Episode 12

MONA is in her room on her computer.

MONA thinks - I think I’m gonna check out black planet.

(MONA starts to type the URL for blackplanet.com.)

MONA thinks - Actually, let me go onto skeephi first. Maybe some of my peeps are on there.

(MONA goes to skeephi.com and logs into the chat room as MSSEXY08.)

MONA thinks - Damn, none of my peeps are up in here now. I don’t know most of these people.

(MONA logs out of the chat room and goes to blackplanet.com.)

MONA - I love this site, it is so cool!

(There is a knock on the door.)

MONA - Just a minute!

(MONA logs off. And gets up to open the door.)

MONA - Hi mommy! Skeewee!

SOROR FERGUSON - Hello sweetie.

MONA - What brings you by?

(SOROR FERGUSON comes in.)

SOROR FERGUSON - I was nearby and I wanted to see if you were in. I wanted to get a chance to talk to you about a few things.

MONA - Sure mommy. Let me put on some tea ok?

SOROR FERGUSON - Ok baby.

(MONA turns the water on and gets the kettle.)

MONA - So what’s up soror?

SOROR FERGUSON - Mona, I can’t say that I am too pleased with your performance within the organization so far.

MONA - Huh? What are you talking about?

SOROR FERGUSON - Mona, where were you when the meeting was going on?

MONA - What meeting?

SOROR FERGUSON - The chapter meeting.

MONA - Oh that?

SOROR FERGUSON - Yes that!

MONA - Oh mommy, that is no big deal. I was talking to Miri. Mommy he is so deep! He wrote a poem for me right on the spot. It gave me goose bumps!

SOROR FERGUSON - Mona, that meeting was very important! Not only was it your first meeting as a soror, but the chapter was up for investigation regarding the allegations that you made yourself! How could you miss that meeting?

MONA - Oh was that going on?

(silence.)

MONA - Well I will just press the charges at the next little meeting.

SOROR FERGUSON - You can’t pursue the charges now Mona! The charges have been dropped.

MONA - Dropped? How can that be? They were unfair to me and I want the chapter suspended!

SOROR FERGUSON - Mona, you can’t make a claim if you are not there. Soror Bergen extended the time to give you full opportunity to show up. You didn’t show and the charges had to be dropped. The issue is dead.

MONA - Well we just need to call Soror Bergen back and bring the issue back to life. You have influence. Call her. Doesn’t your chapter founder status mean anything? Gosh.

(MONA gets the water that is now boiling. She pours the hot water into two cups with tea bags and brings one to her mother.)

MONA - They shouldn’t be able to get away with what they did. They made a deserving person like me go through hell to get AKA. That isn’t fair. And I found myself pledging extra hard because of it.

SOROR FERGUSON - Pledging extra hard?

MONA - Pledging is an internal process. You know that. I had to pledge in my own mind. And trust me, I pledged hard. All that stress was not necessary.

SOROR FERGUSON - Mona, if you think that your cause is so urgent and important, why didn’t you come to the meeting and state your claim?

MONA - I really didn’t know that you could only suspend a chapter once a week. I figured, I could chill out with Miri this week and suspend the chapter next week.

SOROR FERGUSON - But sweetie, why would you be so intent on suspending a chapter that you are a neophyte in? Some of the fondest memories that I have in my life come from my chapter sisters and my line sisters. Especially when I first came in.

MONA - Oh I didn’t mean to suspend myself. What I was going to do, well am going to do when you call Soror Bergen back, is suspend everyone but myself. In my claim, I have stated Max, Sylvia, PJ, April, Octavia, June and Katrice. That way, I will be president of the chapter and in charge of intake of the next line. Once the new girls come in, there will be harmony in AKA on campus.

(MONA smiles.)

SOROR FERGUSON - Mona you can’t do that.

MONA - Why not? Oh don’t worry, it’s nothing personal. I still love all those guys. You know, Sylvia and them and of course my sands, PJ and them. But this is business. Once they decide to act right, I could always recend my suspension and let them back in.

SOROR FERGUSON - Mona dear, it doesn’t work that way. If you suspend the chapter, the chapter goes down for at least five years. And that includes you. You would not be able to bring any new girls in. You would not have anything to bring them into.

MONA - Oh. Oh well. It wasn’t that important anyhow. Let me tell you more about Miri. I am helping him finish this really good project he is doing on black greeks.

(SOROR FERGUSON puts her cup down.)

SOROR FERGUSON - Mona, a minute ago you were so intent on your claim. Now you change the subject like it really doesn’t matter that much to you. I don’t think you are taking this sisterhood very serious at all.

MONA - That isn’t true mommy. I take this sisterhood serious.

SOROR FERGUSON - How so?

(MONA puts her cup down.)

MONA - Be right back, it is so chilly in here.

(MONA goes into her trunk and pulls out her mother’s AKA sweatshirt.)

MONA - That’s better. Now what were you saying?

(silence.)

SOROR FERGUSON - I said, you don’t seem to take this organization too serious. This is a serious thing Mona. It isn’t something that should be taken lightly.

MONA - It is a serious matter huh? Hee ha ha ha hee ha hee ha.

(silence.)

MONA - Sorry.

SOROR FERGUSON - Mona, I think you have really let me down.

(MONA gets a serious look on her face.)

MONA - Mommy, trust me. I do take AKA serious. I really do. This was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. Pledging into my mommy’s sisterhood has been a dream of mine ever since I was a little girl. And now I finally have done it. I am very happy and I know that I did the right thing.

SOROR FERGUSON - How are you sure?

MONA - Because my mommy did it first.

(silence.)

SOROR FERGUSON - Come here baby!

(SOROR FERGUSON and MONA hug.)

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JUNE is on her way to her line sister KATRICE’s room to talk to APRIL.

JUNE thinks - I have to find out. I know April will tell me if I am honest with her. I am a soror now and I know she will tell me. I have been sick about the idea of her and Derrick for too long!

(JUNE imagines.)

DERRICK - Hey baby.

APRIL - Hey D.

(APRIL gives DERRICK a big hug.)

JUNE thinks - Dammit!

(JUNE imagines.)

APRIL - Why do you know so much history Ivy June? You are trying to shine aren’t you?

IVY JUNE - No Big Sister April Shower.

APRIL laughing - Well why doesn’t Ivy Presjina know as much as you do? You don’t care enough about her to teach her what you know do you?

IVY JUNE - I do, I do care about her Big Sister April Shower.

APRIL - No you don’t Ivy! You just care about yourself!

IVY JUNE thinks - I just care about whipping your ass Big Sister April Shower!

(JUNE giggles to herself.)

JUNE thinks - Line was a trip! I hated April.

(JUNE imagines.)

APRIL - Congratulations soror! I knew you could do it!

(APRIL gives JUNE a big hug.)

JUNE - Thank you April.

APRIL - I know that I was hard on yall. But that is because I saw the potential that yall had as a line and especially you as a person. I am very proud of you...of all of you.

JUNE - Thank you soror!

JUNE thinks - I have had so many mixed emotions.

(JUNE gets to KATRICE’s dorm. Student’s that don’t live there are supposed to sign in at the front desk. But as a group of students walks in, JUNE blends in with them and walks upstairs.)

JUNE thinks - Good! I sure didn’t feel like signing in and then waiting for Katrice to come down and sign me to come up. Sheesh!

(JUNE walks up to KATRICE’s floor and then to her room.)

JUNE thinks - Wow, I haven’t been down this hall since we were on line. I remember the time we came over here to stop for a five minute break and overslept for an hour! Hee hee.

(JUNE gets to the door and hears a faint noise from inside.)

NOISE - Oooh, oh yes...oh yes...uhhhh...oh yes...yes! Ooohh...

(Before thinking, JUNE knocks on the door. The sounds suddenly cease.)

JUNE thinks - Damn, what the hell is wrong with me? Why did I knock? Katrice is getting her groove on! Damn! I didn’t mean to interrupt!

(JUNE notices an eye come to the peephole from inside.)

KATRICE - Um...just a minute.

JUNE - Uh, I’m sorry sands. I could leave and...

(JUNE hears movement inside.)

JUNE - Katrice, I can come back...

JUNE thinks - She can’t hear me.

(JUNE knocks again to tell KATRICE that she can come back later.)

KATRICE - I’m coming!

JUNE - Sands, I can come...

(The door opens.)

KATRICE - Hey sands. What’s up?

JUNE - Hey, I was saying that I could come back.

(KATRICE has already walked back into the room and left the door open. She didn’t even hear what JUNE said.)

JUNE thinks - Gosh! I am so embarrassed.

(JUNE walks into the room and closes the door behind her.)

APRIL - Hey June, what’s up?

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Next we are in NINO and GREGG’s room. NINO and GREGG are there with CANDACE and SHAREESA.

SHAREESA - Are you sure yall don’t wanna come?

GREGG - Yeah, this is gonna be cool. Special preview of Bamboozled right on campus.

SHAREESA - The preview looked real good.

NINO - Thanks but we are just gonna chill out tonight.

CANDACE - Yeah.

CANDACE thinks - Dag, I really want to see that.

NINO - We will hang out with yall some other time.

GREGG - Alright man, see yall later.

SHAREESA - Bye yall.

CANDACE - See ya.

(GREGG goes to the closet and grabs his jacket and SHAREESA’s jacket.)

SHAREESA - Thank you pooh.

(GREGG smiles.)

GREGG thinks - I hope Nino didn’t hear that! I will never hear the end of it.

GREGG - Later yo.

NINO - Peace bruh.

(GREGG and SHAREESA walk out and close the door behind them.)

NINO - You want a cool drink?

CANDACE - Yeah.

(NINO walks into the kitchen.)

CANDACE -Nino, why didn’t you want to see the movie? It looks real good.

NINO - Actually, I did. But I need to talk to you. I thought we could spend a quiet evening at home tonight and talk.

CANDACE - Oh ok, cool. That sounds sweet.

(NINO sits down next to CANDACE.)

CANDACE - So what did you want to talk about baby?

(silence.)

NINO - Um...hold on.

(NINO grabs the remote and pushes play. The new Boyz II Men album starts.)

NINO - Just wanted to hear something mellow.

CANDACE - Ok.

(silence.)

CANDACE - I thought you said you wanted to talk? You aint saying much.

(NINO takes a deep breath.)

NINO - I spoke to the step team.

(CANDACE gets a stern look on her face.)

CANDACE - And?

NINO - And...and...I am going to step in the show at homecoming.

CANDACE - Oh the hell you are not!

(CANDACE puts her glass down.)

NINO - Baby, you don’t understand. I have to step.

CANDACE - No Nino, you have to live! Why are you doing this to yourself?

NINO - What? I am not doing anything to myself. There isn’t anything to worry about.

(CANDACE stands up.)

CANDACE - Are you crazy or something? The doctors told you that you can’t step anymore!

(CANDACE starts to cry.)

CANDACE - They told you that you can’t step anymore! Why in the world do you want to put your life in danger? Why! Stepping is not that important!

(NINO stands up. CANDACE starts to cry hard.)

NINO - That is my whole point! You don’t understand, stepping is very important to me! It is everything to me!

CANDACE screams - Well what am I to you? You don’t care about us! What about our future? You are going to risk all that!

(NINO raises his voice to be heard.)

NINO screams - No I am not! I love you! I am fine, but you have to believe me!

CANDACE screams - If you loved me, you wouldn’t do this!

NINO screams - If you loved me, you wouldn’t make me choose!

CANDACE screams - Dammit Nino you should choose life! What the hell!

NINO screams - I am! I am trying! My life is for me to enjoy! I enjoy stepping! More than you can possibly understand!

CANDACE screams - Oh so I don’t fucking understand you now! Is that what you are saying?

NINO screams - Stop cursing! If you don’t undertstand the way my heart is into this art form...(cough)...then you (cough) don’t understand me!

CANDACE screams - I understand that you are selfish! All you care about is yourself, not about the people that really care about you!

NINO screams - (cough)..I do (cough) care about yo(cough...cough...cough)...

(NINO grabs his chest and goes to grab his glass of soda.)

CANDACE - Nino! Are you alright?

(NINO knocks the glass over and falls on one knee.)