Season 1, Episode 5
David is visualizing water again, specifically the sea and its creatures and how they are so far away – like planets. Seren is thinking of planets and how there’s danger and life we don’t know about out there. He jumps when he hears a door open. Is it Ray or his mom? Marissa is watching a spider. We haven’t figured out all the secrets and what mysteries they hold. Are we a mystery to them? Her brother snaps her out of her dream by killing the spider. And the day begins for each of them.
At David’s house, he’s up and tracing sea creatures on the sealing while JG complains about all of the noise Gloria is making. She’s home now, so she is Susy Homemaker. She has made muffins, picks up their laundry and fishes through David’s bookbag. I’m scared, yall. You know that’s the drug bookbag. Gloria asks why there are dryer sheets in there, but before he could even answer, she was asking more questions. She finds something interesting – a flyer for the school dance! Come for a magical night under the sun. Gloria says that don’t even make sense. She’s right. LOL. Gloria is excited. David hadn’t asked to go because it cost money to attend and he thought he would have to watch JG. Gloria says it’s all good and she goes and grabs the big piggy bank to fund David’s first school dance. Gloria makes David promise that he will take someone to the dance. Gloria is so hype, yall. And JG is being an annoying little brother.
At Marissa’s, her mother (who I think is Haitian) is giving her the business. Mom has put out a dress for Marissa to wear and she doesn’t care if they are supposed to wear uniforms. She put it out, so that’s what Marissa gon wear. Mama told Marissa to not try her. Next up is hair. Moms is straightening her hair and gives no dayums about the pain it is causing. Beauty is pain. Deal. Mom is happy with Marissa’s finished look. She looks goodT and Mom is confident that Seren will ask her to the dance. Marissa is having one helluva morning with her Mama…but she does look cute tho.
Gloria is home now, so David’s hectic mornings with JG are no more. Gloria also has time to ask about his counseling sessions and how the project went. I hate that Glo is unemployed, but I kinda like seeing her just focus on parenting. They head out just in time to see the neighborhood girls double-dutching. Gloria wants to get in on it. But, I got questions. What about her thigh and ribs? They healed? Gloria has a moment of fun. JG jumps with her. David eyes a cute neighborhood girl. And then the apartment manager comes out to tell alluhdem to get they azzes to school. This bish. And for the first time since we met David, he makes it to the bus stop ON TIME. Even the bus driver makes note of this great achievement.
As soon as DJ (his school name) gets off the bus he sees Marissa – looking all cute. He tells her that she looks nice and he asks her if she wants to go to the dance with him. He says that he is only asking because he has to take somebody and it might as well be her. SMH. C’mon, son. Marissa declines. I love how the young Queen knows her worth.
David has his final counseling with Dr. Bree. Dr. Bree brings him lunch, which seems to loosen him up a bit. David is sharing the story of JG and “pissy sheets” that’s been the talk of the neighborhood. They end up talking about Ms. Elijah and how she watches them when Gloria can’t be home. The doctor is confused about Ms. Elijah and David seems to be, too. He quickly notes that he is not homophobic. A lot of people talk about her, but she’s been good to them. The doctor also asks about Sky. Did Sky watch him, too? Wasn’t he a drug dealer? Does his mom let him hang out with drug dealers. No, she doesn’t. That was a choice that David made on his own. Dr. Bree also told him that Sky’s real name, Lamar, means sea. Is that the connection to water? Last week, David told the doctor that “everything must die,” which is something that Sky used to tell him and that that’s the only thing he can trust. So, who do you trust now, David? Does anyone know about your home life? Is there anyone you can trust. David says he’s ok and he can handle it. When the questions become too much, David goes to his usual. He tells the doctor that he’s tired. Since David has mentioned fatigue twice now, the doctor asks if he’s been sleeping ok. David says he goes to bed, but has a hard time falling asleep. The doctor offers to write a prescription and David quickly tells him no. Dr. Bree offers continued counseling, even though his mandated sessions are over. David’s quick exit out of the office answers that question. The new principal comes to ask Dr. Bree about David. Is he handling the pressures of the magnet program appropriately? Dr. Bree is not here for this conversation.
Now that counseling is over, David has to get back to the task at hand – a date for this dance. Marissa has been spreading the word that David is going and she has also asked Seren to the dance. David can’t believe this! Marissa spends the rest of the day trolling David over every girl he considers. Since Marissa knows all the tea. She is able to tell him who already has a date, who only likes girls and whose out of his league. David is tired of Marissa. I think it’s hilarious. Seren tells him to go alone, but David says he promised his mom and they are serious about promises.
On the walk home, Sky appears. He tells David to see Dr. Bree again. And Sky also tells David that he needs a date, so he needs to listen to his advice. Let Tare know that he wants her, but don’t say too much. Be cool. And Sky and David break out into a New Edition routine that is amazing. LOL. The only problem is that Sky is a ghost and this whole thing is in David’s head. And when we return to reality, David is doing these New Edition steps in the middle of the projects by himself. The neighborhood dudes do not approve of his “weak” game.
At the apartment, Gloria discovers more pissy sheets. Gloria is pissed (see what I did there.) JG is genuinely sorry for the sheets and for continually wetting the bed. Gloria immediately turns her attention to David and his progress with getting a date for the dance. David plays it off. He was too busy with the counselor today. He heads to the bathroom to unwind – and use the bathroom. Gloria cares nothing for his privacy. She barges in and tells him he needs to take Tare. David tells her to leave, but not before asking what the band-aid on her arm is about. She sold blood and plasma. And then she leaves. And then she barges in again with a powder blue suit that David is to wear to the big dance. He tries it on and the pants are mad young. She swears it looks good, but…nah. JG is having the time of his life laughing at David’s pants. The pants look like capris and Gloria says it’s the style, which is kinda true. Sad, but true. Gloria tells him to go ask a girl out right nah with that lil suit on and David cannot believe this. David heads on out, but thankfully, Ms. Elijah sees him and delivers him from this misery. She swoops him up into her den of alterations and fixes him up. She also gives him advice on how to get a woman. Now he’s ready to go ask Tare to the dance. David starts this quest by giving Tare an octopus fact and asking her to the dance.
It’s the night of the dance. Marissa is over at Seren’s house side-eying Seren’s mom and step-dad – with good reason. Them two get on my nerBs. When Seren comes out, Ray helps him with his tie and he is creepy, and Seren is giving him odd looks and Marissa is clearly bothered by the whole thing. It’s awkard on so many levels. Seren’s mom comes out with a shawl for Marissa and tells her not to “give away the farm.” I done had it with this chick. Marissa has too. She takes off that shawl and walks out the house. At David’s, Gloria is talking pictures with a disposal camera (didn’t know they still had those) and getting on David’s last nerve. Gloria is in mommy heaven though. She even borrowed Ms. Elijah’s car so she could drive them to the dance. No bus for her David.
At the dance, Tare is impressed by the way the magnet school gets down. All of David’s worlds are about to collide. David introduces Tare to his people (Seren and Marissa) and Tare calls David Dai. Who’s Dai? You mean DJ? Tare is being a great date. She is complimenting Seren and Marissa and trying to fit in. But David…lawd…what is going on, sir? Tare finds herself in a great conversation with Dr. WT. She’s talking about where she’s applying to school for dance and how Dai wants to go to Hurston – even though she can’t understand why. As Tare was about to go into a story about Dai from the hood, Dai grabs her to go dance. He was scared of what Tare would say, but Tare told him that the way they first met was actually a good story. Dai was paranoid. Dai keeps going in and out. Mentally, he is not at this dance. Seren and Marissa are having a rough time of it, too. The kids are giving Seren a hard time because they think he’s gay. Marissa tells him not to worry. They are haters because he is special and they are not. Tare is hype about the chocolate fountain and she can’t wait to tell the folks back home about this extravagance. David doesn’t want her to say anything about this dance to anyone at home. Tare cannot understand why everyone shouldn’t know about this. Are you ashamed of me? Is that what’s going on with you? Tare is on one! You are embarrassed of me? David says he’s not, but he doesn’t want Shenobi and nem to find out about it. Tare says that it will mess up his dope dealer rep. Is that why? And Tare is quite loud about this whole thing. She throws her plate down and exits. She’s too good for this. She’s right.
On the bus home, Tare and David sit far apart. David breaks the silence. Tare lets David in on all the things he cannot see. Marissa likes him. Seren is gay and he seems like a really good friend. They make up and make it back to The Ville as friends.
Back at home, Gloria is making JG bury all of his toys because he’s a man now. This is supposed to help him stop wetting the bed. He is cured. No more pissy sheets. Ummmm, Gloria…I don’t think that’s how this thing works.
David gets Tare to her front door and they want to kiss, but her mom interrupts. Dai walks to his apartment, and sees and hears all of the nighttime neighborhood activity. Sky appears and talks about his regrets about having a child so young. But it is what it is. David gets to his door. There’s a notice on it. The rent is past due. They have 3 days to pay. Gloria and JG walk up at the same time. I am sure Gloria didn’t want David to know how bad their situation was.
So what now…
Now that David knows that they are about to be evicted, will he embrace the drug dealing business? And, why does Gloria think that burying toys will stop JG from wetting the bed? JG has some other issues going on. She needs to get to the root of them. And, telling JG that he’s a “man” probably wasn’t the best idea. He already thinks he’s an adult. What will DJ do with the new information he has – Seren is gay and Marissa likes him? How will he handle that? Now that his worlds have collided, what will happen? I really hope David stays in counseling. Lord knows he needs it. Gloria has been struggling with her sobriety. Now that the stress is really on, will she relapse? I am so scared for all of them.
Until next week…
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