Eventful: the Baton Rouge Soap Opera (first chapter coming soon)

When everyday campus life turns into more than you can handle, Eventful promises to provide you with an escape. Much like university life in the south, Eventful speaks to people that you might see on campus, on the playing field or even at the parties. Eventful will place lights and a microscope on these college students and professionals living life in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. See what happens when appearances break down and real life issues are exposed. Ever wonder about the background of the campus beauty queen. Wonder what it’s like to be a star athlete, or even how one manages to cope as what everyone would deem a “nobody.” These five individuals will show you what it’s like to function in a university setting and believe you me, it will always prove to be Eventful.

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The Characters*

Cherise Babineaux

When eighteen-year old Cherise Babineaux stepped out of her mother’s car, she was filled with mixed emotions. Going to college was something that she knew would happen, but she just never pictured herself here. For as long as she can remember, she’d always imagined herself sitting in Death Valley. While growing up, she always watched Shaquille O’Neal play basketball. Her heart pounded everytime she would see the tiger cheerleaders run onto the court. That’s when she fell in love.

As many games as she watched, she never saw a girl who looked like she did. Yeah, her skin was light by most folks’ standards. Hell she could even pass the paper bag test, if they still did that. But she knew that she was black and she hoped that one day, just maybe, she’d get to stand on that court. She imagined herself dressed in a purple and gold uniform, listening as fans broke noise levels in the PMAC and Death Valley. But here she is at this stage in the game. Instead of fulfilling her dream, she was unloading her items in Baton Rouge yes, but not at LSU.

Her folks would never understand. They’d all attended USL. But they knew that from a young age, she’d dreamed about attending college at LSU. Her mother kept asking if she was sure. She said she was. If Nola hadn’t ruined it for her, she would be unloading her stuff across town. But because of her, she’d have to settle for SU.

Damn, why’d she have to show up? Who asked for her help? It’s gonna be a long four years.

Rashad Wallace

Life couldn’t be better for Rashad. He was entering his third year on the yard. He’d remained focused and now all of his dreams were coming true. His dad had traveled from Alexandria every year to let him watch one SU football game. His dad was a firm believer in supporting HBCU’s. He also felt that nobody could mold his son into the man that Coach Richardson could. So here he stood, all these years later throwing the ball around with some other players.

Although his dad wasn’t there to see him play, he knew that he was watching over him and he strived to make him proud. Here he was a junior in college, team captain of the Southern University Jaguar football team and online with the greatest fraternity ever known to man.

His dad had always taught him that behind every good man, there’s an even better woman. The only thing that Rashad was lacking, was a woman on his arm. One that he knew would make his dad proud. Yeah, there were many girls on campus, but he knew they were only out for one thing. He was aware of what the media was saying about him. He knew that they smelled NFL potential and they were in full force.

Wait, who is this little sexy thing? She has to be from Lafayette or somewhere in that area. They are known for those Creole women. Yeah, nice hair, light eyes and damn look at that ass. I think I need to go over and introduce myself. Hell, she might need a full blown welcome mat cause I know she ain’t never stepped foot on this here yard.

Nola Vincent

Nola was a twenty-four year old law school student. You’d never think that by looking at her, she’d grown up in New Orleans, Louisiana. While she did have that hard core mentality, you couldn’t tell from the outside. Who would have imagined that buying a little house on the Westbank would have made life so much better for Nola. Nola had managed to beat all the odds.

Nola’s mother Creola was born and bread in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. She’d met and fell in love with a man from the Crescent City. But, he was a few shades too dark. Let me stop sugar coating. He was the shade of midnight. When Creola found herself pregnant and unwed, she didn’t know how to break it to her family. So she bought a bus ticket to New Orleans. Once Nola was born, she knew her family would never accept her.

Nola was a beautiful girl by everyone else’s standards. Caramel complexion, with naturally curly hair and these dark brown eyes that just seemed to entrance anyone that stared into them. Problem was, she’d never pass the paper bag test. Creola knew how strict her family was about staying with your kind. So she did what any parent would do. She worked her way up at one of the French quarter hotels and she managed to provide a good life for Nola.

Nola had never disappointed her mother either. She was determined to prove to the Fontenot’s that she was as good as or even better than them. She’d managed to graduate valedictorian from Edna Karr and attended LSU on a full scholarship. And she didn’t stop at that. No, she’d also managed to be the first black Golden Girl and Homecoming Queen in LSU’s history. And on top of that, she’d managed to go around the paper bag test and became an AKA, even though she wasn’t the typical light bright and damn near white girl.

Nola had managed to accomplish a lot in her mere 24 years. She felt it was time to put the past aside. She wanted to get to know her mother’s family. The Fontenot’s. She was going to start by assisting her younger cousin Cherise with everything she needed to know about college. Besides, it wasn’t too late to try to get her to rethink her decision and enroll at LSU.

Corey Fascian

Corey is a twenty-eight year old guy originally from Slidell, Louisiana. He’d managed to be the High School Player of the year, after leading the Salmen High football team to the state championship. Corey’s family were what you would call “old money.” His dad, grandfather, great grandfather, etc. were all prominent attorneys on the North Shore. They never did approve of Corey’s athletic dreams. They felt that black men were being used by whites to make money. They also felt that getting an education from a HBCU was just not acceptable. Yeah, they’d all gone to Grambling for college and SU for law school, but these days kids had more opportunity.

When the coaches started coming to Corey’s games to scout him out, his dad threatened that if his grades slipped on point, he’d make him quit the team. Corey would never let that happen. He was on top of his football game, all the colleges wanted him and all the women did too.

When LSU offered him a football scholarship, he jumped at the opportunity. He felt like he was far enough away from the North Shore and the Fascian’s, yet close enough if he ever needed them. He promised his dad that he wouldn’t just be a dumb athlete. While he made this promise to his dad, he always knew that he didn’t want to be an attorney, nor did he ever want to reside on the Northshore. Too many memories in that town. So much at stake.

Once he got to LSU and started playing football, he realized that this football thing could carry him a long way. Classes were easier, women were swarming, there was nothing else he could have asked for as college student. He even managed to pull the tightest girl on campus, Nola Vincent.

Corey managed to go from a red shirt freshman, to a candidate for the Heisman Trophy. It wasn’t a matter of if he would be drafted, but which round he would be drafted in. Once he was drafted by the Miami Dolphins, that was all she wrote. Nola might have been a prize by Louisiana standards, but there were much prettier women on South Beach. After a couple seasons with the Dolphins, Corey found himself knocked out of the game, literally. He had received an injury that he could never quite recover from. So here he was, back at LSU. This time, as a defensive coach.

Kenisha Wallace

Kenisha was Rashad’s twin sister. While they may have shared their mother’s womb, that was about all they shared. Kenisha lacked the confidence and popularity that her brother seemed to be born with. He was the athlete and well, she was just Kenisha. Yes, she’d tried to make her parents happy. But she could never seem to get anywhere. She was overweight, didn’t have many friends and had finally recovered from a lifelong acne problem. And although the acne had gone, it left scars to remind her of its presence.

Kenisha studied her hardest. She’d managed to make the Dean’s List a couple times. But she was forced to obtain student loans to fund her education. While Rashad played football and was Mr. Popular, she worked as a Resident Assistant, just to try to save money.

And while she was proud of her brother’s accomplishments, she’d always wished she could just do one thing to make her parent’s proud. She knew that her mother respected the Deltas back home. Yeah, that’s it. If she could somehow manage to get the Deltas to accept her, well then her mom would have something to be proud of.

She’d sat and watched many days as those Delta girls walked through campus. They never even noticed her. She attended all of their programs. Never missed one event. Come hell or highwater, if they had something going on, Kenisha was there. But each time, they’d just sit and ask her again what her name was. It was no use, she wasn’t popular, wasn’t pretty, the only thing she had going for herself was that her brother was Rashad Wallace.

Here we go. Another one of those Lafayette girls. They get things so easily. I bet all of her family members are AKAs and they are just waiting on her opportunity to become one as well. I can see that this is going to be a long year.

Hi, I’m Kenisha Wallace and I’ll be your Resident Assistant this year. What’s your name? Cherise Babineaux, nice to meet you.

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* disclaimer: Eventful is a fictional series that takes place in Baton Rouge, all characters are complete works of fiction, and any assumed similarities to living or historical people is completely coincidental and unintentional.