Picture it East Atlanta, Ga, 2005.
In East Atlanta stands a newly remolded high school called East Atlanta High. It is an enormous school because it houses over 2000 students. It is made of tan bricks with a tan roof. Inside the school the cafeteria, classrooms, bathrooms, and various other places are coated with red and yellow paint to represent the school's colors. Although the school is still very new, the students have already started leaving their so called "signature" on the walls.
Out of all the students the most unnoticed girl is Kenyatta Chatman. She is 16 years old. She is not very popular and doesn't have a lot of friends. Even though she is a very nice girl, she is often looked down on because of her looks.
Kenyatta is a thin, simple girl with short black hair. She has crooked teeth and a scar on her right cheek from a bad bike wreck. She often dreams about being popular and having a boyfriend to show off. Kenyatta wants to be very beautiful with long flowing hair, and pearly white teeth.
Tamela on the other hand is a very beautiful, popular, and powerful girl. She has all the boys eating out of the palm of her hand. She may look good but girlfriend has a real ugly attitude. Tamela is always making fun of people, but she especially makes fun of Kenyatta. Since she is so popular when she laughs so does the rest of the crowd. Tamela goes with Maliki, the boy Kenyatta likes. Tamela knows it and uses every chance she gets to rub it in her face.
Maliki is the quarterback of the football team and the boyfriend of Tamela. He is a nice boy who loves to joke around with everybody. Although he goes with Tamela, he often gets angered when she makes fun of Kenyatta.
He would never tell anybody but he loves Kenyatta. He believes that it is what is on the inside that counts. His girlfriend may be nice looking, but he hates her attitude.
Today is the 1st day of the 11th grade for Kenyatta, and she has decided that she is no longer going to be the girl everybody looks down on. She got her hair, and nails done. She changed her whole wardrobe, and she has even gotten braces put on over the summer. To be honest the girl looked 200 0/0 better!
The 1st person to notice all her changes was Tamela, of course! The moment she saw Kenyatta she stopped dead in her tracks and said, "oh, look who is trying to be stylish this year! Our little Kenyatta is trying to grow up!" Laughter scurried throughout the hall, but to everybody's surprise Kenyatta spoke up saying, " Damn right I am! And I am not taking anymore of your crap!" Everybody was shocked, but nobody was more shocked than Tamela. "Maliki, are you gonna let her talk to me like that?" asked Tamela. "Yes I am! She has taken so much off of you. I think you are getting exactly what you deserve."
Now the hall was so silent you could have heard a pin drop. Everybody stood there dazed as if they were hypnotized. "And another thing, I am tired of you and your childish attitude! I know Kenyatta may not be the prettiest girl in the world but she has the prettiest attitude and that is all that counts to me!" yelled Maliki.
"How dare you try to embarrass me like this!" said Tamela, trying to save face in front of all of her friends and peers. "If you pull another stunt like this we are over!" exclaimed Tamela. "You know what, we are over now! I don't like you anymore. As a matter of fact I have a new girlfriend!" screamed Maliki. "Who is she?" asked Tamela sadly. "Kenyatta Chatman, I mean if she will have me," Maliki said with his hand outstretched to Kenyatta. Kenyatta was so amazed! She did not breathe or blink. Finally a voice from the crowd said "girl you better hurry up and say yeah before I do!"
"Me? Why me? I mean I am not as pretty as Tamela", said Kenyatta. "So you don't want to go with me?" questioned Maliki. "Yes! Yes I would love to be your girlfriend" Kenyatta replied joyously. "Good. Meet me at my house this Friday after school. I live on 901 Monroe Street. It is a big brick house you can't miss it," said Maliki.
Finally the bell ran letting all students know it was time to report to their 1st block class. To Kenyatta it seemed like the week dragged by so slow. She was so excited about going to Maliki's house. To her all her dreams were coming true. Slowly but surely Friday came. Ding, ding, ding. The bell sounded as the clock struck the three o'clock hour.
Kenyatta quickly gathered her books from her locker and headed for Maliki's House. He lived about 10 minutes from the school. His house was very big; In fact it was the biggest house in his neighborhood. He lives in a three-story house that is kind of styled after the old slave homes, but his house is very unique.
Kenyatta walks up and rings the doorbell. Maliki opens the door and says, " Hey, I thought you weren't coming, but I am happy to see you". As Kenyatta enters the house, the first thing she notices is the spiral stairs. Then she notices all the great pictures and figurines. This house has more rooms than needed, but one unique room is Maliki's, and his father's trophy room, which has over 100 trophies.
Maliki and Kenyatta sit down and talk for hours. They never knew they have so much in common. At about eight thirty Maliki suggests that him and Kenyatta go to his room to watch a movie. At first they were just sitting there watching the movie, and then Maliki grabs Kenyatta's chin and starts to kiss her. She is hesitant to kiss him back at first, but then she kisses him whole-heartedly.
After they start kissing, Maliki starts to massage Kenyatta's breast. Next, she could feel his hand on her thigh. Knowing what was coming next she stopped him saying, "No! I really want to, but I am saving myself for marriage." "Oh come on," Maliki said as he reached his hand into her pants. "Stop!" said Kenyatta as she pushed his hand away. "I think I should go home now," Kenyatta said as she stood up to go get her books. "Do you know who I am? I am Maliki Houston, quarterback of the football team. When I want something or someone I get it!" Maliki yelled with anger in his voice.
Kenyatta tries to run, but Maliki pushes her down on the bed and starts to rip her clothes off. "Why are you doing this to me?" questioned Kenyatta while crying. "Shut the hell up!" yelled Maliki as he smacked Kenyatta's face. "I am doing it cause I can and I want to, now shut up and let me finish!" Kenyatta lies there with no expression on her face. Tears just slowly stream down her cheeks and fall to the pillow. She lies there for what seems like hours but is only ten minutes.
After Maliki decides he is finished, he puts his clothes on and tells her to get her stuff and get out. Kenyatta gets up to leave and Maliki stops her saying, " If you tell anybody at all I will kill you," aiming a gun at her head. Kenyatta grabs her books and runs like hell all the way to her house.
Since it is the weekend Kenyatta's parents are not home. Kenyatta goes up sitars and takes a shower. As she looks in the mirror at herself all she can see is him on top of her, and she thinks about him touching her all over. She starts to get sick. Then she starts to rummage through the medicine cabinet until she finds the sleeping pills she is looking for. Kenyatta shakes 20 out into her hand, and just as she is about to put them in her mouth she hears her mother come in the door. Kenyatta sprints to her room, silently shuts the door, and hops in the bed so her mother will think she is sleep. About one minute latter her mom comes in, thinks she is sleep, and clothes the door. Kenyatta cries herself to sleep.
The next week at school Kenyatta talks to no one. She is very distant. Everybody questions her about her night at Maliki's but she pays them no attention. On her way to Earth Space Science she sees Maliki with his boys. He acts like she isn't even there.
For the next five months things go about the same until Kenyatta's mother notices that she has put on more than a few pounds, and she is always throwing up in the morning before she goes to school. When her mom confronts her about is she lies saying that she had willingly had sex with a boy from school, out of fear and shame to tell the truth.
Her mom was so mad and disappointed. She makes Kenyatta have a pregnancy test. The results showed that she was five months pregnant. That meant it was too late to have an abortion. Four moths latter Kenyatta had a beautiful little boy that she named Christian Brian Chatman.
Things were never the same for Kenyatta at school or at home. She was constantly teased at school like being called names such as slut, trick, whore and various other slanderous words. Even though Maliki knew it was his baby and what he had done, he made fun of her too! Things got so bad that Kenyatta dropped out of school.
She became so depressed that her mother made her start counseling. Think about it. She had been raped, publicly insulted, and now has a child by her rapist. Not to saying that she didn't love her son, but in the back of her mind was always the thought that he might grow up and be exactly like his father!