Give It Up Read online

  Text copyright © 2015 by Stephanie Perry Moore

  All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

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  Cover: © Sam74100/Dreamstime.com (teen girl); © Andrew Marginean/Dreamstime.com (brick hall background); © Andrew Scherbackov/Shutterstock.com (notebook paper).

  Interior: © Andrew Marginean/Dreamstime.com (brick hall background); © Sam74100/Dreamstime.com, pp. 1, 43, 78; © Luba V Nel/Dreamstime .com, pp. 10, 50, 85; © iStockphoto.com/kate_sept2004, pp. 18, 57, 93; © Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Thinkstock, pp. 25, 64, 100; © Rauluminate/iStock/Thinkstock, pp. 33, 71, 108.

  Main body text set in Janson Text LT Std 12/17.5.

  Typeface provided by Adobe Systems.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Moore, Stephanie Perry.

  Give it up / by Stephanie Perry Moore.

  pages cm. — (The swoop list ; #1)

  Summary: Five diverse girls at a Jackson, Georgia, high school come together to give each other support after learning that their names have been placed on a mysterious list of girls with bad reputations, some for legitimate reasons and others through no fault of their own.

  ISBN 978-1-4677-5804-8 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper)

  ISBN 978-1-4677-6049-2 (pbk.)

  ISBN 978-1-4677-6191-8 (EB pdf)

  [1. Conduct of life—Fiction. 2. Dating (Social customs)—Fiction. 3. Interpersonal relations—Fiction. 4. High schools—Fiction. 5. Schools—Fiction. 6. Sex—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.M788125Giv 2015

  [Fic]—dc23

  2014014254

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  1 – SB – 12/31/14

  eISBN: 978-1-46776-191-8 (pdf)

  eISBN: 978-1-46777-884-8 (ePub)

  eISBN: 978-1-46777-885-5 (mobi)

  For

  Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

  Covington Area Alumnae Chapter

  Cotillion Committee

  Officers: Lisa McWilliams, Terri Belle, Melissa Mims. Co-chairs: Katrina Bilal, Sarah Lundy, Monique Jones. Subchairs: Serena Becton, Deborah Bradley, Michelle Bryant-Johnson, Joanee Buffaloe, Jenell Clark, Kathleen Henderson, Ijeoma Johnson, Celeste Jordon, Alethea Mack, Dionne Maddox, Clotiel Nelson, Leslie Perry, Shirley Perry, Jonnah Thomas, Lakeasher Thrasher, and Bridgette Williams.

  We give up much to serve our young people.

  Thank you for helping me, as chair, help our outstanding participants waltz into greatness!

  CHAPTER ONE

  Labeled (Sanaa’s Beginning)

  On a gray and rainy day, Sanaa Mathis woke up just as gloomy. Now she was headed for school on autopilot. What had gotten her down was that her perfect Christmas break was over. She was with a guy who had her heart. They’d shared a special moment during the break, and the seventeen-year-old senior was in love. Miles Jackson reciprocated Sanaa’s feelings, and he had even told her so. They went to the same high school in rural Jackson, Georgia, where not much went on. Most of the gals in school wanted Miles, including Sanaa’s best friend, Toni Payne. In Toni’s delusional world, she and Miles were an actual couple.

  At the start of their senior year, Sanaa had every intention of being the good girlfriend to Toni and helping her work things out with Miles. Sanaa set out to talk to Miles on her shy friend’s behalf, but something special developed between Sanaa and Miles instead. As hard as she tried to fight her growing feelings for the hot-chocolate hunk, nothing could be denied. The only thing she knew to do was hide the relationship from everyone, especially Toni.

  “It’s freezing,” Sanaa said to her peers as they all entered Jackson High School.

  No one responded. She just received tons of eerie looks from people. She didn’t know if she had a stain on her clothes, if she stunk, or what, but it was odd. She didn’t like the unsolicited attention. Sanaa got to her locker and stopped dead in her tracks. She saw a note posted on her locker. It was written on an obituary notice for a girl her age.

  “Is this a joke?” Sanaa yelled out, but folks kept going.

  Against her better judgment, she read the words:

  Dear girl who’s found her name on an unflattering list,

  Being the most popular girl in school can be great—if it’s for positive reasons. However, when the spotlight shines on you because of your scandalous ways, only a group of people in your same boat truly understand and care deeply enough to swoop in and keep you from sinking. Having been shattered by the list before, I’m just the one to guide you through, even if I do it from beyond the grave.

  Don’t be scared now. You’ve made your bed, so stop lying in it and get up. Pity party over. This stupid list isn’t going to take another one of us out. I’m not there, but I’m with you, feeling your pain and seeing your shame. I’m swooping in to help you change the game. Redemption, faith, wholeness, boldness, and revenge—yes, revenge shall be yours. It may be dark for you right now, but the sun in your life will shine again. The swoop list is not your end. It will give you a new beginning.

  Your angel, Leah

  Sanaa’s hands started shaking. She dropped the letter. All her insides were in knots.

  Toni scared her, saying, “You might want to check this out!”

  “You startled me,” Sanaa said, grabbing the phone Toni was holding.

  With cold eyes Toni boldly stated, “This was sent out to all the kids in the school. People are saying you’re a slut.”

  “What is this?” Sanaa asked. Sanaa looked at the screen of Toni’s phone. It showed a photo of a piece of white notebook paper with some writing on it. On the top of the page someone had written “The Swoop List.”

  “The swoop list?” Sanaa said looking at it.

  “Yup, and read girl number one.”

  “Sanaa Mathis?”

  “That’s you, boo.”

  Sanaa stood there, shocked. “The swoop list, what is it?”

  “It’s a hot mess.” Toni smirked.

  Sanaa didn’t know what was going on with her bestie. If the list was so bad, why was Toni acting happy she was on it?

  Toni scrolled up her phone. “Here’s the definition of the swoop list. One, a list of the top fast girls in a particular area. Two, a place where boys kiss and tell to humiliate girls they’ve been with. And three, names of shame to embarrass the so-called sluts of the school. Dang, Sanaa ... who’d you piss off to get on this? I thought you were a virgin.”

  Sanaa couldn’t look at her friend. She couldn’t say, “the guy you wanted to get with has devoured me all apart.” She could not admit she’d betrayed her friend, even though Miles had never liked Toni. Sanaa looked away.

  “Oh, somebody’s had a hotdog cooked in the oven,” Toni joked. “Tell me, tell me, who is it?”

  “Forget it. I have bigger problems than that right about now.”

  “Yep, this swoop list?”

  People were pointing to their phones. They were calling her unflattering names. Sanaa felt like she was going to break.

  Toni shouted to all the onlookers, “Go on about your business, guys! This ain’t no peep show.”

  “Get out the way, Toni!” said this one thug named Ace who ruled the school. “I’m trying to get with the swoop list girl to s
ee if she deserves being up there.”

  Toni didn’t back down. “You move out the way before you don’t have no balls left to try and get with somebody.”

  People were oohing and aahing. The talk about her was getting worse. Sanaa felt like she hadn’t washed in days.

  Sanaa tried to run away, but Toni grabbed her sweater. “I’m with you, sis. You didn’t do anything to deserve being on this list. This has got to be a mistake.”

  Dropping her head, Sanaa said, “Well, who put me on it?”

  Toni shrugged her shoulders. “I’m here for ya, though.”

  “Thanks for having my back with Ace. I want to go home. I knew when I woke up this morning this day was going south.”

  “Probably the guy you were with put you on the list. Trifling, huh?” Toni shook her head.

  Sanaa wondered if it were possible.

  Later that afternoon, Sanaa was at home in her room, lying across her bed and crying. She wanted to forget the whole day. She’d had food thrown at her, had been called all kinds of names, and had been propositioned by guys. No one would have expected Sanaa to face such humiliation. She was from a two-parent household where both parents worked hard to give her and her older brother—who was away at college—a good life. She had too much time on her hands, but she had never really gotten in trouble. How could she tell her parents she was being called a slut?

  A text came through to her phone. She looked at it and saw it was Miles. “I’m at your front door. Come open up.”

  Huffing, she made her way to the front door. Immediately upon opening it, he grabbed her and started kissing her. His hands rubbed all over her body.

  She stepped back. “Not today, Miles, no. I can’t.”

  Showing his pearly whites, Miles pleaded, “What? You worried about that pitiful little list? Please, I was getting props all day for that. Come on, babe.”

  He took her by the hand and led her down the hall towards to her bedroom. Truly feeling uncomfortable, she jerked away. He wasn’t hearing her at all.

  “What’s going on? What’s the problem?”

  “Guys are giving you props, but they’re calling me a slut. I’m supposed to be okay with that, and we just keep on going? Let’s deal with how my name got on the list,” she demanded.

  Miles squinted. He started sucking his teeth. He was really checking out Sanaa’s vibe.

  Squinting his eyes, he said, “Babe, I know you don’t think I had anything to do with it.”

  “Well, how else did my name get on there?”

  “I don’t know, and I don’t care. I told you I loved you. You got me thinking about you all through school. I just want to be with you. Let me take your mind off all this.”

  He placed both of his hands in hers and gently pushed her towards the wall, lifted her hands in the air, and started kissing her passionately. One thing led to another, and on the hall floor he had his way. She didn’t ever remember saying yes, but Miles didn’t care. When he was done, he didn’t stick around to cuddle her or talk about how she was feeling.

  “Peace, I’m out,” he said.

  Sanaa sat on the floor, half naked, and rocked back and forth. Suddenly, she felt like she deserved to be labeled.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Ostracized (Willow’s Beginning)

  Willow Dean was the envy of most girls on the dance team, and she knew it. Not only was she strikingly beautiful with her glowing, caramel-brown skin, fly-short ’do, and hot body, but she wasn’t a shy girl. Far from it, Willow always spoke her mind. Most girls she hung around were intimidated by her presence. Most guys wanted to devour her, and she let them.

  Willow rebelled a bit. Her mom was pastor of the most influential, yet controversial, church in the area. Either people loved being led by a female, or they thought it was heresy. Since Willow’s mom focused more on her parishioners, and since her father was always on the road driving a truck, Willow raised herself and her brother, William, who was a freshman.

  When the first day of school back from Christmas break was over, Willow headed to dance practice. It was basketball season, and at every game the dance team performed a different number. Willow choreographed most of the dances. If it wasn’t Willow, it was bossy, uptight Hillary Jones. The two girls competed fiercely and never got along.

  “You’re five minutes late,” Hillary said to Willow, rolling her eyes.

  “But I’m here. Why you tripping?” Willow scoffed back, not backing down. She noticed the dance team girls whispering to each other. They were looking at her like they didn’t want her around. “You guys need to get over whatever you’re stressing about.”

  “We actually think you need to resign. The dance team has a rep to protect, and we just can’t let trash bring all of us down,” Hillary said as she stepped up to Willow.

  Willow was no punk, and she had no problem getting in Hillary’s face. Willow said, “Speak English, girl. What are you talking about? I make us look good.”

  “You make us look like we’re strip-club dancers, not professional ones,” Hillary argued.

  Willow started to grin slyly. She knew what this was all about. They were haters. She got more attention from guys than all of them collectively. She knew it, and so did they.

  “You know what? You’re supposed to be teaching a dance today, Hillary. Show us what you got—or do I need to whip up something?”

  “You need to leave,” Hillary demanded as the other girls on the team gathered behind her. “We’ve got a code of conduct, Willow, and you sleeping around with a whole bunch of guys, bringing down the name of this dance troupe is not a part of it.”

  “Just show her!” uttered Tiffany, Hillary’s skinny-tail shadow.

  Hillary jammed her phone in Willow’s face. “Here it is right here. All over the school. You’re swoop list girl number two.”

  Swatting the phone away, Willow said, “I heard about this list. It’s a bunch of hearsay.”

  “Supposedly they have pictures and stuff. It’s a site where you can click on it and see some things you’ve been doing,” Hillary boldly told her, daring Willow to click on the link for proof.

  “Which one of y’all jealous heifers put my name on here?” Willow yelled.

  “So you’re not denying that there is probably video of you in compromising positions out somewhere? If there is, you’re gone because it won’t just be hearsay. But if you had any class about yourself, you’d drop out now. Nobody wants to be associated with this list. And none of us want to be associated with you.”

  Willow stood there, looking at Hillary like she wanted to punch her. She actually balled up her right hand. But seeing the other ten girls supporting Hillary, Willow went to the bleachers and grabbed her things.

  “I’m not dropping out of this dance team, but I’m getting to the bottom of this. No one calls me a slut and gets away.” Willow stormed away.

  “If the name fits, slut,” Hillary said and laughed.

  Willow whirled around, took two steps, and punched her. The fight was on. Willow was winning.

  A few minutes later, with mangled hair and a stank attitude, Willow sashayed her way out of the cafeteria where the dance team was practicing. Quite a bit of satisfaction was flowing through her veins because she realized she had whipped Hillary pretty bad. One of the ballers, fine, six-foot-three Isaiah Walden, bumped right into her on his way into the gym.

  “Watch where you’re going!” Willow shouted.

  As he walked around her, she had a thought. She needed to know how she got on the list, so she turned right around and followed Isaiah into the gym. The coach wasn’t there. It was just the players warming up. Out of the five starters, she had laid down with three of them before.

  Following Isaiah like a little puppy—but with the bite of a pit bull—she barked, “Isaiah, did you put my name on some swoop list?”

  “Girl, I got practice. You stupid.”

  Willow scratched her head. She was looking for Eric, the light-skinned point guard who had
a little Puerto Rican in him. It had been a while since they’d been together, but he’d enjoyed what she had to offer. She needed to confront him too.

  “Did you put my name on the swoop list?” she asked him.

  “No,” Eric said, trying not to laugh in her face.

  Fuming, Willow turned. It had to be Sebastian’s pretty-boy behind putting her name on this list. She was so mad because, out of all of them, she’d made his stock go up. In her mind, Sebastian owed her. That’s just like a chump, she thought. You help them out, they screw you over.

  Sebastian was tying his shoe on the bench. Willow sat down next to him and said, “Don’t you have something to tell me?”

  “No. We’re about to have basketball practice. Don’t you got dance stuff?”

  “I might be off of the team because of some swoop list. Go on and admit it. You know something about it.”

  Kenny was a captain, and he was calling all the guys to come to the center of the court. Sebastian was grinning. Willow was fuming. When he tried to get up to head that way, Willow grabbed his practice jersey. “Nuh uh, we ain’t finished talking,” she said.

  “Get your hands up off of me, Willow. You asked half the team. Clearly somebody who’s got to ask three guys within five minutes if they put her name on a list deserves to be there. Face it, girl: you’re a tramp.”

  The basketball players started giving him dap. For the first time ever, Willow felt like someone had stabbed her in her heart. Devastated, she jetted out of the gym.

  As soon as Willow got home, she dived onto her bed. She sobbed uncontrollably like no other time in her life. It was one thing for her dance teammates to make her feel like she had the plague, but it was another thing for the guys she had been with to laugh at her expense. There was a knock on her door.

  “Honey, you okay?” her mom asked in a caring voice as she came in and sat by Willow. “I heard about some list. Swoop list?”

  “It’s nothing, Mom. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Your brother told me what it stands for.” Willow was silent. “Well, I know you’re probably doing all kinds of things I wished you weren’t, but the Lord ... ”