her response came right before the lunch break.

J-

If you buy me lunch, you have to buy Emma lunch, too. So we don’t have to do lunch.

A.

He snorted and responded with a quick note for them both to meet him by the cafeteria in a few minutes.

Jayden went to his locker to put away everything but his wallet.

“Hey, Jay.”

“Yeah?” He glanced over at Tara. Her brunette hair was up in a ponytail, her makeup perfect and sophisticated as usual. A senior as well, their birthdays were separated by two months, and she’d opted to change her last name to their father’s after he officially adopted them. Washington was embossed across the leather case of her iPad.

“So I talked to Adrienne,” she said, leaning against the locker. “She’s real cool. You know she’s the girl who read my cards Sunday, right?”

“What? No way. She seems too … cool to be into that stuff.”

“Whatever, Jay. You can be such a jerk sometimes.”

Jayden closed his locker. “Is that it?”

“Kimmie’s gonna prank her Friday at the pep rally in front of the whole school.”

“How bad?”

“It’s stupid. She’s buying a spell from a bokor.”

“If it’s the same one she buys spells from to use on me, I’m not worried,” he replied. “That’s it? Just some stupid voodoo spell?”

“Well, for now!” Tara retorted. “She’ll prank her and kick her off the team. That’s if Kimmie doesn’t catch you staring at her all googly-eyed.”

“I don’t stare at her like that!”

“You so do, Jay. It’s so obvious. My big brother is googly-eyed!” Tara said in a voice she’d use to talk to a baby. She reached up and pinched his cheeks.

“Whatever,” he said and pushed her hands away. “Mickey –”

“Don’t start!” she snapped, holding up a hand. “I can’t stand that squirrely little man!”

Jayden laughed at the description. Her piece spoken, Tara marched away.

There were days when he could almost appreciate his stepsister. Tara was snobby and self-centered, but she wasn’t mean like Kimmie. No, Tara just thought the world revolved around her. She never went out of her way to prank anyone, and she’d always sided with him against Kimmie, her frenemy.

He went to the cafeteria and saw Adrienne and Emma awaiting him. Adrienne looked ready to bolt again and was holding her iPad tightly enough that her knuckles were white. Emma’s eyes widened at his approach, as if she didn’t realize he was serious until he showed up. She didn’t appear to be particularly pleased to see him. More nervous, which Jayden assumed was because she thought everyone at school was as angry with her about the accident last year as Kimmie.

“Hey, girls,” he said, flashing a smile.

Adrienne flushed. Emma appeared distraught.

He didn’t know what Adrienne found in Emma, who had been as stuck up as Kimmie from what he remembered of her, but he understood how hard it was for girls to not do something without their friends. Kimmie and Tara couldn’t.

He motioned them into the cafeteria. Emma made a beeline for the salad station, and Adrienne trailed.

Jayden grimaced. He didn’t eat salads. At least, not as main meals.

“She’s on a strict diet,” Adrienne explained when he reached them at the salad station.

“I need a cheeseburger or chicken or something,” he said, eyeing the greens displayed in shallow metal bins before them.

Adrienne giggled.

“You eat salads every day?” he asked.

She nodded, face red again.

“Salads it is,” he said cheerfully.

Adrienne appeared relieved.

He ordered the biggest Caesar salad they’d make him, paid for all three and joined them at a table in the corner.

“Jayden,” Emma said. “Did you really break up with Kimmie?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“I wonder if she’ll ever decide not to be mad at me.”

“She’s mad at both of us now. Not that I care. I’ve got enough going on to deal with that drama.”

Emma smiled. “Me, too.” She appeared to be relieved.

Adrienne was quiet.

“Oh, isn’t this cute?” Kimmie’s overly sweet voice edged into their silence.

“You lose a bet and have to eat with losers?” Kayla asked him.

Emma’s face turned red. Adrienne, however, looked angry.

“You, too, Addy,” Kimmie added. “You should be eating with us over there.” She pointed to the table where Tara and a couple other members of the cheer squad sat.

“I’m okay here. Thanks,” Adrienne replied quietly. “Emma is my friend.”

“Listen, Addy. You’ll never get a date for Homecoming if you hang out with girls like her. Choose your friends wisely,” Kimmie advised. “I don’t think you can afford a nose job, if she runs you into a brick wall like she did me.”

Adrienne glanced at Emma, who looked upset. Unable to tolerate the thought of a girl crying, Jayden stepped in.

“Hey, Kimmie, be nice,” he said. “It was an accident.”

“Whatever. You weren’t there,” Kimmie snapped. “Maybe you can take her to Homecoming, since I already have a date.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” he said calmly, unwilling to let her provoke him like she was trying to do.

Kimmie appeared as stunned as Emma. Adrienne was gazing at him hard, trying to figure out if he was being insincere like Kimmie.

“I brought this for you,” Kimmie said and set down a drink in front of Adrienne. “I read it’s supposed to be good for singers. Since you’ll be singing at the pep rally tomorrow, I wanted to do something nice for your first one.”

“Really?” Adrienne asked, features softening. “Thank you, Kimmie.”

“I’m not a jerk,” Kimmie said.

These words were meant for Jayden, and he ignored them to stuff his mouth with salad.

“We’ll see you at practice, Addy,” Kayla added.

“Thank you,” Adrienne said, a smile crossing her features.

The two cheerleaders walked back towards their table. Jayden picked up the drink Kimmie left, curious of its contents. Aware of Kimmie’s penchant for voodoo spells, he checked to make sure the seal was still intact before replacing the bottle.

“It’s supposed to be pH balanced and is expensive,” Adrienne explained. “I’ve heard of it but never tried it before.”

“Are you really taking me to Homecoming?” Emma asked, staring at him.

Damn. Jayden pointed to his mouth, indicating he’d answer when he was done chewing. He thought hard. If he went with anyone, it should be Adrienne. The look on Emma’s face was so hopeful, though, that he feared what might happen if he said no.

Adrienne was also expectant, as if she wanted him to take Emma. She was too sensitive about her status at school to suspect he was going to ask her.

“Sure,” he said at last. “As friends.”

Emma was stunned. Tears lined her eyes, and he felt badly for her. He knew she’d fallen out of favor with the popular girls like Kimmie, but he didn’t realize she was completely shunned. It didn’t seem right for her to be so miserable over an accident. Everyone in the car was drinking underage, and it could’ve been any one of them at the wheel. They were all at fault or being stupid in the first place.

Adrienne grinned, as though it was her who just got asked.

Jayden forced himself to smile back.

What the hell did I get myself into?

A peek at Adrienne’s unguarded, adoring look, and he knew why he’d asked the least popular girl at school to Homecoming.

His phone rang. He glanced down.

“It’s my mom,” he told them, standing. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The girls were too happy to understand how relieved he was to escape. He ducked out of the cafeteria into the hallway.

“Hi, Mama,” he said into the phone. “What’s up? Everything okay?”

“Grandmama wants you to come by tonight and fix her AC.”

“I don’t know anything about repairing an air conditioner,” he objected, startled by the bizarre request. “You know I can barely change a light bulb.”

“I told her you wouldn’t do it, even though it’s the only thing she’s ever asked you to do.”

Jayden rubbed his forehead. “I’m suppose to tutor someone tonight. Grandmama lives forty-five minutes away on a day with no traffic.”

“If you go, we can talk about Izzy,” his mother said.

He was quiet, debating. His mom didn’t always follow up on her promises, but did he risk losing the chance she’d talk to him about it?

“Fine, Jayden. Don’t go. I will.”

“Mama you can’t fix an AC any better than I can. Let me send out a repairman. I’ve been saving my allowance. I can afford it.” He wasn’t about to mention the credit card his father gave him and Tara when they turned sixteen. He’d caught his mother taking money out of his wallet once, claiming it was okay, since it was actually his father’s, and his daddy had more.

“We don’t need your charity, Jayden! Don’t you be like your daddy. You can’t just throw money at someone and they go away. Your grandmama gave you those tags. You should be grateful.”

“All right. All right.” He sighed, irritated. “I’ll ask Tara to watch Izzy after school and head out as soon as I can. Then we’ll talk.”

“Thank you,” his mother said. “Take that kid Mickey with you. He can throw the ball with Uncle Tommy.”

“Right. Listen, I’ve gotta get to class,” he lied. “I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”

“Thank you, Jayden.”

“You’re welcome, Mama.” He hung up. For a moment, he stood alone in the quiet hallway, wondering what he was going to tell Adrienne.

Dared he take her out to his grandmama’s? Part of him was curious to see what his grandmama said about Adrienne when they met. Would she realize her white zombie talk was nonsense when she saw how sweet Adrienne was?

He couldn’t get the odd warnings out of his thoughts, even if he couldn’t bring himself to believe them, either.

The longer he thought, the more he realized he was looking for an excuse to spend time with Adrienne. It was almost two hours round trip. They’d have time to talk. Maybe he could take her and have her stay in the car while he made an appearance at his grandmama’s and promptly offered to pay for a real repairman to help her.

It was the plan that let him see Adrienne without letting down his family, either.

The warning bell rang, indicating lunch ended in ten minutes. Jayden tucked his phone away and rejoined the girls, who were both smiling. He said nothing of the after school trip to Adrienne, trying to figure out how to ask her to go out of her way when he’d already promised to tutor her.

“Come on, Addy. We have to get to class,” Emma said after a moment and rose. “Thank you for lunch, Jayden.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

Emma limped away.

“You didn’t eat,” he said, looking at Adrienne’s plate.

“I don’t really like salad,” she admitted.

Jayden laughed and pushed his away. “Me neither. “

“Thank you for humoring Emma. She’s a real sweet girl and everyone treats her badly.”

“Anything for you.”

Adrienne flushed. She murmured something he couldn’t hear then fled.

Jayden waited until they were both gone before crossing to the grill. He ordered two fried chicken sandwiches and wolfed them down on his way to his first afternoon class, where he spent half an hour phrasing his email to Adrienne.