Free Darkness Before Dawn by Sharon M. Draper Page A

called my mother at work, told her where I was going, and after listening to her warn me about frostbite and windburn, I fixed myself a cup of hot chocolate and got dressed. As I dug in my bottom drawer for my left glove, I called Rhonda, but there was no answer. So I called Jalani.
    â€œWhat’s up, girlfriend?” Jalani said.
    â€œNot much. For sure not the temperature. I must be crazy to think about getting out of my nice warm bed out into that freezing wet stuff outside.”
    â€œSo what’s making you go?”
    â€œJonathan Hathaway called. He’s taking some kids from school up to Perfect North Slopes to ski. I told him I’d go.” I think I sounded as if I was having second thoughts.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with that? Beside the fact that you’re gonna freeze your buns off, why not go? It’s not like a date, you know.”
    â€œI never said anything about a date!” I said defensively. I don’t know why that bothered me, but it did.
    â€œYou know he’s got a thing for you,” Jalani teased.
    â€œI know somehow he always seems to be around. But he does seem nice,” I admitted.
    â€œAnd he is
so
fine!” Jalani reminded me.
    â€œThat has nothing to do with it. I’m going to make him stop by and pick up Monty also. Monty likes hanging around us, and he needs to laugh and have a little fun.”
    â€œSo you’re going out with Jonathan to help Monty.”
    â€œI am
not
going out with Jonathan!” I yelled into the phone. “He’s just the driver.”
    â€œSure, Keisha. Have fun.” Jalani chuckled on the other end of the line. “I’m going over to Gerald’s to see how Angel is doing. Call me when you get home.”
    Jonathan arrived, eyes bright with excitement. He thanked me for giving up my warm bed and walked me carefully over the ice and slippery snow to the driveway where Rhonda and Tyrone and B. J., along with Leon and Marcus from the team, sat waiting in the back of Jonathan’s roomy Jeep Cherokee wagon. Jonathan wore a sky-blue down ski jacket with matching ski pants and hat,looking just like a model out of
GQ
dressed for successful skiing, while the others wore an assortment of school jackets and probably a couple pairs of jeans. He checked the angle of his cap in the rear view mirror, adjusted it slightly, then pulled off into the snowy afternoon.
    â€œI didn’t know you guys were going,” I said cheerfully.
    â€œWe didn’t either,” B. J. replied. “It just sounded like fun.”
    â€œHey, Leon, good to see you! What’s up?” I said casually.
    â€œChillin’!” Leon replied with a grin. Everyone laughed, especially since it was so cold outside. Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out a huge snowball. “Hey! This must be why my hands are so cold!”
    â€œLeon, you’re crazy!” I shouted. “Get that thing out of here!”
    Leon replied with a grin, “As you wish, my lady!” He rolled the window down all the way, while everyone inside the car yelled at him for letting in that blast of freezing air, and tossed the snowball onto the road. I just shook my head, laughing and marveling at the silliness of high school boys.
    â€œI tried to call you, Rhonda, but now I know why I got your mom’s machine,” I told her.
    â€œB. J. called and told me that instead of sitting through another boring physics lecture, we could experience it first hand!” Rhonda explained.
    â€œThe bell would be ringing right now,” B. J. reminded them.
    â€œAnd we would all lean over and get out our notebooks,”I began, thankful we were sitting in a Jeep Cherokee, not a classroom.
    â€œMr. Simpson would start to talk,” Rhonda continued.
    â€œHe’d turn on the overhead projector,” B. J. said.
    â€œHe’d dim the lights,” Leon added.
    â€œOur eyes would glaze over,” I said, as if in that