Bad Girl

chp. 3

The day couldn't end soon enough. I had Lauren on the brain since she asked me if I wanted a ride home. My heartbeat was on a constant race against time, drumming itself to exhaustion. But when I thought of Lauren, about her touching me...I was far from exhausted.

The bell rang and I rushed to my locker.

"Hey," Dinah said as she loaded up her books. I hardly ever saw the girl take books home.

"Hey yourself." She watched me then shook her head. I tried to ignore her at first then glanced over at her and caught her trying to hold back a smile. It was like trying to ignore an erupting volcano.

"What?!" She just smiled some more.

"You are soooo sprung." She started to sing the popular R&B song, stopping only when I threatened to kill her in her sleep. "You won't be able to get in my house."

"You gave me a key to your basement last year." I said dryly. That shut her up. I jammed the last of my books in my bag and hurriedly zipped it up.

"You're gonna meet her aren't you?" I smiled and nodded my head. "I wanna meet her too."

"You're planning on embarrassing me aren't you?" She managed to look offended. If only I didn't know her so well. "Please Dinah, no big sister act okay?"

"I'd never do that to you!"

***

I stood at the hood of Lauren's car as she answered Dinah's questions in monosyllables. The only other answers would be a scowl or a raised eyebrow. I always wanted to learn how to do that. It seemed as if she mastered it.

"...and you better put your seatbelt on too. If I hear about you drinking and-"

"Dinah! That's enough!" I pulled her away and looked apologetically at Lauren who looked as if she was holding in a smile of her own. She shook her head and leaned against the car.

"I'm just checking her references." I looked at her until she rolled her eyes in defeat. "Okay, so I'm protective. Whatever, just drive safe and call me when you get home."

"I live 3 blocks away, Dinah." I said then hugged her. I stood back, surprised at her sudden mothering. "She'd never hurt me you know?"

"How do you know that?" I opened my mouth but realized that I had no answer for her. I just shrugged my shoulders instead.

"Oh go on before dark and brooding over there gets fidgety." I approached the car again and Lauren walked me over to the passenger side.

"Thank you," I mumbled as she held the door for me.

"You're welcome." She said then closed the door. Everyone outside was tinted in blue now behind the dark windows. I reached over and quickly unlocked her door before she could get the key in. She sat inside and turned to smirk at me as she started up the car.

"Thanks." I just smiled. I watched a Bronx Tale.

It purred to life. Heavy rock blasted from the speakers and she fumbled with the buttons to turn it off. It looked adorable to see her flustered, if only for a moment.

"Sorry," she mumbled. I giggled as she finally turned it off then shifted the gear. "There's a case in the back seat if you want to pick some music."

I grabbed it and began to flip through. The first few CDs were not so surprising, heavy rock, some names I didn't know, others I did. Aerosmith...MCR...but then I started to see CDs like Bach, Beethoven, Pachelbel...I pulled out the Pachelbel and looked over at her. She looked at me then at the CD then focused again on maneuvering though the mass of jaywalking students.