The Scammer

At the party, which Jordyn learns is for a fraternity, the girls mostly stand in the corner, looking at the upperclassmen. She is relieved when she makes people laugh, using rehearsed lines about her lack of a boyfriend and “small circle” of friends. Vanessa repeatedly brings up her brother, bragging about his relationships with rappers and other famous people.

One of the fraternity members, Kareem, introduces himself. He brings over Nick, the only white person at the party. He insists that Nick is “cool”; he is also a member of the fraternity. Kareem invites Nick to make judgments of the girls, noting how well he reads people. When he gets to Jordyn, he calls her “Bambi,” noting how beautiful she is but also joking about how lost she looks. Jordyn gets offended and reacts angrily, accusing Nick of taking a spot at Frazier from a Black student and getting a minority scholarship. After Nick stalks off, Jordyn scolds herself for getting angry. However, to her relief, the girls excitedly encourage her for standing up to him.

The next night, the four girls stay in their suite and eat pizza, talking more about their lives. Because Jordyn missed orientation, she asks about the school. Vanessa gives her advice about the school’s social scene. As they talk about how prestigious Frazier is, Jordyn is relieved to have met close friends for once in her life.

The next morning, Jordyn is nervous to start classes. She hesitates, then decides to call her parents. Her mother answers but is short and distant with her. She tells Jordyn that a letter arrived from Yale, noting that they’ll learn soon if “this year [at Frazier] will all be worth it” (24). To avoid her mother hanging up on her, Jordyn quickly hangs up first. She wonders if her parents are more mad or disappointed in her for choosing Frazier. She then tries to call her ex-boyfriend Jack, but he is equally rude to her, scolding her for abandoning their plans to go to Yale and hanging up on her.

Jordyn heads to Baker Hall for her first class. As she is running late and desperately searching for her ethics classroom, she runs into Nick in the hallway. He looks at her phone and checks her schedule, annoying her, and tells her that they have class together. He shows her how to get there, but she abandons him in the room to sit near the front. When she looks back at him, she notices that he’s actually “cute.”

A week later, Jordyn’s suite has become the place where other students come to hang out. She is happy to be part of the popular group. In particular, she reflects on how different it is to be among Black peers and talk about their experiences, rather than being the token Black person. They talk about an off-duty police officer who shot an unarmed Black man the summer before in DC. The release of the bodycam footage has started a wave of protests.

A month into classes, Jordyn sees a flyer for the Student Association. She considers running for the student government, noting how she used to participate in high school before Kevin died. However, her thoughts are interrupted by Lauren, who calls to her. Jordyn realizes that Lauren is short of breath; as she asks her what’s wrong, Lauren collapses.

A while later, Lauren, Kammy, and Jordyn walk back from eating dinner. Lauren admits that she is diabetic and forgot to eat. She didn’t want to tell the others because she didn’t want them to treat her differently.

When the girls get back to their suite, they are shocked to find a man sitting on their couch. Vanessa quickly comes out of her room and introduces him as Devonte, her brother. Jordyn is surprised by how attractive he is, as if his “eyes hold a unique power” (37). She can tell that the others are impressed by him, too. When Lauren starts to feel faint again, he quickly makes her a concoction of herbs. He cooks for them and talks about his experiences working in the music industry.

The next morning, Devonte is up first, making breakfast. On the way to class, Vanessa asks if Devonte can stay with them for a few days, and everyone readily agrees. When Jordyn gets to class, she finds her classmates coming back out of the room. Nick tells her that classes are canceled because of the growing protests over the bodycam footage and the impending curfew. She is taken aback when he explains that he volunteers at the jail, coaching those arrested on what to say and providing them with support upon their release.

That night, Vanessa suggests that they go out to the bar. They are hesitant because of the protests, but Vanessa insists they will be fine. However, after a couple of hours, the bar closes because of the protests moving through the city. As the girls go out into the street, they can see the police on one end and a crowd of people on the other. Before they can react, both sides begin to move in, causing chaos. As Jordyn struggles to find her friends, the police throw teargas, and everyone begins to flee. However, Devonte appears beside her, helping them all hide by a van and avoid being trampled.

Back in their dorm, everyone thanks Devonte. Jordyn is grateful, yet she feels uneasy about the fact that Devonte knew exactly where they were. He talks about the prevalence of police-related violence being tied to their generation and the ability to record and document everything.

A few days later, with the curfew still in effect, the girls are back in their room with a few friends. Kareem, now Vanessa’s boyfriend, and his friend, Legacy, listen to Devonte talk about the music industry, enthralled by his stories. Jordyn reflects that, over the days of the protests, her parents never called to see if she was alright. She notes how, as lawyers, they always just expect her to stay out of trouble.

Late into the night, Jordyn notes Devonte talking privately with Kareen and Legacy. He scolds them for being part of the fraternity system, which he claims was “founded by white men exclusively to trade secrets” (57). Jordyn notes that he is wrong but keeps it to herself. She thinks Kareem looks chastened by their conversation.

Jordyn goes to the Frazier University Student Association (FUSA) meeting. Afterward, the Arts and Sciences wing of FUSA meets, and she joins them. She learns that Nick is its president. He asks for volunteers to help with administrative work, and Jordyn and the others give their contact information.

Jordyn has a study session late one night with other pre-law students. Afterward, Devonte finds her, telling her that Vanessa sent him to make sure she gets home safe, which unsettles Jordyn. She tries to make conversation as they walk, asking about prison. He insists that it is horrible, a ploy to take advantage of Black men for profit. He tells her a story about a man who had both of his kidneys harvested. Jordyn thinks of how everything he says is partially true, which makes her uncomfortable.

When they get back to the dorm, Devonte asks her who she “truly” is. He tells her that he knows she is hiding who she is, likely because she still feels pressure from her parents, who tried to control her. He insists that she needs to start being her real self. After he is gone, Jordyn reflects on how uneasy it made her—partially because he could “see right through [her] act” (73).

Two weeks later, Devonte is still living with the girls. He continues to cook dinners for them. One night, he talks about religion, which offends Kammy, whose boyfriend, Micah, is studying to be a pastor. Jordyn avoids the conversation and goes to her room. However, she discovers that someone has gone through her stuff, leaving her drawers ajar and the zippers on her bag open.

The next morning, when the girls go to class, Jordyn can see that Kammy is upset. She tells them that she tried to talk to Micah about religion. He got upset when she questioned how Christianity is tied to white culture. The girls assure her that she is right to question things and that she should talk more with Devonte, but it doesn’t mean she can’t be in a relationship with Micah. 

Afterward, Vanessa asks if Devonte can stay with them longer. Everyone reacts uncomfortably, with Jordyn noting how “intense” Devonte is. When Vanessa insists that she doesn’t want to lose her brother, Jordyn finally speaks up and agrees, knowing how it felt to lose Kevin.

Jordyn begins volunteering with FUSA a couple of nights a week. One night, she works with Nick to prepare a float for the homecoming parade. When she gets back to her room, she finds Devonte sitting at her desk. He confronts her about spending time with FUSA when she doesn’t even want to be a lawyer. He asks to see her writing, making Jordyn feel like she can’t refuse, so she gives him her journal. When he finishes, he insists that she is a talented writer but is wasting her time. He wants her to write his life story, adamant that “fate” brought them together. She is disturbed by the interaction but also happy for his praise.