Keesha's House

Content Warning: The section of the guide discusses substance abuse, drug violence, anti-gay bias, child abuse, sexual abuse, incarceration, and bullying.

Stephie is 16 and pregnant. Her body is getting bigger: She ate a donut, but she needs more food. Jason, her boyfriend and the father of the baby, mentions abortion, but Stephie isn’t interested. She doesn’t feel like she can have the baby on her own. She doesn’t feel comfortable telling her parents or Jason’s parents, who have high hopes for their son. Stephie assumes her parents won’t react harshly, but Stephie doesn’t want to disrupt the “carefree” teen image they have of her.

Keesha goes to Stephie’s high school. Keesha knows where young people can go and live if they’re in trouble. Stephie acts like she doesn’t need such a safe space, but Stephie wishes she knew the precise address.

Jason is a star high-school basketball player, and he’ll likely earn a basketball scholarship for college. As Stephie’s pregnancy preoccupies him, Jason misses a free throw, losing his team the game. His coach thinks Stephie is “lovely,” and he wonders if they’re dating. Jason thinks about the norms of the coach’s world, where a person went to college and then got married.