Free Hotlanta by Mitzi Miller Page B

don’t you let me take you out for dinner Friday night? I’ll pick you up.”
    â€œAwfully cocky of you to drive all the way from the West End to Brookhaven Prep to hook up with the head cheerleader and expect I’ll just say yes,” Lauren snapped, closing her cellphone.
    â€œUh, awfully cocky of you to assume that the only reason someone from the West End would come here is to see you,” Jermaine snapped back, staring into her eyes without so muchas a flinch. He snapped his CRAZR closed. “Look,” he said, taking a breath, “it may sound corny, but I think you hitting my car happened for a reason, and I can’t get you off my mind.”
    Lauren giggled. She could feel her heart skipping a few beats as she considered, even if for a moment, what it would be like to be wrapped in his arms. But wasn’t no way he was coming to the Duke house—at least not while Lauren’s parents were home.
    After staring into his sexy eyes for a beat, Lauren decided to let him take her out. “Sure. But I’ll meet you there,” she said, fiddling with her keys.
    The rattle of the keys made Jermaine look at Sydney’s car. “Damn, your daddy didn’t waste no time getting you a new ride, huh?”
    â€œActually, that’s my sister’s car,” Lauren said. She quickly decided she didn’t want to get into details with him on the torture Altimus had exacted on her for getting into her last wreck. “Mine is, um, still in the shop. How about you meet me at Lenox Mall? We could grab a bite to eat and maybe check out a movie. Let’s say, eight-thirty sharp?”
    He leaned in and kissed her cheek ever so softly with those juicy lips. “Don’t be late,” he whispered, and then swaggered toward his car. He tugged his hoodie over his head to stave off the early evening chill. Lauren watched him, grinning, until he disappeared into the raw Atlanta sunset.

9
SYDNEY
    â€œOh, my God, I almost forgot to tell you! So remember that guy I told you about? The one I met the other day while I was in the golf-pro shop looking for my dad’s birthday gift? Well he finally called me,” Carmen blurted out as soon as the end of period bell sounded. “Do you think it’s a bad sign that it took him two days?”
    â€œIs that so…” Sydney replied simply as she stood and gathered her English Lit books from her desk. Although Sydney normally enjoyed hearing all the juicy details of her best friends’ boy escapades, she was still way too stressed out from the whole Marcus and Dara situation to serve up meaningful relationship advice at the moment. Add to the equation that she was now being forced to chauffeur around the same trifling-ass twin that essentially conspired to sabotage herrelationship and Sydney felt on the verge of a straightjacket-worthy meltdown. The only thing stopping her from checking into the nearest rehab facility was the anticipation of seeing Dice again. When he called on Sunday night, they made plans for her to try to swing by after school that week if she could get out of debate-team practice.
    â€œSydney! Did you not hear a word I just said?” Carmen questioned a little too sharply for Sydney’s taste as she stopped dead in her tracks. “You’re not still mad about what happened after the last committee meeting? ‘Cause I mean seriously, you know Rhea didn’t mean—”
    â€œCarmen, please. I am not even thinking about Rhea’s over-the-top theatrics.”
    â€œSo then, what’s wrong with you? You didn’t return any of my calls all weekend, yesterday you weren’t in school, and you’ve been like, absolutely mute all day today,” Carmen insisted, obviously unwilling to budge until Sydney came clean about her funny attitude.
    Sighing, Sydney readjusted her new gold-mirrored Louis Vuitton doctor’s bag on her forearm while making a mental note not to