Emako Blue

Jamal and Emako talk on the phone almost every night, but Emako continues to insist they’re just friends. A few weeks before Christmas, Jamal picks Emako up after work and the two drive around until they end up in Beverly Hills. They decide to walk through the shops at Rodeo Drive, and Jamal tries to convince Emako to go into a high-end jewelry store. Emako, still wearing her Burger King uniform, does not want to go in the store and have the people inside treat them with suspicion because they are Black.

They go back to the car, and Jamal kisses her before they get in. Jamal begins driving home and decides to tell Emako about Gina, who says she already knows all about her from Savannah. Jamal insists that he is not trying to be a player, but when Emako asks if he plans to go home and tell Gina about their kiss, he is silent. Emako tells him that their kiss was “nuthin’ but a kiss” (50). Jamal asks if she wants to get something to eat, but she asks him to drive her home instead. Jamal tells her that he wrote her some music and that his parents are out of town so they could go to his house to listen to it, but Emako turns him down. Jamal says that he loves music almost as much as he loves her, and Emako tells him that he is not as smooth as he thinks he is.

At the annual Christmas concert, Savannah scans the audience for her mother and stepfather, knowing already that they will be late. The concert begins, and Savannah admits that Emako’s rendition of “Joy to the World” is amazing. The audience gives Emako a standing ovation at the end of her song, and Savannah is happy when she sees her mother and stepfather enter the auditorium afterward, which means she will not have to hear about Emako’s talent for the rest of the night.

The concert ends, and Savannah’s mother smiles and waves at her from her seat. Savannah watches Emako surrounded by her family, congratulating her on her performance, and Jamal, who holds her hand. A smaller white man approaches Emako and introduces himself as a representative from Aurora Records. Savannah’s jealousy returns as he gives Emako his business card. Savannah’s stepfather steers her toward the car and when they get outside, Savannah calls Gina.

Savannah reports that she just saw Emako and Jamal holding hands and tells her about the studio representative, but all Gina says is “Thank you, Savannah” (55). Hearing Gina’s reaction, Savannah wonders why she cares about Emako and Jamal’s relationship and why she continues to insert herself in other peoples’ business.

The next night, Gina calls Savannah, crying, and tells her that she and Jamal broke up. Gina tells her that Jamal insists their breakup had nothing to do with Emako, and Savannah tells her not to believe him and that “Jamal ain’t all that” (56). Gina’s crying resumes as she says that she still loves him, and Savannah, tired of the conversation, tells Gina she will call her later.

Two days before Christmas, Eddie runs into Monterey and Emako while at the mall. Emako teases Eddie, asking if he is there buying presents for her and Monterey, and Eddie is thrilled when Monterey tells him to ignore Emako’s antics; Monterey is finally speaking to Eddie. Looking at Eddie’s Arizona State sweatshirt, Emako asks him if he is going to school there. Eddie does not know yet, since he applied to 10 schools, but he wants to go anywhere out of state to avoid ending up “just another cholo” like his brother (58).

Monterey asks what is wrong with Los Angeles, and Emako and Eddie connect over trying to explain that where they are from in LA is much different than the more privileged area where Monterey lives. Emako tells Monterey: “One day when you start to grow up, you might see how it really is, but right now you’re blindsided by your perfect little world” (58). With that, Emako leaves Monterey and Eddie behind to go into a store.

Eddie sees that Monterey is clearly upset after this exchange and asks her if she wants to help him find a gift for his sister. Monterey tells Eddie that the record executive from the concert called Emako’s mother, but that she said Emako will need to wait to sign a record deal until she finishes high school. Suddenly, Eddie decides to ask Monterey for her phone number, which Monterey writes down on a piece of paper along with a smiley face.

Emako returns and apologizes for what she said to Monterey. Emako tells Monterey that they should leave, and the girls wish Eddie a merry Christmas.

On Saturday, January 11th, Monterey wakes up at six-thirty to a call from Emako, wishing her a happy birthday. Emako tells Monterey that she will be over later to give her a present. Monterey falls back asleep and wakes up to another phone call two hours later, this time from Eddie. Eddie wishes her a happy birthday and asks if she is having a party to celebrate. Monterey explains that she is having a few family members over and that he is welcome to come, but he declines as he has to help his father in his store today. He suggests that they meet at the mall next weekend instead. Monterey thinks that 16 is already off to a good start.

Emako arrives later that afternoon and hands Monterey a small box. Inside is the silver star-and-moon bracelet that Monterey admired at the store on Melrose. Monterey cannot believe that Emako remembered how much she wanted the bracelet and thanks her, inviting her in for cake. Emako, seeming distracted, says that she might have some later and asks if she can borrow a CD.

Noticing Emako’s mood, Monterey asks her what is wrong. Emako tells her that earlier that day at work, someone came into her line looking for Dante. It was the same gang member in the car from a few weeks earlier who had been in juvenile detention with her brother. Emako told him that he knew full well where Dante was, and that he should get out of her line unless he planned to order something. The guy does order, but not before flashing his jewelry at Emako to try and intimidate her. Emako insists she is not scared, but adds, “sometimes I wish Dante would disappear and never come back,” noting that he was “born mean” (66). Emako hopes her younger brother does not follow a similar path.

Monterey, unable to hold it in any longer, tells Emako that Eddie called her and tells her about their plans to meet at the mall next weekend. Emako says that Eddie is “kinda cool” (66), and Monterey agrees.

Eddie runs into Emako at the school office while having his transcripts sent to another college. He calls her “superstar,” and Emako says that she cannot begin her music career until after she graduates, as her mother wants her to set a good example for her younger siblings.

Emako is standing outside the office with Jamal when Eddie finishes sending his transcripts. Jamal says that he hears Eddie has a date with Monterey this weekend, but Eddie says Monterey has not yet confirmed because she has to check with her parents. Embarrassed, Eddie leaves to catch his bus.

Waiting for the bus, Eddie hears music blaring from a car speaker “loud enough to wake a corpse” (70). He sees a group of guys in a Chevy with tinted windows drive slowly down the street, and fear grips him. He whispers a prayer to God to protect him: “I didn’t want a bullet in my spine or head. I wanted to see my future. I was innocent. Innocence has to count for something” (70). The car stops in front of Eddie, and he takes a deep breath as the window rolls down. The guy in the car flashes a gang sign at Eddie, who shrugs in response. The guy laughs, but the car drives away.

Eddie hurries home from his bus stop, locking the doors behind him. He yells at his mother that she needs to keep the doors locked during the day because something could happen, but she insists that in 25 years, nothing has happened.

Savannah continues to bother Emako when they return to school after the holiday break, making comments from the back of the room during Emako’s public speaking class presentation. After class, Emako confronts Savannah, asking her why she is acting this way. Savannah tells her that she is just joking around and to not be so sensitive. Emako says she doesn’t care if Savannah doesn’t like her.

Savannah gets home from school that day and remembers that she is home alone because her stepfather and mother are in Thailand on vacation. She orders pizza and gets a beer from the fridge, toasting herself in the mirror because it is her 16th birthday. She eats her pizza and has a second beer. Gina calls to wish her a happy birthday and notes that Savannah sounds sad. She asks Savannah if she wants her to come over, but Savannah declines, not wanting anyone to feel sorry for her.

Gina asks whether Jamal is getting closer with Emako and if she should call him. Now angry, Savannah asks if Gina only called because she wants information about Jamal and tells Gina to do whatever she wants but to not call her when Jamal breaks her heart again. Gina hangs up.

Jamal sits in his room, listening to music and doing his math homework, “staying out of trouble, staying off the streets” (76). Jamal thinks about how it seems like gun and gang violence is only getting worse in L.A., and that he does not want his name added to the list of casualties. Jamal muses about the fact that when young Black men are killed in random acts of gun violence, often the media will assume they were “‘gang related’ when the only thing you were related to were your mom and pops” (77). Jamal is thankful for how smooth his life is currently and thinks about how he plans to keep it that way.

Jamal calls Emako and asks if she wants to hang out on Saturday, and Emako asks if he has really broken things off with Gina. Offended, Jamal tells Emako that he is “finished with all that” (78), but Emako asks him when the last time he spoke to Gina was. He admits that he spoke to her the night before, but still insists that it is over between them. He asks again if she is free on Saturday, and she only responds “maybe” before they say goodnight. Jamal thinks about Emako as he falls asleep, thinking that she might be the one to really make him change the way he treats girls.