Love's Remix

By Awnye Latrice

Her family has hit a rough patch and fifteen year old Jada needs an escape. Since nothing else in her life is stable, Jada finds herself wrapped up in a world where only she and her boyfriend Marcus Jones exist. Despite warnings from her family, Jada is convinced that love is the key to her happiness. That is until her relationship begins to unravel. When things go awry and she finds herself in a life changing situation, Jada discovers the importance of family and she realizes that maybe parents do understand after all. This tale of love, family, and growing up is sure to be one that people of all ages can relate to. After all, love never changes; its just remixed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468500196

Awnye Latrice

Coming from a family of published authors and songwriters, Awnye` Latrice has been creating stories since she first learned to write. Awnye` began to write poetry while she was in elementary school and by the time she reached middle school, was ready to begin working on her first book. However, she stopped writing after only a few chapters because she was more interested in boys and fun, like most teenaged girls. She finally got the urge to write again the summer before her first year of college. Once she picked up her pen and started writing, Awnye` was determined she would finish the book and Love's Remix was the final outcome a year later. Currently, Awnye` and her daughter live outside of St. Louis, MO and she is attending school to obtain a degree in psychology. She can be reached on Facebook at facebook.com/awnyelatrice and on Twitter at twitter.com/awnye

Book preview

Part One

Chapter 1

Love?

Money?

Happiness?

Jada Thomas was having an intense staring contest with the piece of paper that was supposed to be housing her first magnificent high school essay. However, the only thing interrupting the endless sheet of white was the little smiley face she had drawn and it seemed to be staring back at her with mocking eyes. It was the first day of school and the teacher had assigned the same essay question she gave to her class every year. What drives the human race?

Jada felt like the three answers she had come up with all seemed generic but she figured one of them had to be the key to fueling a planet of billions of people. After all, those were three things that people longed for all over the world. She bored of looking at the blank page and decided to just file it away for a while. She put it back into her folder marked AH English and then proceeded to do something that didn’t require much brain power.

Hey bae, she said when her boyfriend Marcus answered.

What’s good? the response came.

Nothin’ really. Bored, ready to get out the house.

I feel you. You wanna go to the beach or somethin’?

Yeah, we can do that.

Alright, I’ll be there in a minute.

K. Love you.

Love you too.

While she waited for him to get to her house, she sat out on the porch and caught a breeze. When the weather was nice, that was her favorite place to go to just sit and think. She remembered the year before in eighth grade when she had had her first kiss on that porch. That guy had been her first real love, and the first guy to break her heart, but the kiss was something that always made her smile when she thought about it.

Ironically, the porch was also the place where she had decided she wanted to be Marcus’s girlfriend. While she waited for him to get to her house, she thought back to the first day Marcus had come to her house…

* * *

. . .Jada? she answered her phone and heard a voice she hadn’t heard in a while.

Yeah, she replied, trying to catch the voice.

Hey buddy. What’chu doin’?

It was one of her ‘boredom boys’ from middle school. This was the term she gave to the boys she went out with just for fun. She had dated plenty boys that she didn’t like just because she had nothing better to do and he was one of them.

Nothin’, sittin’ at the house bored. What’chu doin’?

Walkin’ around wit’ my guy Marcus. He said he knows you? he stated as more of a question than a declaration.

Marcus who?

Jones.

Yeah, I had him in one of my classes. I ain’t even know y’all knew each other.

She thought it was a little weird that her ex was hanging with the boy whom, she had realized, had a crush on her. Marcus had always flirted with her in school and he gave her his number on the last day of school as part of the whole ‘end of school, keep in touch’ ritual. She just never really intended to call because she didn’t think they would have much to talk about.

Yep. Hey we’re like right around the corner from your house. Do you mind if we come over?

That’s cool.

She didn’t bother to ask her mom because she had made her own rule that company wasn’t company if they’re standing on the sidewalk. And a few minutes later that’s exactly where the two of them were standing.

She gave both of them a hug and then they all just stood there, anticipating the next move. Jada wasn’t a really talkative person so she was hoping one of them would step up and say something. Marcus finally struck up a conversation and they stood outside talking and discussing their plans for the summer until Jada’s mom came outside and spoke to them.

Hey sweetie! How have you been? I haven’t seen you around in a while, she greeted Jada’s ex.

Jada’s mom Sharyse was always really nice to her friends, especially boyfriends. She figured if she got in good with them they might keep her posted on her daughter’s relationship because Jada sure wasn’t going to.

I’ve been fine. How ’bout you?

They sat there and played the catch up game for a while and Marcus just stood on the sidewalk twiddling his fingers.

Jada tried to catch a couple glimpses of him while he wasn’t paying attention but it seemed like every time she looked at him, he was looking at her. Apparently they were both playing the same game.

She finally just looked him up and down quickly but thoroughly. His jersey was a little worn, and so were his shoes but she gave him the benefit of the doubt, assuming they had been playing basketball. He wasn’t as bad looking as she remembered. He was about 5'8, light-skinned, and somewhat thin. He had almond-shaped ‘bedroom’ eyes, and thick but shapely lips. His hair was cut in a short fade and his bushy eyebrows looked as if they had been arched. There was nothing special about him, but he was a simple kind of cute. In school, she never gave him a second glance. Standing on her porch a couple weeks later though, he looked like a potential time consumer for the summer.

When she finally stopped looking at him, Marcus took the chance to reciprocate. She looked like he remembered. Short, light, and pretty with a coke bottle shape. He loved her lips the most; they always seemed to be in a pretty pout. Her butt was another attribute he couldn’t help but notice. In school, he always ‘accidentally’ touched her butt when they were trying to squeeze out the door. She knew it wasn’t accidental but she never said anything; she was used to the attention. She figured there were just certain annoyances that came with being pretty and having a nice body.

Marcus couldn’t help noticing the resemblance between Jada and her mother. Sharyse was an older, slightly bigger version of Jada but she looked almost young enough to pass as her older sister.

When they finally finished catching up, Marcus and Jada’s ex headed back to the park to enjoy some more summer sun. As they were walking away, Marcus put his hand up to his ear with his pinky and thumb extended, signaling to Jada that he wanted her to call him.

Later that night Jada was flipping through her yearbook looking for numbers in the autograph section.’ She found his and after some debating finally went ahead and called him. She had gone to her grandma’s house and getting a phone that was fully charged and didn’t say ‘line in use’, was like winning the lottery. She didn’t have anyone else in mind whom she felt like talking to so instead of passing up a chance at using the phone, she dialed his number.

Hello can I speak to Marcus? she asked the female who picked up the phone.

I don’t know. Can you? she said with an attitude.

Jada couldn’t stand when people got smart over the phone. May I speak to Marcus? she corrected herself.

Yeah hold on, she said. She yelled for him to come and get the phone. Jada could hear him in the background asking who it was.

Who is this? she asked.

Jada

Who? the female asked.

Jay-duh, she said slowly and deliberately with an attitude.

Some girl named Jada, she told him.

He picked up the phone breathlessly. Hello? he spoke in a short puff.

What’s up? she asked him.

Nothin’, chillin’ watchin’ the finals, he said as if she was supposed to know what finals he was referring to.

What’s that?

You don’t know what the finals are?

Obviously not if I’m askin’, she said with her usual jazzy attitude.

My bad. I’m talkin’ ’bout basketball Ms. Attitude, he joked, Turn to channel 7.

She reached for the remote so she could turn her TV to match his, and they sat there and talked about the game. Before she knew it, they had gone from talking about how tall Gasol was to how she had always dissed him in school. Her nerves started to die down, and she finally began to relax; she was no longer worried that they wouldn’t have anything to talk about.

She turned sideways in the sofa chair and kicked her feet over the arm while they talked. They were talking as if they had been having conversations forever. Jada didn’t feel any of the usual butterflies she felt when she was on the phone with someone new. She was shocked he had so much to talk about. She had learned so much about him in such a short period of time. It was like they just clicked from the start. Then someone had to ruin their conversation.

She had been ignoring the phone every time someone clicked in on the other line but she wasn’t sure who it was calling this time so she took a chance and decided to click over.

Hold on, she told Marcus, Hello? she greeted the person on the other line.

Yes may I speak to Mother Warren, please? the woman requested.

Just a second. Jada clicked over and told Marcus she would call him back then took the phone to her grandma.

She sat there thinking for a while. She was feeling him. She knew he was a ‘lame’ but there was something about him that she liked. Besides, if she decided to go with him, who would even know?

Two days later she was his girlfriend. Not long after that, everyone was messaging her on Facebook asking why she was going with Marcus. Well so much for her secret. It was obvious he was more eager to spread the news than she was. Still, after she got over the embarrassment, he really wasn’t a bad boyfriend.

* * *

So there they were a couple months later walking hand in hand on the beach without a care in the world. They weren’t really talking much because they had done enough of that during the 20 minute walk from Jada’s house to the beach. Instead they just strolled along the path leading from the beach to a secluded park away from the commotion of all the beach-goers. They were all trying to soak up as much sun as they could because everyone in the small town of Niger, Michigan knew what was coming soon. They knew that in a couple weeks, the now scorching, dusty sand would become cool and stiff and the calming, cool breezes would become crisp, penetrating winds.

After 10 minutes of not talking, Jada finally broke the silence.

So how was yo’ first day? she asked Marcus.

It was cool. How was yours? he reciprocated.

It was straight I guess but my English teacher got me writin’ a paper already.

That’s what you get for bein’ smart, he joked.

Whatever, she laughed.

What’chu gotta write about?

What drives the human society or somethin’ like that.

You mean like what makes the world go?

Yeah, basically.

Oh that’s easy ma. Money, he said matter-of-factly.

So you think money is more important than love? She looked into his dark, almond shaped eyes, silently daring him to say what she knew he was thinking.

"I mean, I’m gon’ be real. If somebody came up and was like, ‘I’ll give you a million dollars to leave Jada’, I’m takin’ the money ma".

She punched him in his arm playfully.

That’s so bogus bae.

Yeah, okay. I bet if I sent you a couple stacks you would forget a nigga quick and be on to the next one. Now tell me you wouldn’t, he challenged her.

She thought about it for a few seconds then responded, Hell yeah, they laughed.

But what about the days before money existed?

Man money always existed. Back in the day they probably used to walk around wit’ lumps of dirt and call it money.

I guess dude. I think love is more important.

Nah only a soft dude is gon’ let a female come before his money.

If you say so Marcus, Jada dropped the subject.

They both loved how they could be so real with each other. As they were strolling along the path, Marcus took a detour to a play set in the middle of the park.

Come here, he said to Jada. He led her to a platform on the play set and sat her down on his lap, You know I love you right?

Duh, where did that come from? Jada responded with an insecure doubt in her voice.

I just wanted you to know, he assured her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the nape of her neck.

Don’t be tryin’ to get freaky in the park, Jada joked with him.

Stand up real quick, he instructed her. He stood up and pulled a permanent marker out his back pocket to scribble something on one of the bars of the jungle gym.

Aww bae that’s so sweet. I don’t know why you walk around with a marker in yo’ pocket though, Jada remarked when she saw his message.

Jada and Marcus 4ever + a day

I’m for real. I want this forever ma.

Me too.

They leaned in for a kiss, then hooked arms and started walking back to Jada’s house.

Chapter 2

Aww look at my baby! Sharyse exclaimed. It was the third week of school and it was time for the first school dance. Jada could see the tears welling up in her eyes as she put the finishing touches on Jada’s stick on jewels. She supposed it was to be expected because this was her first real dance. It was only semi-formal, but until this point, Jada had pretty much only been to house parties in peoples’ basements. There was one real formal that she had gone to the year before in eighth grade, but it wasn’t very memorable.

So Jada could understand why her mom was so excited this time around. She sat there all dolled up and smelling good, waiting on Marcus’s dad to come pick her up. She was so nervous. She felt like she was getting married or something. Knock knock. It was him. Sharyse let him in and his jaw just dropped.

Oh my God Jada you look so beautiful! he screeched as he went over to give her a hug. She had heels on so she could actually stand eye to eye with him for the first time. She looked into his eyes and when she did, she saw something in them that let her know he wanted to do more than hug her.

Okay, Marcus, don’t make me have to hurt anybody tonight, Sharyse instructed him. Apparently she was picking up on the same vibes Jada was. Bring my baby home safe and in one piece. Have fun, she said as she sent them off.

Okay Ms. Sharyse, he agreed as they walked out the door and down the stairs.

When they got to the school, they walked in and handed their student I.D’s over to the lady who was checking everyone in. She looked down her list to make sure neither of them was on the academic probation list, and then she let them in.

Have fun guys, she said to them.

When they got inside, it was a totally different atmosphere than the formal Jada had been to the previous year, and it was only a semi-formal. There weren’t very many people there but it was still pretty early. Marcus and Jada stood around talking until they saw some people they actually knew. About half an hour into the dance, people finally began to show up.

Jada’s best friend Maxine strolled in a few minutes later with her boyfriend and the four of them posted up and watched everyone else. Jada looked around to see how everyone else was dancing because she really had no idea how people danced at a party like this. Once the music started, she found out. They danced the same way they dance at a house party.

All the white girls just bounced around off beat waving their hands in the air and the black girls all found guys to rub their butts against and dry hump, also known as juking. Jada didn’t know anything about bouncing around with no rhythm, so she went for what she did know. She looked at Marcus, he looked at her, and she started juking on him.

He grabbed her by the waist, pulling her onto him, and she bent over and grinded against him to the beat. She got so into the music that she started knocking him off his feet. Halfway through the song, they took a break and caught their breath. Jada broke her camera out her purse, taking the break as a photo op.

Y’all stand over there so I can get a picture, she instructed Maxine and her boyfriend. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist then leaned his chin into the crook of her neck and they both smiled. Jada was never a fan of his but she had to admit it was a nice picture.

After Jada took their picture, Maxine insisted that she and Marcus take a picture. He stood next to Jada, threw his arm over her shoulder and they smiled, waiting on the flash.

In case y’all haven’t noticed I’m not taking the picture!, she yelled at them, Y’all look like best friends or something. Pick a different pose, she demanded.

It’s not like we’re in Vogue or something, Jada thought. She didn’t feel like arguing with her, so she and Marcus just half-stepped and stole their pose. It didn’t have the same vibe since it was a recycled idea but it still worked.

After a pause for the cause, Jada was ready to get back to the dance floor. She was a little tired of dancing with Marcus though. She wasn’t sure how he’d feel about her juking with someone else, but she made him a decent offer. He was allowed to get juked on, and she could juke on someone, they just couldn’t let each other see it. It seemed pretty simple.

Marcus made a beeline for the other side of the room and one of her classmates came up to Jada and gestured for her to dance with him. She did a quick check to make sure Marcus wasn’t around and when she saw the coast was clear, she gave him a juke. She was glad her dress was black, otherwise it would’ve been stained on the butt as hard as she was grinding.

Jada and Marcus were successful at avoiding one another all night until they unknowingly bumped into each other. Jada was dancing on some guy when someone stood in front of her and grabbed her hands. They threw their arms in the air, hands joined, and made a bridge. Girls often did this when they were juking. It gave them a force to push against, making it easier to grind hard and keep their balance. Jada was bent over, bouncing her butt to the beat and was really feeling the music, but she was