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Season 1 - Episode 14
It is October 1978. It is a brisk evening and the sun is preparing to set. The trees are at their most vulnerable state; naked and exposing their bare branches. The ground is a beautiful assortment of red, gold, and burnt orange from the leaves that have fallen. Since the first day of class, they have transformed from soft, bright shades of green to crisp and brittle; the kind that break in a crunching sound underneath your feet. In the air, there is a faint smell of burning wood, as it’s not quite cold enough to turn on the heat, but still cool enough to light a fire and begin pulling out the heavier blankets. It is autumn on the campus of Ahpla University and the brothers of Omega Psi Phi and the sorors of Delta Sigma Theta are all gathered at the Omega house, putting the finishing touches on their homecoming day parade float.
Valerie: This float is solid!
Joseph: Yeah, it’s the best one I ever seen.
Valerie: I know we gonna win the contest this year!
Carsen (chiming in): All thanks to my design!
Valerie: Yeah, thanks, Carsen.
Carsen: No problem, Soror! Anything for Delta!
Joseph: Forget your design! All thanks to my hard work! Your design would still be on paper if it wasn’t for the bruhs! (laughs)
Valerie: Right! Well I’m gonna go in the house and grab a drink. Ya’ll comin’?
Carsen: Right behind you, soror!
Joseph: Oh yeah, I’m comin’ in a few minutes.
Carsen: Oh, well you know, I’ll stay out with you. I’m gonna keep Joe company for a few minutes, Val. I’ll see you later.
Valerie hesitates and then looks back and forth between Carsen and Joe before deciding to go in alone.
Joseph: Carsen, you don’t have to stay out here with me.
Carsen: I know.
Joseph: I have a lil bit of a headache and I don’t really feel like all the noise inside. You know how it is when the bruhs get together with the sorors.
Carsen (laughs): Yeah! We can get a lil rowdy. Well…..you wanna take a walk around campus? Might help…..
Joseph: Um…….yeah I guess so. It couldn’t hurt.
Carsen: Cool, let’s go. I’m a little chilly though, so we have to walk fast.
Joseph: You can wear my sweatshirt until we get back.
Carsen: Thanks, bruh!
Joseph: No problem.
Joseph removes his sweatshirt and gives it to Carsen and they begin to walk together.
Carsen: So…….you’re a hard man to catch up with.
Joseph: What?
Carsen: I been tryin’ to talk to you since I crossed.
Joseph: Talk to me about what?
Carsen: Nothin’ in particular. Just wanted to talk to you and see where your head is at. You’re the only one of the bruhs that I haven’t gotten to know.
Joseph: I’m not around the house too much. I’m tryin’ to go to med school so I’m pretty busy with my class work. I barely make it to the chapter events.
Carsen: I guess your girlfriend keeps you busy too, huh?
A wide smile creeps across Joseph’s face at the mention of Melinda.
Joseph: Oh, well yeah she does…..
Silence
Joseph: You know Melinda?
Carsen: Well…..not exactly. She’s Val’s roommate and we have a class together this semester. Honestly, I don’t think she likes me very much.
Joseph: What? Why you say that?
Carsen: I don’t know. Just a feelin’ I get.
Joseph: I doubt that. Lindy wouldn’t hurt a fly. She loves everybody! She’s so smart and kind and beautiful. That’s my girl right there. I’m gonna make her Mrs. Davenport one day.
Carsen: Oh that’s nice……..I just hope Melinda knows how lucky she is.
Joseph: Nah, I’m the lucky one.
Carsen: So where is Melinda?
Joseph: She went to a symphony concert with her sorors.
Carsen: Symphony? Boring! She can have that! Give me Earth, Wind, and Fire!
Joseph: Girl! What you know about Earth, Wind, and Fire!
Carsen: Excuse me? I love them!
Joseph: So do I! They are my favorite group!
Carsen: Maurice White is from my hometown!
Joseph: You from Chicago? My grandparents live in Chicago. I used to go visit them every summer. I love Chicago in the summer. Not in the winter though! Too cold!
Carsen laughs
Carsen: What’s your favorite Earth, Wind, and Fire song?
Joseph: I’m not tellin’.
Carsen: What? Why not? Tell me!
Joseph: Nope.
Carsen: Okay, I tell you what. I’ll tell you mine too.
Joseph: Ehh…….
Carsen: We can say it at the same time.
Joseph: Okay….
Carsen: Okay, ready? On three. One…….two……..three….
Carsen and Joseph (in unison): Can’t Hide Love!
Both start to laugh
Joseph: Are you for real!
Carsen: I know! That is crazy. We have a lot in common, huh?
Joseph: Yeah. Seems like it…..
Carsen: Well, this is my dorm. I hope you don’t mind but I think I’m gonna head up. I got some studyin’ I need to do.
Joseph: Cool, no problem. Thanks for the company.
Carsen: No, thank you for walkin’ me to my room. Maybe we can hang out some more in the future? Listen to a lil Earth, Wind, and Fire or somethin’.
Joseph: Um…….maybe. We’ll see.
Carsen: Cool. I’ll see you around, Joseph Davenport, III.
Joseph (laughs): Alright….
Joseph begins to walk away with a smile on his face.
Joseph thinks: That’s a cool lil soror, right there.
Just then Joseph remembers that Carsen still has his sweatshirt. He turns to go back towards her dorm and then realizes he doesn’t know what room she is in.
Joseph thinks: Oh well…….I’ll get it back from her…….I’m sure she ain’t gonna wear it out anywhere……..
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We resume at present day Ahpla with DeVaughn and Taylor. DeVaughn has just given Taylor a ride home and she has invited him upstairs to her room. He parks his car and runs over and grabs Taylor by the hand. Taylor leads him to her front door when they hear a car speeding into her parking lot. Taylor and DeVaughn both turn around to find Kashawn, who is now running over towards them.
Kashawn: Taylor! Taylor! Baby, wait! Why did you run off like that?
DeVaughn steps out from behind the door.
Kashawn: DeVaughn? What are you doin' here? And.....are you on your way up to Taylor's room?
DeVaughn smiles, not saying a word.
Kashawn looks over at Taylor.
Kashawn: Taylor? What's goin' on?
DeVaughn: What's it to you, playboy?
Kashawn: Yo, DeVaughn, for real........this is between me and Taylor.
Taylor: What do you want, Kashawn?
Kashawn: What do I want? I want to know what the heck is goin' on here.
Taylor: For what?
Kashawn: Taylor, stop playin' games!
Taylor: No, Kashawn, you stop playin' games!
DeVaugn: Uh........maybe I should just leave.
Kashawn: Yeah, maybe you should.
Taylor (staring straight ahead at Kashawn): No, DeVaughn, stay.
Kashawn: No, DeVaughn, leave.
DeVaughn: I don’t know what’s goin’ on right here but uh..I'm out. Taylor........holla at me.
Devaughn walks off and gets back into his car.
Kashawn: What you doin' with that dude, Taylor?
Taylor: He gave me a ride home, that's all.
Kashawn: Why was he goin’ to your room?
Taylor: Because I invited him. That's why!
Kashawn: Were you bout to sleep with him?
Taylor: I didn't say that.
Kashawn: So we have one argument and you already jumpin' in bed with somebody else?
Taylor: One fight? One fight, Kashawn? You consider you completely denying our entire relationship one fight? I'm so sick of this crap and I told you before I wasn't puttin' up with it much longer and I meant it!
Kashawn: I didn't deny our relationship at the diner. Just cause I don't want to flaunt it......
Taylor: You know what, Kashawn? Save it cause I don't wanna hear it! When you are ready for a real relationship.......you know how to reach me.
Taylor turns around and storms into her building, slamming the door, and leaving Kashawn standing in the rain.
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Across campus, the Kappa’s have gathered for an informal meeting in preparation for Homecoming.
Alvin: Alright, frat, we have a lot we need to discuss today. First on the agenda is a report on our Annual Career Day seminar from Brother Joriah.
Joriah: Good afternoon, brothers. The Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc Annual Career Day seminar was held last Saturday at the African American Center on campus. We had 80 participants, which is the highest number of attendees in the seminar’s history. All of the scheduled speakers were present and gave informative presentations. Overall, Career Day was well received by the campus, and the campus paper was there to feature Career Day in next week’s issue.
Alvin: Okay very good. Any questions?
Silence
Alvin: Thank you, Joriah. Next we need to discuss the mentoring program. I met with Dr. Ferguson last week and she was very interested in having the frat head up the community mentoring program in collaboration with the AKAs.
Dominic: I wouldn’t mind collaborating with Alpha Kappa Alpha alright……..
Laughter
Joriah: Especially that fine Dashia! I’m definitely gettin’ a piece of that before she graduates.
Dominic: Yeah, right! Dashia ain’t thinkin’ bout you! She way out of your league, young buck!
Joriah: As pretty as I am? Nobody is out of my league! Especially when you’re as smooth as me.
Alvin: Yo, Joriah I been seeing you with Laci lately, though. What’s up with that?
Joriah: Nothin’.
Alvin: Nothin’? It ain’t look like nothin’ to me. Don’t sleep. Laci is fine, too.
Joriah: Yeah but Laci is like my lil sister, man. I grew up with that girl. I mean I know she like me but I just don’tsee her like that. Now don’t get me wrong…….I’d still hit that….
Joriah chuckles to himself.
Dominic: So it’s done with Denitra?
Joriah: Yeah, man…..she called me trippin’ the other day. Her nosey friend saw me in the caf with Laci and called Nitra fillin’ her head with nonsense.
Alvin: Word? That’s messed up….
Joriah: Yeah…
Dominic: Well what better time to meet somebody new than the homecomin’ party we throwin’!
Alvin: Yeah we need to talk about that, too. Alright, Social Chair…….what you got for us?
Dominic: The Red Light Special Homecomin’ party is gonna be hot. You know that old movie theater they made into a club? I already called and booked that. We gonna have two dance floors with two DJ’s. On the second floor, my man, DJ Klassic is gonna be doin’ a reggae set all night and on the first floor, DJ Dubble Up is gonna handle that with a nice lil hip hop mix. I already talked to the K Sweets and they gonna handle the door for us and go early to decorate the building.
Joriah: How much we charging?
Dominic: $10 for all non greeks, $7 for greeks wearing pari. Oh and it goes up to $15 at 11.
Joriah: Goes up?
Dominic: Yep! Inflation!
Alvin: Alright that sounds tight. Now we gotta get some hot fliers made up….I’m gonna call my man at Artisan Blue tomorrow and see if he can hook us up.
Dominic: And I made up this new party stroll I wanna teach ya’ll before then. It’s tight. The old heads are gonna be proud…..
Joriah: Who’s comin’, anyway?
Alvin: Uh, let’s see I heard from….
Just then, the door swings open. Joriah, Dominic and Alvin all turn to see who has just walked into their meeting without knocking.
Gregg: Yo baby! Yo baby! Yo!
Gregg has kicked the door in. He throws up the sign as he yells the call.
Joriah: Oh my God! What’s up Nupe!
Alvin: Old heads in the building!
Alvin jumps up and hugs Gregg!
Gregg: Wassup bros!
Joriah and Dominic both jump up and hug Gregg too. Gregg hugs them each and begins to step…
Gregg: You aint never seen a Nupe…
Everyone: Like that A U Nupe! Because that A U Nupe is so smooth!
Gregg: What you say!
Everyone: I said that A U Nupe is so smooth!
Laughter
Alvin: Yo Gregg! It’s good to see you old man! Oh this homecoming is about to be on! You came by yourself?
Gregg: Naw man, Mike is right behind me. We came together. He was trying to park the car and I jumped out to make my grand entrance!
Dominic: Dang! Mike is here too! Oh this party is gonna be off the chain!
Joriah: Man you aint changed a bit! How’s life treatin’ you?
Gregg: It’s good Nupe! Just workin’ and doin’ my thing!
Alvin: We was just about to finish up with the meeting and go hang out! You tryin’ to come out with us?
Gregg: Where yall gonna be? I can catch up with yall. I gotta make a stop first… go see a certain…
Gregg smiles
Gregg: …old friend.
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