The Shake: A Novel

By Stunnislas Easley

On their way home from a boring college party, African American college students Tracey and Janet come across a terrible scene. Members of a traditionally white fraternity have severely beaten two African American freshmen basketball players.

Disturbed and upset by the incident, Tracey discovers that one of the athletes was on a date with a white cheerleader at the party. Was the assault racially motivated? Tracey turns to her friend Terrance, the president of an African American organization on campus, for his help and advice. To her surprise, Terrance discounts her theory and tells her not to bother pursuing action against the fraternity.

Tracey refuses to let the act go unpunished. After organizing a student protest to shake things up, she's gratified to see it earn coverage from the local press. But she's suddenly catapulted into the national spotlight when the names of two well-known politicians' sons end up in the headlines of the story.

With the increasingly tense situation fast growing out of control, Tracey has to make some hard decisions that may affect not only the athletes but the entire campus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 12, 2007
• ISBN: 9780595881208

Stunnislas Easley

S. Easley was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and earned a bachelor?s degree in engineering technology and an MBA from the University of Memphis. He lives in Memphis with his wife. Visit his Web site at www.seasley.net.

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CHAPTER 1

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(The Party—Saturday)

Sarah looked around the room until she saw Jerry. She smiled at him and then turned around and filled her cup up with beer. This was her third cup and she was starting to feel a little relaxed because she had a little buzz going on. She had been very nervous when she and Jerry first walked in the fraternity house. Initially, she did not want to go to the fraternity party, but she and Jerry agreed that sooner or later their friends would find out about them so she felt that this was as good of a time as any to make their first public appearance together.

Jerry was a freshman, and one of the newest members of the university’s basketball team. He had a tall athletic shape and a very deep toned voice. Everybody in his hometown of Chicago knew who he was, but in Memphis and the surrounding areas that made up the county, he was just another athlete starting out and trying to make a name for himself. So when Sarah, a very attractive cheerleader who talked with a very southern but sexy tone showed him some interest, he got very excited. He and Sarah had started hooking up on the down low. Sarah was a junior and they had been seeing each other for about four weeks and this was the night they were going public.

Initially, just hearing about the two wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows; however, when the couple was out together they often received more than their share of strange looks and double takes. You see Sarah was a tall, blonde hair, blue eyed, beautiful, white, young lady and Jerry was a tall, black, young man and even though the millennium had long passed and interracial relationships were a lot more common, when the two were together in public they still turned the heads of a lot of people in the south and especially in the county that their university was in, where the county had a long history of racial tensions.

Jerry felt a little uncomfortable at the party. It was a white fraternity throwing the party, and the majority of everyone at the party was white; however, he was still having a decent time. That was mainly because one of his new teammates had gone to the party with him and Sarah. His teammate’s name was Jason Jackson and he was a freshman like Jerry, but he was a Memphis product and a hometown hero. Almost everybody from Memphis that followed sports a little knew who Jason Jackson was and great things were expected from him at the university.

While Sarah was across the room getting her a drink, Jason and Jerry just chilled out with each other talking.

What you think about this party? Jerry asked Jason.

It’s straight, Jason said, and looked around the room checking out the scene. There are a lot of good looking white girls up in here.

You right about that. You ought to holla at one of these girls.

You know I am man. I just don’t know who. I am trying to find me a girl as good looking as your Sarah. Ya know, Jason said, and continued checking out the girls at the party.

I feel you on that. My Sarah does have it going on.

Yeah, she does, Jason said, and continued checking out the babes.

There was a live band at the party and all of the beer and chips that you could drink and eat. Sarah had been to many of these types of parties in the past and she generally always had a good time, however, she was a little tense at this particular one because she couldn’t stop wondering what her friends were thinking about Jerry and her. When Jerry and her first started dating, she tried to avoid seeing her friends while she was with Jerry. As she spent more time with him, she began to like him more and more and she knew that if she was going to continue to be with him that sooner or later he was going to have to get to know her friends. So when Sarah first arrived at the party, she walked around with Jerry and introduced him to her friends and from some of their facial expressions she could tell that some of them didn’t like the fact that she was with Jerry. Even though she was expecting some negative reactions and tried to mentally prepare for them, the negative reactions did bother her. They made her feel uncomfortable, but she tried not to think about it and she tried to have a good time anyway with her man by her side.

Once Sarah finished getting her beer, she started walking back to the other side of the room where Jerry and Jason were standing and she was halfway to them when she was gently bumped from behind. She turned around to see who bumped her and to her big surprise it was her ex-boyfriend, Kent. He was a tall, good-looking Mississippi boy from a long line of money and he loved to drink and be the center of attention. Like Sarah, he was a junior and they had dated in the past for a little over one year and they had been broken up for about six months. Kent was about 6’0 tall and had a normal built and he was a member of the fraternity that was throwing the party, but Sarah didn’t think he would be at the party because she had not seen him all year. In fact, she had heard from one of her friends that he no longer went to the university there and that he had transferred back home to a school in Mississippi.

Hey honey, Kent said, and Sarah looked at him and then took a big sip of beer.

Hey Kent, she said, in a non-enthusiastic tone and turned back around and kept walking.

Honey, don’t treat old Kent like this. Give me a hug or something, Kent said, and stumbled forward towards her. He was very drunk and this was not a rare thing for Kent and it was one of the reasons why they had broken up. While Sarah was dating Kent, he had a bad habit of drinking too much and getting loud and he had embarrassed her many times. In fact, on a couple of occasions he had even cursed her out in public. Sarah honey, come back. I just want to see how you been doing, Kent said, and he caught up to her.

Sarah turned around and took another sip of her beer and as she sipped her beer she wished to herself that Kent would just leave her alone. She knew he was capable of doing crazy things and she knew that he use to be very jealous and that he probably still was. She felt that even though they had been broken up for six months and hadn’t talked to each other in a long time that he still would not like the fact that she was at the party with another guy. She was really afraid that once he found out the guy that she was with was black, that he might get pissed about this and act a fool. She felt this way because while they were dating, Kent would always tell Sarah that he didn’t believe in interracial dating and when he would say this to her she would never agree or disagree. She would just listen because it didn’t bother her to see interracial couples, but in all actuality at that time she never thought she would be actually dating a black guy one day.

Kent, I’m fine and how are you? Sarah responded, in the same non-enthusiastic tone and she just wished that Kent would just leave her alone.

Sarah baby, you can do better than that. Give Kent a hug. Hell you haven’t seen me in quite some time, Kent said, and bent over and attempted to hug

Sarah and at first she started to resist, but she decided to go ahead and hug him in hopes that he would leave her alone afterwards. Now that wasn’t so bad, now was it? Kent asked Sarah after they hugged, and he smiled and looked at her up and down checking her out.

So how have you been Kent? Sarah asked, and she was hoping that he would give her a quick answer so she could get away from him.

I’ve been fine. You know I go to school in Mississippi now.

Yeah I heard that.

Oh, so I see you have been checking up on old Kent.

No, I have not been checking up on you Kent. A friend of mine told me that and she volunteered the information because believe me, I didn’t ask for it.

Come on Sarah, give me a break. Let’s get out of here and go somewhere and catch up on old times, Kent said, and held his hand out and Sarah looked at him like he was crazy.

Sorry Kent, I would rather leave our old times in the past.

Come on Sarah. Give me a chance. I’ve changed.

You’ve changed, she said, and shook her head. Maybe you have changed Kent, and maybe your next girlfriend will appreciate the new you, but I’m not interested. Have a nice life, Sarah said, and turned around and walked away. As she walked away, she heard Kent mumbling something, but she just kept on walking until she reached Jerry and Jason.

Hey dear, sorry it took me so long to get back over here, she said to Jerry.

Who was that guy you were talking to? Jerry asked.

Just some guy I used to know, she said, and then tried to change the subject. So are you having a good time?

Yeah it’s straight. What about you? Are you having a good time?

It’s okay, but I have been to these types of parties so many times that sometimes I get a little bored, Sarah said, and leaned up against him and whispered in his ear. I’m ready to go somewhere else so we can be alone and do some other things.

Sarah hoped that this would get Jerry’s attention and make him want to leave because since she had seen Kent, she was really nervous and ready to leave the party. She knew how Kent was, and she wasn’t in the mood for a bunch of bullshit.

Okay, we can leave and go do something together alone, Jerry said smiling, thinking that Sarah was wanting to get busy. That’s straight. Let me tell Jason we getting ready to be out, Jerry said, and turned around and told Jason that they were about to leave the party and he asked Jason did he want to stay or leave with them.

Jason didn’t want to seem like he was cock blocking so he told Jerry that he was going to hang out for a little bit, however, he was planning to just walk back to the athletic dorm since the party was on campus and the athletic dorm wasn’t that far away.

Sarah was starting to feel somewhat better because they were about to leave and with the exception of running into Kent, she thought that the night had gone fairly okay. She knew that some of her friends would be talking about her behind her back for the next few days, but she figured that the more they saw her and Jerry together the less of a big deal it would be.

Jerry gave Jason some dap and then he grabbed Sarah’s hand and they headed towards the front door. They walked out the door and started walking across the front lawn in the direction of Sarah’s black jeep. It was the last week of September and the weather was very nice out and because of this, there were just as many people outside on the lawn as there was inside the fraternity house. The couple walked, talked, and held hands as they walked across the front lawn and they were getting close to Sarah’s jeep when they heard someone calling Sarah’s name.

Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!

Sarah heard the calls, but she kept walking because she recognized the voice and it was Kent and she did not want any problems from him, however, Jerry turned around to see who it was.

That guy you were talking to earlier in the party is calling your name and walking this way, Jerry said to Sarah.

Come on Jerry, let’s just keep on walking. He doesn’t want anything, Sarah said, and squeezed down on Jerry’s hand and tried to get him to keep walking. She succeeded at first, but Kent kept yelling her name out.

Who is that and why don’t you want to stop and see what he wants? Jerry asked, and he wondered in his mind what in the hell did this guy want and why was Sarah in such a hurry to get away from the guy.

Just ignore him Jerry. I will explain it to you later, Sarah said, and by this time Kent had caught up with the two.

Sarah baby, don’t tell me you are leaving the party so soon, Kent said, and looked at Jerry up and down. Who is this and why are you holding his hand?

Sarah took a deep breath as she tried to find the right words to say, but Jerry spoke before she could say anything. I’m her boyfriend, Jerry said, and looked Kent directly in his eyes.

You’re her boyfriend? Kent said, laughing and then he stopped suddenly and looked into Sarah’s eyes. Damn! You got jungle fever now?

Sarah couldn’t believe what Kent had just said and she looked at Jerry and he looked like was about to take a swing at Kent, so she grabbed him tightly around his arm. He’s not worth it Jerry. Let’s just go.

I’m not worth it. I’m not worth it! Hell, look at your worthless ass! I can’t believe I considered giving your ass another chance, Kent said, getting all up in Sarah’s face.

Get the fuck out of her face! Jerry said.

You shut the fuck up! Kent said, and threw his cup of beer in Jerry’s face.

Jerry tried to wipe his face off and while he was doing this, Kent swung and hit him on the side of his face. Kent was drunk and since he was drunk his punch did not pack as much power as it would have if he was sober and it didn’t seem to hurt Jerry. Jerry swung back and hit Kent with a more powerful punch and knocked Kent down to the ground. Jerry then got on top of Kent and hit him again in the face and yanked him up and down causing his head to bang against the ground.

Stop Jerry! Stop! Let’s just get out of here! Sarah kept screaming, and she tried to get Jerry to stop. She knew that Kent had a lot of fraternity brothers there and she knew it would be bad news for Jerry if Kent’s fraternity brothers saw what was going on. As she was screaming at Jerry, she looked up and around to see who was watching and she saw Kent’s frat brothers running towards them. When they got there, they did not waste anytime and they pulled Jerry off Kent and began throwing punches at Jerry. It was about five of them and they showed Jerry no mercy and blows were continuously thrown. The blows were strong and hard and they sounded like someone was stomping on the ground.

Stop it! Stop it! Will somebody stop them! Sarah screamed, and she tried to stop them herself by jumping on one of the guy’s back, but she was just thrown to the side. She fell on the ground on her back, but she got up and she kept yelling for someone to help. Jason came running outside to help. It was about fifty people standing around looking, but no one was helping Jerry. Jason tried to get the guys off Jerry, but they started throwing punches at Jason so he started throwing punches back at the fraternity guys. Jason was fighting hard and doing the best that he could, but he did not have enough fists to go around because there were just too many of Kent’s frat brothers.

While all the fighting was going on, Kent had a chance to gather himself a little and he was able to pull himself off the ground. He was too hurt and drunk to help though so he just screamed encouragement to his fraternity brothers.

Get their asses, Kent yelled, and some of the other people standing around looking started to yell as well.

Kick their fucking asses, somebody yelled, and soon there after more people were heard yelling in the midst of all the chaos. Get those monkeys and that’s what those niggers deserve, were a couple of things that could be heardcoming from the crowd.

* * *

Janet and Tracy had just left a party that was being thrown downtown by an African-American Fraternity. They both had been bored to death at the party so they decided to leave the party a little early. It was only around midnight and for them this was considered really early to be leaving a party on a Saturday night. They had planned to stay later, but they felt that the party wasn’t hitting on nothing. In their opinions, half of the guys there thought they were too pretty to get on the dance floor and possibly break a sweat and the other half were just plain lame. They also didn’t think that the d.j. was hitting on anything because he didn’t have any of the new jams and he kept playing last year’s hits. They decided to go back to the student apartments where they lived. Janet and Tracy were roommates and they decided that just chilling at the apartment would be better than holding up the wall at the dull party.

On their way back to the student apartments, they decided to stop by the Beta house for a minute to see what was jumping off there. The Betas were an African-American fraternity on campus, and Janet and Tracy were Beta Angels and the Beta Angels were considered little sisters of the Betas.

The Beta’s fraternity house wasn’t on the traditional fraternity row. Their house was two streets down. The houses on fraternity row were very nice and very expensive and the Beta’s could not afford that because there members could not afford the expensive dues. The best way to get to the Beta house from downtown was to go down fraternity row. Janet and Tracy were halfway down fraternity row when they saw a mob of people in front of one of the fraternity houses. They slowed down to see what was going on, but they really couldn’t see anything at first. Suddenly, they heard a bump and a thump coming from the back of the car. They both looked, and immediately screamed when they saw a black guy all blooded up and bent over. Janet slammed on the breaks.

She then looked over at Tracy and they both looked at each other with scared and confused expressions on their faces.

Let’s get out and help this guy, Tracy said, without giving it whole lot of thought and they both got out of the car.

Help me. Please help me, the tall black guy said, and squinted his bloodied and swollen eyes.

What should we do? Janet asked Tracy, and her voice sounded like she was nervous and scared at the same time. She knew the guy needed help, but since they didn’t know the guy, she wasn’t so sure if they should help him or not.

We got to help him! Tracy said, and she reached her hand out and grabbed the guy’s hand and led him to the backseat of the car. They decided to take the guy to the hospital and they were on their way to the hospital when the guy started talking.

My friend is back there. We need to call the police, he said to the girls, and they were close to the campus police station so they drove over there.

What is your name? Tracy asked the guy.

Jason, he said, and his voice was deep and he was talking very slowly as if he was trying to catch his breath.

It only took them a couple minutes to get to the campus police station and when they arrived, Tracy jumped out of the car and ran into the station to tell the campus police what was going on. When see got inside, she saw two older men sitting down reading what looked like a newspaper or magazine and drinking coffee.

There is a bad fight on fraternity row! You need to get someone there immediately! People are getting hurt!

Calm down ma’am. There is always something going on at that fraternity row. I’m sure it is nothing too serious, but we will check it out, one of the campus cops said and to Tracy the cops didn’t look like they were in any type of hurry. They both just continued to sit there and read and drink their coffee.

Please officers! I’m sorry for disturbing you, but somebody is getting hurt on fraternity row right now! Hell, I’ve got a bloody guy in the car! If one of you isn’t going to get up and help me, at least get on your radio and call for some help. Please! Tracy said, and she was breathing very heavily because she was very excited and also pissed.

Both of the cops stood up and looked at Tracy as if she had lost her mind. Miss, you need to calm down, one of the officers said.

Calm down? We need help! Tracy said, and looked at the two officers, and then ran out the door and headed back to the car. She was almost to the car when she saw one of her friends walking and talking on a cellular phone. She asked her friend if she could borrow her phone for one second so that she could call 911. Tracy’s friend could tell that Tracy was very excited and upset about something by the intense look on Tracy’s face. Tracy’s friend told the person on the other end that she was talking to, that she would call them back and then she gave Tracy the phone. Tracy called 911 and told them what was going on. After she made the call, she headed back to the car. When she got back in the car, she turned around and looked at Jason in the back seat and asked him how he was holding up.

I’m okay. Just in a little pain. Are the police at the scene yet? he asked her.

I don’t know? I called them, Tracy said.

You called them? Janet asked Tracy, and wondered to herself why Tracy had to call the police when she had just gone into their office.

Yeah, those assholes in the office acted like it wasn’t a big deal or anything and on the way back to the car I saw a girl I knew from campus and borrowed her phone and called 911. Hopefully, they will be up there soon, but I guess we need to get Jason to the hospital.

Before we go to the hospital, we need to go back to make sure my friend is okay, Jason said, and Janet and Tracey agreed since Jason’s injuries didn’t look life threatening or anything like that.

They drove back to fraternity row and as they were pulling up they saw four city police cars. They got out of the car and walked over to where the policemen were talking to some girls. The girls were telling the police about the fight. The police asked the girls did they know any of the guys that were fighting. The girls said no and this pissed Jason off because he knew that the girls were lying. Jason was also pissed because all of the guys that had jumped him and Jerry were no longer around. He figured that they must have run off when the police showed up.

I’ll tell you what happened, Jason said. These guys were out here in the front yard beating down my friend Jerry. They are a bunch of racists and they couldn’t stand the fact that he was at the party with one of their pretty little white cheerleaders.

That’s not true. The black guy started it, a tall white guy said, and looked and pointed at Jerry.

You’re a damn lie! Jason shouted, and Jerry just looked on because he was too tired and too hurt to say anything.

Calm down sir! the police told Jason. What is your name and were you involved in this fight?

My name is Jason Jackson and I was continuously hit as I tried to help my friend. Several of these white ass red necks were beating him down and I tried to help him, but some more guys came and jumped on me and fortunately I got away and got some help.

You’re a lie! This guy started the fight and it wasn’t about race, the tall white guy said, and pointed at Jerry again.

Look at my face! Look at my face! You motherfuckers are going to pay for this shit! Jason shouted, and pointed his finger in the tall white guy’s face.

You two calm down! the officer said, and then looked at Jason and Jerry. I need to take you two down for questioning since you both were involved in the fight, the officer said, and then turned to the guy that was arguing with Jason. Were you involved in the fight?

No, but I saw what happened.

Well I need to ask you some more questions about the incident, the officer said, and he asked the guy some questions, and while he did this, a couple other officers put Jason and Jerry in the back of one of the squad cars to take to the station. Janet and Tracy had been standing there and observing everything that was going on and they couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. The night had started out just like another ordinary Saturday night for them, but it had turned out to be a crazy ass night.

There were a lot of people standing around the scene and the police were trying to get everyone to disperse and leave the area. Janet and Tracy were walking to the car when they saw the campus police finally pulling up and they couldn’t believe that the campus police were just arriving. Tracy just nodded her head in disbelief and kept on walking to the car. When they got in the car, they drove home in near silence as they still tried to figure out what they had just witnessed. Once they got back to the student apartments where they lived, they broke their silence and stayed up all night with their other roommate and talked about what happened.

CHAPTER 2

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(Tracy Talks—The day after)

When I woke up the next morning, the only thing I could think about was what had happened last night with that Jason guy and his friend. I was still amazed about everything that had happened because I had never experienced anything like that before in my life. I mean we were coming from a party and the next thing we knew we got some bloody guy banging on our car. It scared the hell out of Janet and me and I still can’t believe how the stupid ass campus police were acting. I really felt bad that Jason and his friend got beat up like that and the guys that did that needed to be arrested.

It was Sunday morning and I decided that I needed to go to church. I knew that this would make my mom happy because my mom called me almost every Sunday to see if I went to church. If I didn’t go to church, I would have to listen to a mini sermon on the phone. I got up and went to see if my roommates wanted to go to church with me. I walked to Janet’s room first and she had the door cracked open. I walked in and she was asleep. I figured she wouldn’t mind me waking her up because I was pretty sure that she would want to go to church.

Janet girl, get up girl, I said, and gave her a little tap on her shoulder. She moved a little and then opened her eyes.

What? she said, very slowly and almost whispering.

You want to go to church?

Yeah, I guess I will go. I know I need to after that shit that happen to us last night.

I know girl, I have been thinking about that ever since I got up.

Girl I was thinking about it in my sleep because I had a dream about it. I still can’t believe it happen.

Well, it did Janet. Get on up and start getting ready and I am going to see if Jennifer wants to go, I said, and walked out of Janet’s room and headed over to Jennifer’s room.

Janet, Jennifer, and I had been roommates ever since we were freshmen and we were juniors now. We didn’t know each other before we became roommates. I guess it was sort of luck that we were chosen as roommates because all three of us had signed up to stay in the student apartments and by chance we were assigned to share the same apartment together. Fortunately, we all hit it off fairly well and all three of us have been good friends ever since, however, I generally hanged out with Janet more than Jennifer.

Janet and I had a lot of the same interest. We both joined the Beta Angels together near the end of our freshmen year and we were both planning to join the same sorority sometime this school year. Also, we were both members of the BSCL. I was the vice-president and Janet was the secretary. Janet was a very sweet and cute girl and a lot of guys liked her. I don’t like to brag, but I was an attractive lady myself and a lot of guys liked me as well. Unfortunately, the ones that usually liked me were the no good ones and for some reason I seemed to attract the liars, hustlers, and cheaters. Lately, I think Janet had been having the same problem as me and because of that neither Janet nor I had boyfriends at this time. Jennifer on the other hand, had been dating some guy on campus that use to come by the apartment a lot, but I hadn’t seen him in over a week.

Jennifer was my girl, but we usually didn’t run in the same circles and to be totally honest it was probably a culture thing. Jennifer was white and she generally hung out with some of her other friends and sorority sisters, however, me, Janet, and Jennifer did kick it together sometimes. We also went to church together a lot and we generally took turns on who picked what church to attend.

I knocked on Jennifer’s door and I heard a moan and a groan and I recognized that as Jennifer’s early morning way of saying come in so I opened the door and went in.

Hey Jennifer, you going to go to church with us today?

Yeah, I suppose so, she said, and looked up at me from down on her bed.

Okay, I am going to go and get ready, I said, and turned around and walked out and closed the door.

Before I went back to my room to get ready, I spent a few minutes straitening up in our living room. Our apartment wasn’t that big and it consisted of two restrooms, three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. Our place was cute and I thought we had done a great job in decorating it so