Here we go… she's trying to talk in a calm manner, but I can see she is ready to blow up on a brotha, and she can be a feisty one if she needs to be. The Brooklyn girls always are. Should I just make up something or tell the truth? He thinks for a millisecond.

"Yeah, the same," playing his answer safe.

"I see. So I guess that's why you haven't returned my six phone calls?" she says sarcastically.

Now why she got to express that it was six phone calls?

"Yeah, sorry about that, I've been working on this project for my marketing class and just haven't had time to call," Jamal says, looking nowhere in particular in guilt.

"Uh, huh", Lela says. "So not even a quick call back to see what I wanted? Or if I was even okay?"

Saved by the bell! Just then, the previous class lets out and the halls get noisy all of a sudden.

"Can we talk about this later?" he says, putting his book bag over his right shoulder. "I've gotta prepare for my Marketing class after this one, and I don't want to go in there after an argument."

"Who's arguing? I just asked a simple question," Lela says.

"Well I know that if I continue to stand here, it will become an argument, or close to one, Lela, and I just can't do this right now." He reaches down and kisses her on the cheek. "I promise to call you later, okay?" He tries to make his smile look enduring, but he knows she is not having it.

Lela knows she has to keep it together before she breaks down. "Leave him, girl!" she hears her best friend, Shawna say in the back of her mind.

"No woman should take that kind of neglect from any man!"

But what did Shawna know? She is on her third baby daddy. Lela sighs loudly, looks in on Jamal as he walks to the back of the classroom to get a seat, and goes to her own class. "We'll get to the bottom of this later, Mr. Washington," she says to herself.

As Jamal heads back to the corner of the class, he takes a seat behind another classmate and is greeted by his rival, Jimmie Raines. Jamal always tries to be respectful to others, but this dude is a pain in the neck. He thinks he knows everything about EVERYthing. He is a smart brother, but he acts as if everybody else is stupid except him. All Jamal can say about the brother is this; if he's so smart, then why is he up in community college and not at NYU? Not a question, just an observation.

"What up, Jamal? You ready for marketing class?" Jimmie says.

Be cool, Jamal thinks, but right before he can answer…

"What is on your pants, man? You have a little accident and couldn't make it to the bathroom? Or did mommy forget to wash for you?" Jimmie says in a whiney voice. He and his crew bust up in laughter.

Jamal had actually forgotten all about his pants until now. Why did he and Jimmie share two classes together? "I got to keep my cool," he keeps saying in his head. "Just one more hour." As he is about to answer, Mr. Goldberg comes in. Saved by the drawl.

"So, study everything we just went over and you should pass your final with ease", Mr. Goldberg said as he dismissed us from class. "Um, Mr. Washington, Mr. Goldberg said without looking up from his papers, can I have a word with you?"

"Sure, what's up?" Jamal said.

"Well, what is up, Mr. Washington is, I noticed you were engaged in something else during my time…now I know that you're one of my best students, but I expect you to follow along like the your peers. The final will be intense and I gave you all a lot of information today for the exam. Is everything okay?" he added.

"Things are cool, Mr. Goldberg. I actually can multi-task, it's a gift I have, Jamal said smiling.
"Well I hope so for your sake." He said.

Jamal jogged across the campus to the Hamilton Building for his Marketing class. When he arrived, the teacher, Ms. Jones, was asking the class who wanted to volunteer to go first. And I saw Jimmie's hand fly up first. "Figure's, Jamal mumbled to himself as he walked in taking a seat.

"Welcome, Jamal." Ms. Jones said as he entered.

"Hey, Ms. Jones."

"I hope you're prepared, Jamal. Where is your presentation?" She said.

"Back here, Jamal said pointing. I left it here last week."

"Oh, that is yours? She said excitedly. "I was wondering who it belonged too. You're lucky no one stole it for there own." She paused and said, "Great work, by-the-way."

"Thanks.", he said feeling all eyes on him.

Jimmie rolled his eyes and said to his boy, "Whatever, she needs to see mine then." Then he and his boy slapped each other five.

Jamal heard the comment and as usual, ignored Jimmie. Ms. Jones heard it too and said, "Okay, let's get started. Jimmie, you volunteered first, so you're up."

Jimmie jumped up and began setup of his powerpoint presentation. "Lights", he gestured to a girl near the switch. He inserted his floppy disk and the slide show began.

Ms. Jones is giving the class 7 Ѕ minutes each to present the business plans. As Jimmie was wrapping up, Jamal had to admit his was quite good. But Jamal wouldn't have expected anything less. After a couple of the other classmates presented, Jamal decided it was his turn to shine.

(Next episode October 12, 2005)