November Blues

Dana calls November after school to tell her big news: Logan Holbrook got arrested in the cafeteria right in the middle of lunch. November wants to know all about this since she wasn’t there to see it; she did not go to school that day because she wasn’t feeling well. Dana tells November everything that happened: the principal, along with four armed police officers, walked into the cafeteria and handcuffed Logan. He was arrested for selling drugs to little children at the elementary and middle school: his after-school job was driving the ice-cream truck, but as it turns out he sold the kids not only ice-cream but also pills. He told them that the pills were from the health store and that they would “give them lots of energy” (100). 

Apparently, the mother of a fourth-grader found some strange pills in her daughter’s backpack, and the little girl confessed that Logan had given them to her, so she informed the police. Dana tells November that Arielle left the cafeteria even before Logan did, and Jericho left shortly after her and most likely went home. Both girls agree that they would have been terrified if they were in Logan’s shoes. Dana and November wonder why someone like Logan would risk everything he has to make extra money selling drugs.

November sits in her American History class. Her teacher, Mr. Fox, a retired army sergeant, has stringent rules about letting students out of class. He never excuses anyone during his class so “kids learned to use the toilet facilities before class, or hold it until after” (103). His classes are also exceptionally boring, but students “tolerated him because he did not make them work hard” (103). 

While in this class, November feels the urge to go to the bathroom. Olivia tells her to hold it, but November says that she can’t, as her mother made her drink two glasses of orange juice at breakfast. November stands up and tells Mr. Fox that she needs to be excused. He reminds her about his class rules, and even her saying that it’s an emergency doesn’t make him change his mind about not letting her go. As Mr. Fox insists that November can wait another thirty minutes, because not allowing anyone to leave the classroom is his only rule, November replies angrily that even if someone did leave, they wouldn’t miss anything because his class is so dull. Mr. Fox asks November what has gotten into her, and November takes his question literally and says that apart from everything she ate that morning, she has a baby in her, “a real, live baby, who is at this moment doing a tap dance on [her] bladder” (105).

November storms out of the classroom and hears the class cheering behind her. She doesn’t come back until the class is over and avoids looking at Mr. Fox or anyone else, since everyone at school is talking about either her pregnancy or Logan’s arrest.

November knows that everyone around is talking about her, “and not only did it embarrass her, it ticked her off” (108). When Arielle comes up to ask November if she is keeping the baby, November retorts that it is none of her business and hurries to the cafeteria. Sitting down next to Dana and Olivia, November cannot keep back her tears. Dana suggests that they all go to the mall after school, but November can’t go because she has a doctor’s appointment. Dana offers to drive November there, but she says that she is going with her mom, who “wants to get information so she can stress [November] out for the next five and a half months” (109). 

Olivia tells November to stop complaining because at least she has “a mama to fret over [her]” (109). Olivia tells the girls that her mother died while giving birth to her from a rare complication. Hearing the words “childbirth complication” makes November realize how little she knows about pregnancy;the thought of having complications never even crossed her mind. Dana admits that even though her mother annoys her, she “wouldn’t know how to breathe without her” (110). Olivia says that her father raised her, and even though he really loves her, he never cared about what she ate, and never took her shopping. But she realizes that she owes a lot to him because he taught her to be studious and tough so she could “face airheads like Arielle” (111). The three girls talk about how Arielle broke up with Logan right after he got arrested, and about him getting “lots and lots of jail time” (111). The bell rings, and they have to return to class.

After Dr. Holland examines November, she tells her that everything seems to be fine with the baby, but due to November’s unusually high blood pressure, she needs to eliminate salt from her diet. Although November is not excited about the idea, Dr. Holland distracts her by asking if she wants to listen to her baby’s heartbeat. November asks her mom to come in and listen with her. After Dr. Holland adjusts the ultrasound machine, they all hear the baby’s heartbeat, “the softest little rhythm” (115). November is awe-stricken and overwhelmed, as the heartbeat makes her realize that her baby is real. Dr. Holland tells November that the baby is about five inches long now and that they should be able to find out if it’s a boy or a girl next month. Dr. Holland advises November and Mrs. Nelson that perhaps it would be best if November decides not to volunteer at Stepping Stones summer camp once school is out, as she had originally planned to do. Dr. Holland tells Mrs. Nelson that they should schedule an amniocentesis to check if the baby is developing normally. This is needed, since November’s older brother has Down syndrome, and it can be passed down genetically.

When November gets home after her doctor’s appointment, she checks the messages on the telephone answering machine. The first message is from Dana, who is concerned about November and the baby’s health and asks if there is anything she can do to help. She also tells November that after she is back from the Black College Tour, she will be working at the mall for the summer. November sighs as she realizes that her senior year will be nothing like she hoped it would be. 

The second message is from Olivia. She tells November that she bought a baby memory book for her so that she can “keep a record of everything that kid does and says” (119). Olivia also asks, her voice hesitant, if during summer vacation November might like to go to the mall with her to buy a few maternity tops and some baby clothes. Olivia also tells November that she will be working at the public library over the summer. 

After November promises herself to call Olivia back after dinner, she listens to the third message. The caller ID indicates that the call is from Henderson Grant, attorney-at-law, who wants to schedule an appoint with November and her mom “to discuss the future of [November’s] unborn child” (120). He says that his clients, Brock and Marlene Prescott, “would like to make this process painless as well as profitable” (120) for them. He informs November about the date and the place for the appointment.

November is stunned and speechless, and with trembling hands, she redials for the rest of the messages. The last message is from Jericho, who warns November that his Uncle Brock and Aunt Marlene found out about the baby and “lost their minds” (121). He tells her that her aunt wants custody of the baby once it is born and that they should expect a call from their lawyer, who will offer them money “to give up the baby” (121). 

Shocked and frustrated, November calls to her mother and tells her about Josh’s parents. Mrs. Nelson tries to calm November down by saying that, as far as she knows, they cannot just claim the baby, unless November wants to give the baby to them voluntarily. November is furious at her mother’s words, and she calls her a monster for even considering giving up her grandchild. Mrs. Nelson tries to persuade November that she is so young and perhaps she could still get accepted into a good college once the baby is born. November blames her mother for taking Josh’s parents’ side, but Mrs. Nelson explains that the situation is just too complicated. As November grows even more furious and tells her mother that she, November, is the only one who has to suffer due to this situation, Mrs. Nelson yells that “if [November] had kept [her] pants on, none of this would have happened” (122). 

For a moment, they both cry and stare at each other in shock, and then Mrs. Nelson reaches out to her daughter and November falls into her arms. Mrs. Nelson assures November that November alone should make the decision about the baby. November admits that she does not know what to do, and Mrs. Nelson advises her to take her time and think about it.