November Blues

When Jericho comes back from school, his stepmother, Geneva, is cooking dinner in the kitchen. She tells him about a call from Uncle Brock, who has wanted to talk to Jericho’s father about Aunt Marlene because “she needs something to get her back into the world” (62). When Geneva mentions that Marlene “is not functioning well without her boy” (62), Jericho admits that he, too, is not doing well without Josh. Geneva then tells Jericho about another call, this one from Mr. Tambori. The teacher is concerned about Jericho, and not just about his music, but about his morale as well. Although Jericho appreciates his teacher’s kindness, he is convinced that he is “through with the trumpet” (63). 

After dinner, Jericho starts working on his homework, even though usually in the past he would have begun with playing the trumpet, “letting the music carry him away from the stresses of the day” (62). Then he would have called Arielle, who could “soothe him in ways the trumpet never could” (63). But now that neither of these options is available to him, he just throws himself on his bed and stares at the ceiling, thinking back to the day when Josh died.

Geneva knocks on Jericho’s door announcing that November is here because Jericho has her notes for the chemistry project. Although Jericho is half-asleep, he sits up immediately and asks Geneva to tell November to come in. He knows that they are not even taking chemistry this year so November must have another reason to have come over. They used to spend time together every weekend, but since Josh’s death and Jericho’s breakup with Arielle, “there seemed to be less and less to talk about” (65).

Once in Jericho’s room, November notices a framed photo of Josh, and the two friends agree that he looks very “alive in this picture” (66). Jericho says with fury that he cannot believe that “the little molecules that made up Josh have simply disappeared” (66), but November tells him that “not all of Josh’s atoms are gone” (66). Jericho is confused by her words, so she reveals to him that she is pregnant with Josh’s baby. Jericho asks November if she is sure, and then asks who else knows about the pregnancy. After the initial shock passes, the two joke what the baby will look like. 

November admits to Jericho that she doesn't know anything about children and starts to cry. Jericho promises to help her and to be there for her and the baby. Although November appreciates the gesture, she doesn’t want Jericho to ruin his senior year because of her. Jericho assures her that he wants to help.

November and Dana sit in the back of the cafeteria and talk. Dana asks November if she has talked to Arielle lately; November admits that they are no longer close friends because Arielle changed after she broke up with Jericho. Dana and November share their fond memories of the time when the three of them would always sit together at lunch and get admiring looks from the boys. Dana admits that nowadays, Arielle pretends like she doesn't even know her. Dana and November agree that Arielle acted cruelly and selfishly when she broke up with Jericho when he needed her the most—right after Josh’s death. November admits that Jericho and Josh were “tight like brothers” (71), so Jericho was especially vulnerable after his cousin died, but Arielle didn’t care about his feelings. Although November is sure that Arielle will get a taste of her own medicine one day, Dana thinks that girls like her always get away with whatever they do to others.

When the conversation shifts to November’s pregnancy, Dana asks if November has thought about abortion. November admits that when she first found out about the baby, she felt so scared and lonely that the idea crossed her mind.But the thought of going to a hospital where someone would try to “scrape a human being out [of her]” (73) terrified November even more. 

Suddenly, the girls hear the rattle of a food tray falling on the floor. The teacher who has been monitoring the cafeteria, Mr. Price, hastily leaves the lunchroom, and November and Dana rush to see what happened.They see Olivia Thigpen sitting in the middle of the floor with spaghetti and meatballs in her hair. Arielle and Logan are standing nearby, pointing at Oliviaand laughing. November rushes to Olivia and reaches out to help her stand up, but Olivia says that she’s “got this under control” (73), to which Arielle responds that Olivia “ought to try to keep that waistline under control” (73). Furious, Dana tells Arielle to leave Olivia alone, but instead Arielle, claiming that Logan told her all about the girl, calls Olivia a tramp. Olivia stands up “with amazing dignity” (74) and tells Dana that she can fight her own battles. Olivia approaches Arielle, stopping only a few inches away from her face. Olivia tells Arielle that she never forgets anything so Arielle should run because if she hits her, she will definitely hurt her. Arielle grabs Logan’s hand and runs away. Olivia, too, storms out of the cafeteria, even though November tries to talk to her, asking if she is okay. When Mr. Price returns, everyone pretends that nothing happened.

November and her mother avoid direct conversation about November’s pregnancy, and the topic remains the elephant in the room. When Mrs. Nelson comes home from work that day, she turns on her radio to the blues station, as listening to blues music has always been her daily relaxer. November used to hate the blues, but now finds it “oddly comforting” (76). 

November and her mother listen to the music and prepare a healthy dinner, which is unusual in their household. Mrs. Nelson starts a conversation about the financial side of having a baby. November admits that she never thought about it and the conversation annoys her. Mrs. Nelson persistently asks her if she has any idea how much basic things like diapers, children’s clothes, formulas, and blankets cost, and where they are going to get money to pay for them. Mrs. Nelson admits that she can’t sleep at night because she keeps asking herself these questions. She asks November if she ever thought how she will take care of the baby and how she will provide it with everything it needs. November says that the conversation is scaring her and that this instilling of fear seems to be what Mrs. Nelson was after when she brought up this topic. 

When November’s cell phone rings, she is relieved to have an excuse to end the conversation. It’s Jericho, and he offers to take November to the store. Mrs. Nelson tells November to bring a notebook and a pen with her, so that she can write down the prices of all baby-related items they talked about.

As November clears the dinner dishes her cell phone rings again; this time, it’s Olivia. November tells her that she’s sorry that “something so awful” (80) happened to her friend; Olivia is surprised and happy that November considers her a friend. Olivia explains to November how the accident happened: she was reading her SAT prep book when Logan bumped her from behind. Olivia fell forward while Arielle seized her tray and dumped it on her. Olivia regrets that she did not “take a fingernail to [Arielle’s] face” (81), but November assures her that she did the right thing by not retaliating. Olivia says that she is very grateful to her and Dana for standing up for her. As Jericho arrives at November’s door, she tells Olivia that she has to go and that they will talk more tomorrow.

As November and Jericho drive to the store, November complains about her mother. She tells Jericho that parents “hardly ever act like we think they ought to” (83). He reminds November that she can always rely not just on her mother, but on him as well. Jericho assures November that her mother will be there for her and the baby, but November admits that she is not sure if her mother can forgive her. Jericho suggests that perhaps the problem is that November cannot forgive herself.

When November and Jericho walk into the store, they each take a cart and begin to race each other down the aisles. They take packages of junk food—brownies, ice cream, chips, nachos—and put them in the cart. The two laugh and push their carts as fast as they can, “gleefully piling in packages of forbidden foods” (85). November admits that her mom, who is trying to convince November how important it is to have a healthy diet during pregnancy, “would have had a heart attack if she saw all this” (85). Although November admits that hoarding the snacks is fun, she decides not to buy all of the food except for some ice cream, because she doesn’t want to do anything that might “hurt the baby” (85). Seeing this, Jericho assures November that she will be a good mother.

Afterward, November suggests that they go to the baby aisle to check the prices that her mother has asked about. They are both surprised to see how many baby items there are, and how expensive they are. As November jots down the prices in her small notebook, she estimates that she will need about $60 a month for diapers and almost $80 for formula. November admits that she doesn’t have that kind of money, but Jericho tells her that he has a little money saved and that he will help her. Although November is touched by his gesture, she tells him that she will deal with the financial situation on her own. 

While they are still at the store, they run into Josh’s parents. November feels very uncomfortable, and she does not know what to say to them. She notices that Josh’s mom looks much skinnier than when November saw her at the funeral, and her hair is now almost entirely grey. Josh’s dad, who used to have a few extra pounds, now looks lean, “like a pencil that had been sharpened too much” (89). 

November and Jericho try to make small talk with Josh’s parents, but it feels forced. November notices that even though Mr. Prescott’s lips “said the right words, his voice was not inviting” (89). Mr. Prescott tells November and Jericho that his wife is suffering from a deep depression, while he tries to distract himself with karate. 

After they say their goodbyes, Jericho wishes there was something they could do to help Josh’s parents cope with their grief. He wonders aloud, “What if they knew about Josh’s baby?”; November does not answer and “a thousand thoughts” (91) immediately fill her mind.