phone rang just before she sprinted out the door for school. She almost didn’t answer it, but when she glimpsed Raven’s number on the caller ID, she scooped it up with a quickness. It had to be something juicy or it could’ve waited until they hooked up at their lockers.
“Hey, girl. What up? Why aren’t you on your way to school?” Tia asked.
Raven cleared her throat, “I feel like shit, T. Cramps. You know how it is.”
“Yeah. I feel you. So what’s up? You want company or something?”
Tia perked up at the thought of a ditch day--even if it was with Raven.
“Nah. Actually, I need a favor. Think you could do something for me?”
“For sure. You know I got your back. What is it?” Tia asked.
“There’s a little problem I need to fix…”
Tia got to school early, before the masses started rolling in. She casually strolled down an empty hallway until she came to a particular locker. She glanced over her shoulder then reached into her purse and pulled out a note. Tia slipped the note into one of the slots on the locker door. A devious grin spread across her face.
By the time Jasmin made it to the same hallway it vibrated with activity. She forged through the crush of bodies with an easy, determined stride. When she reached the row of lockers she stepped to hers and spun the lock.
Jasmin unlatched the door, and a note fell out. She smiled. Must be from Sage. She scooped the note up and unfolded it.
Her smile faded as soon as she started reading: Bitch, stay away from my man. Or I'll mop this school with your ass!
The words made Jasmin’s breath catch in her throat. She flung the note away from her, scrubbing her hands on her shirt like she'd been contaminated by some caustic substance. She bit her lip to stall the tears pooling in her eyes.
A random foot in the crowd stepped squarely on the note and kept right on trekking. The sight of the dirty black shoeprint contrasted against the clean white paper made Jasmin’s vision blur.
She snatched the note off the ground and crammed it in her backpack. Jasmin scanned the sea of faces swirling around her, foolishly thinking she could get a fix on a likely suspect. Even if she had seen Tia hanging around a few lockers away from hers, Jasmin wouldn’t have recognized her as someone to be leery of.
Royally pissed and deeply hurt, she slammed the locker door shut. She tucked her head down and tackled the swirling concourse of bodies in the hallway.
At lunchtime the cafeteria was full of the usual chaos--blaring music, banging trays, unceasing chatter. Sage walked in. He zoned in on Jasmin right away. Sage bounded over to her table like a big goofy puppy. All smiley-faced, he confidently commandeered a seat across from her.
"Hey, what's up?" he chirped.
Jasmin gave him a look icy enough to induce frost-bite. She grabbed her things and switched tables. Sage followed her, his face full of question marks.
"Hey, what's wrong? What did--" Sage asked.
"Stay away from me, okay? Don't speak to me. Don’t call me. Don't even let me cross your thoughts. You’re a liar, Sage. And the last thing I need in my life is another lying man." Jasmin threw a wadded napkin at his chest to emphasize her point. She got up and stormed out of the room.
Sage was paralyzed, too stunned to give chase.
At home after school, Sage sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. The phone rang. He ignored two rings. Then something dawned on him and he lunged for the cordless. It might be Jasmin.
"Hello!" He didn’t even try to disguise his breathlessness.
"Sage?" It was Raven.
Sage exhaled loudly.
"Yeah. What do you want?"
"I need to see you. Can you come over?" said Raven.
The sound of tears in her voice softened the tension in his body.
"What's wrong, Raven?" he asked. His tone a lot more patient
“Hey, girl. What up? Why aren’t you on your way to school?” Tia asked.
Raven cleared her throat, “I feel like shit, T. Cramps. You know how it is.”
“Yeah. I feel you. So what’s up? You want company or something?”
Tia perked up at the thought of a ditch day--even if it was with Raven.
“Nah. Actually, I need a favor. Think you could do something for me?”
“For sure. You know I got your back. What is it?” Tia asked.
“There’s a little problem I need to fix…”
Tia got to school early, before the masses started rolling in. She casually strolled down an empty hallway until she came to a particular locker. She glanced over her shoulder then reached into her purse and pulled out a note. Tia slipped the note into one of the slots on the locker door. A devious grin spread across her face.
By the time Jasmin made it to the same hallway it vibrated with activity. She forged through the crush of bodies with an easy, determined stride. When she reached the row of lockers she stepped to hers and spun the lock.
Jasmin unlatched the door, and a note fell out. She smiled. Must be from Sage. She scooped the note up and unfolded it.
Her smile faded as soon as she started reading: Bitch, stay away from my man. Or I'll mop this school with your ass!
The words made Jasmin’s breath catch in her throat. She flung the note away from her, scrubbing her hands on her shirt like she'd been contaminated by some caustic substance. She bit her lip to stall the tears pooling in her eyes.
A random foot in the crowd stepped squarely on the note and kept right on trekking. The sight of the dirty black shoeprint contrasted against the clean white paper made Jasmin’s vision blur.
She snatched the note off the ground and crammed it in her backpack. Jasmin scanned the sea of faces swirling around her, foolishly thinking she could get a fix on a likely suspect. Even if she had seen Tia hanging around a few lockers away from hers, Jasmin wouldn’t have recognized her as someone to be leery of.
Royally pissed and deeply hurt, she slammed the locker door shut. She tucked her head down and tackled the swirling concourse of bodies in the hallway.
At lunchtime the cafeteria was full of the usual chaos--blaring music, banging trays, unceasing chatter. Sage walked in. He zoned in on Jasmin right away. Sage bounded over to her table like a big goofy puppy. All smiley-faced, he confidently commandeered a seat across from her.
"Hey, what's up?" he chirped.
Jasmin gave him a look icy enough to induce frost-bite. She grabbed her things and switched tables. Sage followed her, his face full of question marks.
"Hey, what's wrong? What did--" Sage asked.
"Stay away from me, okay? Don't speak to me. Don’t call me. Don't even let me cross your thoughts. You’re a liar, Sage. And the last thing I need in my life is another lying man." Jasmin threw a wadded napkin at his chest to emphasize her point. She got up and stormed out of the room.
Sage was paralyzed, too stunned to give chase.
At home after school, Sage sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. The phone rang. He ignored two rings. Then something dawned on him and he lunged for the cordless. It might be Jasmin.
"Hello!" He didn’t even try to disguise his breathlessness.
"Sage?" It was Raven.
Sage exhaled loudly.
"Yeah. What do you want?"
"I need to see you. Can you come over?" said Raven.
The sound of tears in her voice softened the tension in his body.
"What's wrong, Raven?" he asked. His tone a lot more patient
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