The Scammer

Jordyn goes to a private event for FUSA. She volunteers to take tickets as the officers mingle with people from the university. She realizes that she is likely going to be on academic probation and fail her classes but feels like her work with Devonte is too important.

Jordyn becomes fixated on all the food on display. When one of the other volunteers encourages her to eat, she goes to get herself a small plate of appetizers. However, she is suddenly pulled from the room, dropping her plate.

In the hallway, Devonte’s nails dig into her wrist as he scolds her for being at the event and trying to eat. She struggles to defend herself, and Nick suddenly appears between them. He asks Devonte if he is a student and invites him to the event, mentioning the security, which makes Devonte back down. He turns and leaves. When Nick asks Jordyn what is going on, she breaks down crying.

Nick takes Jordyn to one of the offices and gives her tissues. As she cries, he questions her relationship with Devonte. In response, she gets defensive, insisting that he is helping her. Although Jordyn knows that he is partially right, she flees the event, telling herself that she needs to quit FUSA to focus on Devonte.

Back at home, Jordyn goes into the bathroom to wipe the tears and makeup off her face. However, she spots Loren’s insulin shots in the garbage. She takes them to her room, confronting her about why she isn’t treating her diabetes. Loren argues that because the medicine was made by and for white people, it can’t be trusted. She questions whether the insulin is what is making her sick. Frustrated, Jordyn tells herself that “Devonte has gone too far” (164).

Alone with Kammy and Loren, Jordyn tries to talk to them about Devonte. She notes how exhausted and frail they look. She tries to suggest that Devonte start holding meetings at his own place. However, Kammy and Loren adamantly defend him, insisting that they should help him for all that he’s done. Kammy admits that she loves Devonte.

Afterward, Jordyn goes to the Student Housing office. She talks with the head, Ms. Rogers, about possibly changing rooms. Ms. Rogers tells her that she can report an issue or, if it’s just a preference, wait until spring to see if something opens up. Jordyn decides that she doesn’t want to get Devonte in trouble or upset her friends, so she says she can wait.

In the hallway, Jordyn runs into Kerry. Earlier, Kerry mentioned how strange Devonte seemed, so when Kerry asks why Jordyn is there, Jordyn tells her that things have gotten out of control with Devonte. Kerry insists that Jordyn needs to report it, while also pointing out that if Jordyn changes rooms without doing so, it will leave the other girls behind. The thought overwhelms Jordyn with guilt.

As Jordyn leaves, she is stopped by Nick. He asks her to come to a professor’s office with him. The office is piled with books and African art. The professor introduces himself as Dr. Barnes. He tells Jordyn that Nick thought she might want to talk with him about history.

Dr. Barnes produces an email that Kammy sent to him. It is several pages wherein she lectures him about his “whitewashed” form of history, demanding his resignation. Dr. Barnes notes that she is his student, but it sounds nothing like her writing; Jordyn knows that Devonte wrote it.

Dr. Barnes then encourages Jordyn to talk with him about history. She tentatively asks about the Lynch papers. He explains that they have some merit, as it would make sense that an enslaver would encourage others to control Black people through brainwashing. However, the documents are too modern and have been proven to be a hoax. Jordyn feels annoyed by his explanation, then brings up several more things, like vaccines that help control the Black population and planes dropping toxins on Black communities. 

Dr. Barnes acknowledges that some of the stories are believable, as horrors have been done to Black people and other non-white groups throughout history. However, he also warns her that conspiracy theories can be equally damaging, as they don’t allow people to address the real issues they are facing. He refers to people like Devonte as “covert terrorists” and “snakes in the grass” (178), encouraging Jordyn to be skeptical and not insulting her for believing them.

Outside, Nick checks in on Jordyn. When he refers to Devonte as starting a “cult,” Jordyn tries to argue, but, at the same time, she realizes that he is right. Part of her is embarrassed for allowing herself to be caught up in it, while another part still values the good in what Devonte is doing. 

As they talk, she spots a girl sitting nearby on her phone. Jordyn recognizes her from the apartment and becomes certain that she is reporting to Devonte. Afraid of what will happen, she quickly leaves Nick, despite his protests.

Jordyn walks around campus for several hours, trying to decide how to go home without facing Devonte’s anger. She decides to call her ex-boyfriend, Jack. She starts by apologizing for leaving him. He questions why she did what she did, but she argues that, as a white person, he wouldn’t understand her motivation. He then brings up the fact that he stuck by her over the last two years as she grieved Kevin’s death. She argues that she still needs time to figure everything out. However, when he claims that she is “acting like [Kevin] was murdered when he was the murderer” (181), Jordyn angrily hangs up the phone, insisting that she can’t be angry right now.

Jordyn goes back to her dorm. She is shocked to find Kerry there, clearly having told Devonte everything. Loren, Kammy, and Vanessa confront Jordyn, accusing her of turning her back on them. She pleads with them, insisting that they don’t understand what happened, and begins to cry. 

Devonte then steps in, telling Jordyn that she needs to be punished for what she did. Kerry punches Jordyn in the stomach. Jordyn tries to back up but is held in place by Kareem. Devonte tells Kerry to hit her again. Just as she starts to, the door to the dorm opens. A student comes in and steps between Jordyn and Kerry, and another confronts Kareem. Nick comes in after them, and Jordyn realizes they are members of the fraternity. They accuse Kareem of assaulting a woman, and a fight breaks out between them. Nick breaks it up and grabs Jordyn’s bag. 

Devonte tries to get them to leave, but Nick insists that he is taking Jordyn with him. Devonte tells her that, if she leaves, they are done with her. It makes Jordyn pause, torn between wanting to keep her friends and needing to leave. However, Nick is adamant that she is coming with him, so Jordyn follows him and the others out.

At the fraternity house, Nick gives Jordyn water and helps her calm down. She asks for tea, but he jokes about the house not being a coffee shop. Suddenly, she realizes that she left her laptop in the dorm and is worried about her friends and Devonte seeing everything on it. Nick insists that she can’t go back tonight, telling her that they can go to Student Housing and campus security the next day to figure everything out.

Jordyn is still torn about how she feels. Ultimately, she decides that she needs time and space to figure it out. She asks Nick if she can stay there for a while. Nick is hesitant, but she promises to help him with his new campaign to be a student trustee and that she won’t cause any issues. Nick agrees to give her two weeks while they figure everything out.

That night, Jordyn falls asleep immediately in Nick’s bed with Nick on the floor. However, she is woken up in the night by screaming. She realizes that Nick is having a nightmare, so she wakes him up. He doesn’t remember, commenting on the fact that it has been a while since he has had one. He falls asleep again, while Jordyn lies in bed and watches him.

The next morning, Jordyn wakes up to a cup of tea and a note from Nick about his midterm. She realizes she has done very little schoolwork to prepare for her own midterms. When she leaves the room, a boy named Kwame is waiting outside. He tells her that he is supposed to escort her to her suite for her stuff. Although Jordyn is overwhelmed with anxiety at the idea, she is relieved when no one is in her dorm. She quickly packs her belongings.

Later, Jordyn studies alone in the conference room. She contemplates how she has returned to being alone and with no friends. She knows that she should go to Student Housing, but she makes excuses to delay it.

After his classes and meetings, Nick picks Jordyn up, and they go back to his house. He seems uncomfortable around his fraternity brothers, so he quickly takes her to his room. He cooks for her, trying to get her to eat. Initially, she insists that all she needs is tea. However, when she realizes that he cooked, she agrees to eat.

Nick confesses that he told his fraternity brothers that she is his girlfriend. He points out that there are rules about bringing girls back to the house and that it’s easier for everyone if they claim to be dating. When he gets into bed with her, he apologizes, saying that it will look strange if they aren’t in the same bed. Jordyn is comforted by the idea of sleeping next to him. He asks if they can turn on the TV, as it would stop him from having nightmares, and she requests tea to help her fall asleep. He obliges, then they lie together and watch Love Island.