Darkness Before Dawn

Because Keisha and her classmates are high school seniors, they struggle with transitioning from childhood to adulthood. As members of the most advanced class in their school, they see themselves as more experienced than the younger students. While this might be true, they are far from ready to deal with adult problems in the adult world.

One of the most adult problems they will face is whether or not they are ready to engage in sex. Initially, this theme of sexual maturity is introduced by Keisha’s two friends, Rhonda and Tyrone. They’re in love and seem eager for a physical relationship but receive warnings from parents about the risks and consequences involved. Tyrone wisely doesn’t pressure Rhonda to have sex with him. Instead, he talks about waiting long enough to see her in a white dress on their wedding day.

Unlike Tyrone and Rhonda, Keisha is less interested in sex than in the idea of dating someone older. To her, this would be a sign of her maturity. Jonathan deliberately flatters her into believing she is much more of an adult than other girls her age. Unfortunately, Keisha is the only one who can’t see through Jonathan’s transparent manipulations. She and her mother argue about her lack of judgment: