New Rise

By Nautica Cooper

New Rise is a story about teenage girl named Nautica, who does nothing but party, drink, and smoke. One day, Nautica decided it was time for a change and new life. She decided to move to New York City with a family member. While living in New York, she becomes homeless and falls head over heels for Cheno, a leader in a gang. Even though Cheno was the leader in a gang, he knew God very well. He taught Nautica about the life of Christ but couldnt teach himself. Nautica wanted Cheno to get out of the gang, but Cheno explained how it wasnt that easy. Nautica and Cheno go through trials, trying to not only keep their relationship but to also keep a roof over their head.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514433942

Nautica Cooper

Nautica Cooper is a driven, hardworking young lady in the pursuit to motivate and help others. She has been writing in a diary her whole life until one day, she decided to turn her diary into a story. She is a proud mother to her daughter Leah, who gave her strength to keep moving forward through the hard times. She is a strong believer in Christ, who deserves the highest credit for her story.

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Copyright © 2015 by Nautica Cooper.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015920401

ISBN:       Hardcover   978-1-5144-3396-6

                 Softcover    978-1-5144-3395-9

                 eBook         978-1-5144-3394-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 02/02/2016

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Contents

Chapter 1 Virgin Lungs

Chapter 2 Leaving North Carolina

Chapter 3 The Unexpected

Chapter 4 New Rise

Chapter 5 February 11th

Chapter 6 A Day without a Home

Chapter 7 He’s No Good for You

Chapter 8 Be Careful, Nautica

Chapter 9 Where’s My Ring?

Chapter 10 Packing My Bags

Chapter 11 Snakes in My House

Chapter 12 Depression

Chapter 13 Hello, Harlem

Chapter 14 Who Is Cheno?

Chapter 15 Welcome to the World, Baby Leah

To my daughter, Leah, I am only stronger because of you

Chapter 1

Virgin Lungs

My senior year was definitely a teenage dream. I was the party girl. I was the girl everyone messaged to have a great time. When my friends had a bad break up, they came out with me, Nautica Cooper. They’d get so wasted to the point they didn’t even remember their boyfriend’s name. I wasn’t always like that if that’s even possible to believe. When I took a look at my freshman and sophomore year, I was nothing like that. I was a five-foot-six-inch brown-skinned girl with braces. I was very shy and didn’t really talk to anyone. I lived in North Carolina. In the small town I lived in, everyone had a car, but no place to go. Everyone in the whole town had a car except for me that is. Not only did I not have a car but in many cases I was the only black girl. I felt as if everyone else thought they were better than me. Even more during the time I was on the basketball team. After practice, all the girls would go into their cars and hang out while I was the last person standing, waiting for my mom to pick me up all times of the night. She was working two jobs, so I didn’t blame her. You would think I would have friends being on a sports team, but sadly, I spent my freshman and sophomore year alone.

When I reached my junior year, it was the same until one day in computer class. As I was doing my assignment, I noticed my friend Austin walk into class with his eyes bloodshot. Austin was a senior I met from a previous class. He was a very outgoing football player and knew pretty much everyone in school. As soon as he sat down, I yelled, Austin, why are your eyes so red? He then gave me a look as if I did something wrong.

What was that? the teacher asked.

Confused as I was, I simply told her nothing and got back to my work. Then right after class, he stopped me at my locker as I was putting my books away. You want to know why my eyes were so red? he asked.

I closed my locker then shrugged my shoulders and replied, Sure.

I was high as hell, he said then walked away laughing.

Wait for me! I yelled then ran after him. That’s why you gave me that look? I asked.

Duh, he replied as we walked to cafeteria.

That same day after school, he offered to give me a ride home. Anything was better than the bus. When we got to his car, there were two other people standing there. Nautica, this is Jacob and Catelyn, he said. We all waved hello then got into the car. Jacob and Catelyn were both the skater type. They were tall, wearing ripped jeans, and wearing Vans sneakers. As soon we pulled out the school parking lot, Catelyn pulled out a cigarette to smoke.

Oh shit, Catelyn, let me get a cig, Jacob said. Austin’s music was blasting trap music while Catelyn and Jacob windows were all the way down as they smoked their cigarettes.

Austin, you passed my house! I screamed while trying to get his attention over the thunderous music.

He put his hand up at me and replied, Don’t worry. Don’t worry.

Whatever, I said while leaning back in my seat.

We ended up at a park in an apartment complex. We got out the car and started heading to a tree house. Even though I was confused as of why we were there, I sat down with the rest of them. Oh wait, Austin said as he ran back to his car. I stayed quiet while he was gone although Catelyn and Jacob held a conversation. Austin returned with his biology book in his hand and sat down. He then pulled out a cigarillo and marijuana out of his pocket. Then he began breaking down the marijuana on his biology book. I never knew a biology book would come in handy for smoking weed. Austin finished then sat the book down beside him. To be honest, that was my first time using that book, Austin said.

Ha ha, wow, Austin, Catelyn replied. After that, they started smoking, and Austin handed me the blunt.

I gave him a puzzled look then asked, What the hell you pass me this for?

You want to smoke for the first time, don’t you? he assumed.

Oh, my gosh, you never smoked before! Jacob said.

SHE’S A VIRGIN, they all screamed. Obviously, they were all already high as they burst into laughter.

Here, just do it like this, Catelyn said as she took the blunt from my hand and began to inhale. When she passed it back to me, they were all staring at me, so I thought why not. I started coughing as soon as I inhaled and didn’t see what was so great about it. They kept staring at me the whole time and couldn’t stop laughing. A couple of minutes passed by that felt like hours, I felt as if I was unconscious and was just waking up.

As I told them how I was feeling, they screamed, Oh, my gosh, she’s high.

I then laughed so hard tears started coming down my eyes. Okay, stop, stop, I continued. Little did I know that one pull would change me.

After that day, they started picking me up every morning for school, meeting up with me during school hours to smoke, and taking me to parties on the weekends. I was trying to manage my grades while on the basketball and volleyball team. Of course, that combination didn’t work out. I ended up getting caught smoking one day by an undercover cop. Since I was still a minor, I didn’t go to jail, but I had to do community service at the fire department. I also had to quit volleyball. My parents took it hard because it wasn’t what they were expecting from me. One would think I’d learn my lesson after that, but it only got worse. I just became smarter about where I would get high or drunk.

That brings me to my senior year of high school. I considered myself a pro then. My braces were off, my wardrobe was different, and I started wearing makeup. I stopped smoking during school because I knew I had to pass, what I was doing was partying like there was no tomorrow. Every single weekend, I was with the same group of friends. There were two Megans, one tall and light skinned that graduated already—Megan M and the other, very pretty, short, and white with long brown hair—Megan C. Then there was Lynn. She was a mixed girl that we called princess because she always had to get her way. Another friend that considered himself as royalty was Ronnie. He was a tall pretty boy that drove a Corvette and had everything name brand. Kelly was the lesbian Spanish girl. She was short with a lot of tattoos and dreads in her hair. My other Hispanic friend was Miguel. He was about the same height as me. He was known for being the Mexican with the nice truck, the truck we took to every party. Windows were tinted with a booming surround-sound system and a very nice black and silver paint job. Lastly, there was my cousin Rashad. We called each other twins because we acted pretty much the same, and our birthdays were one day apart. He was short, had brown skin, and called himself short fuse because he was always getting into something.

Around that time, we were planning another combined birthday party. Since I was then known as the party girl, I knew exactly what to do. I was on Twitter and Facebook promoting the party. Then the word soon got out to many other schools. Everyone was then talking about our party, so we had to go all out. Sean made Jell-O shots and got a black light for the party. Ronnie and I brought paint to go all over our bodies that would pop out with the black light. Kelly provided the drinks, and Megan came with the music.

As soon as we finished setting up, cars started pulling in back to back. Rashad had everyone park down the street so there wasn’t many cars parked in his driveway. Sooner than later, the room was filled with people and people were still coming in. I was already drunk by then. I couldn’t believe how much people showed up. Megan C then came up to me, telling me that Rachel was at the party. Rachel and I didn’t get along at all. As soon as she told me, I lashed out and started screaming, Rachel’s here. Where is she! Little did I know her cousins were surrounding me the whole time I was screaming at the top of my lungs, ready to fight anyone. Rashad then came and held me back, telling me we were just trying to have a good time. Rachel came up to me, shook my hand, and said she didn’t want any trouble. I knew I gained respect that moment.

The party was crazy! Kelly could be seen in the corner making out with some female. Girls were dancing on their hands, paint was everywhere, and pretty much everyone was drunk. Miguel then pulled me to the side, saying it was getting out of hand. I guess the neighbors noticed the party was getting out of control as well and called the police. We turned the music off and told everyone to come inside the house. The funny part is the police couldn’t find the house. All the cars were parked down the street. After that, the police came with a towing truck. Everyone who parked your car down the street, yall’s cars is getting towed! a random guy screamed. Everyone then ran out the door and started running down the street. It was the funniest moment I ever saw in my life. People were running as if their lives were in danger. That was not even the half of it. When we tried to get back inside, we heard someone moaning.

What the hell. Someone’s having sex in there, Lynn said.

Oh hell, no, Rashad said while charging to the door. He then started banging on the door to find that random guy and some British girl in the room. I’m not going to lie. I thought it was kind of funny.

It took hours to get everyone else to leave then there were about twenty people who stayed the night. We woke up the next morning laughing and reminiscing about the party. We all decided to get breakfast though none of us showered nor changed. One could tell everyone knew we had a good time last night. Everyone looked messy with paint all over our bodies.

At school the next morning, everyone was talking about our party. Many people were telling me to invite them to the next party. When I arrived in my class, even the teacher was talking about the party. It was exciting having everyone in the school know who I was. That was a great night we had, but I decided to calm down because I knew I needed to focus on graduating. Around that time, I realized there was one thing missing in my exciting life. As I watched all those couples getting ready for prom, I became envious. Of course, no one wanted to date the party girl. I felt very lonely wishing I had someone to call mine.

It was the last basketball game that I would ever have in high school. I scored the winning shot that night then coach told us to go to the crowd and thank everyone for coming out. Everyone then ran to their friends and family while I just stood there having no one to run to. Not even any of my friends came to support me. That was when I realized my party friends were not always considered my real friends. I went home that night, and my phone was off the roof. It’s funny how everyone wanted to hang out and party with me, but no one wanted to support me.

Graduation came, around the corner and I couldn’t be happier. I knew that summer was going to be the best time ever. Party after party, run in with the law, and I was never sober. Either that or I was working at Special Goods. It was great partying but soon got pretty old. I felt as if something was missing in my life. I became tired of getting high and drunk all the time. Then my mother got a call from her sister, saying we could stay with her for the summer in New York. My sisters and I went up north almost every year because we loved being in New York. That moment, it suddenly clicked in my head that I could get out of North Carolina to start a new life. I decided to move to New York City.

Chapter 2

Leaving North Carolina

Moving day was approaching, but I decided to party one last time before leaving all of my friends. A friend from school was having a big party that night. During the day, I had my last day at work until I was transferred to the Special Goods in Brooklyn. When the time came for me to clock out, I bought a new outfit for the night then headed home. When I arrived at my house, everyone was already there waiting for me. I quickly got dressed then we headed to the party. All of my girls looked so nice; it was going to be the biggest party of the summer.

We entered the party to see hundreds of people there. We parked close, so we were able to get out because I was hitting the rode three in the morning to leave for New York. My dad wanted to leave late at night so we could arrive in the afternoon. The party was wild. Everyone was so drunk. There was one guy who was so drunk that he started taking off his clothes. Everyone started laughing while taking pictures of him. I was with Kelly the whole night, dancing on stage. Then some sloppily drunk girls came on stage to join us. The party was great but the night ended short for me. When it was time for me to go, I said my good-byes to everyone and started heading to the car with my designated driver. I opened the car door then heard my favorite song play. I ran back to the party to have one last dance. Nautica, you’re back, Megan C said as she joined me on stage. We all shared that one last dance before I left for New York. My friends and I then started tearing up as I was getting ready to leave for good.

It’s not going to be the same without you, Kelly said. After the song ended, I finally said my last good-bye then headed home.

Surprisingly, I made it to my grandmother’s house before my dad and made sure I had everything packed to go. My dad arrived thirty minutes after me. As soon as he