Darkness Before Dawn

When Keisha is confronted by her mother, the girl is forced to admit that she was out with Jonathan and that they sometimes talk on the phone: “‘Be careful, Keisha,’ Mom warned. ‘Don’t let this go too far. He’s so much older than you are. That frightens me.’ Excites me, I thought” (152). Later that night, when Jonathan calls, he persuades Kiesha to attend the school’s Valentine Dance. Even though he will attend as a chaperone, he promises to take her to dinner afterward. Keisha agrees to attend.

The next evening, Keisha and Jalani are in Rhonda’s kitchen doing homework. Rhoda’s boyfriend Tyrone is also there because the group has been assigned a poetry project. Tyrone has trouble understanding the flowery language of poetry. He’s more comfortable with math or sports. However, Tyrone does manage to declare his feelings for Rhonda quite poetically: “I liked you before I loved you, and I respected you before I needed you. I want to be proud of my lady when she walks down the aisle in that white dress. I want it to mean something real!” (164). Rhonda’s mother catches her daughter kissing Tyrone for his romantic words and cautions the teens not to get carried away sexually.

After the study session, Jalani drives Keisha home. Jalani and Gerald are now dating. When Keisha complains that her parents don’t want her dating Jonathan, Jalani cautions her to beware of someone as smooth as he is. At home, Keisha gets a call from Leon asking her to be his date for the Valentine Dance. She agrees because he will provide a convenient excuse so her parents won’t be suspicious about her intended rendezvous with Jonathan.

The Valentine Dance is the second biggest social event on the school’s calendar. All Keisha’s friends are there. She chooses to wear a silver dress and the mysterious butterfly pendant she received for Christmas. Once the dance is in full swing, Keisha persuades Leon to enter the Swing Dance contest with Angel, which will give Keisha time to speak with Jonathan about their rendezvous later.

The Valentine Dance is the second biggest social event on the school’s calendar. All Keisha’s friends are there. She chooses to wear a silver dress and the mysterious butterfly pendant she received for Christmas. Once the dance is in full swing, Keisha persuades Leon to enter the Swing Dance contest with Angel, which will give Keisha time to speak with Jonathan about their rendezvous later.

Jonathan tells Keisha to meet him after the dance. He plans to take her to dinner somewhere special. Once Leon wins the dance contest, Keisha fakes a headache and asks him to take her home early. She promises to see him again later in the week. At home, Keisha finds that her parents have gone out to the movies. She scribbles a note to them saying she’s gone out again with her friends and then leaves to meet Jonathan.

Keisha climbs into Jonathan’s car, and instead of going to a restaurant, they end up at his apartment. Keisha balks at staying until she sees the gourmet dinner Jonathan has arranged for the two of them. His apartment is elegant and tasteful. Once again, Keisha is impressed by his sophistication, and he tells her that she is far more mature than the typical silly high school girl. Jonathan admires the butterfly necklace Keisha is wearing but says he didn’t give it to her. At this point, Keisha realizes the roses and the necklace were from her secret admirer, Leon. After the meal, Jonathan’s interest turns to romance. Keisha says:

He kissed me again, gently this time, slowly erasing my defenses just as smoothly as the teacher erased the chalk off the board at school. I felt myself fading again, but one level of my mind felt real fear—fear that I was in a situation way over my head (190).

Keisha panics and wants to leave, but Jonathan has locked the door. She says she’ll report him to the school, but he says nobody will believe she didn’t go along willingly with his plan. Then, Jonathan pulls out a small silver knife and threatens to hurt her if she resists his sexual advances. As the two struggle, Keisha receives a cut on the neck, but she gets the knife away from Jonathan and slashes his face. Then, she retrieves the door key and runs out into the street, shoeless and wearing nothing but her torn silver dress.