Veronique by Victoria Christopher Murray

Author:Victoria Christopher Murray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2009-03-17T00:00:00+00:00

I heard the screeching before I even saw the car. And then Diamond came around the corner on two tires like she was about to hurt somebody. When she stopped, I wanted to laugh. But I cried.

“Vee, what happened?” She pushed the door open for me.

I could hardly talk. “Let’s…just go.”

It wasn’t until I was strapped into the front seat that I finally felt safe.

Diamond didn’t say a word. She didn’t even turn on her music. Just flipped open her cell. Right away I could tell she was talking to Aaliyah.

She told Aaliyah that there was trouble. “Meet me at my house,” she said. Then, after some silence, she added, “Have your dad bring you and India, and I’ll take you home.”

I was so glad that Diamond didn’t say anything else as she drove. She must’ve known that whatever had happened was serious, because she turned on some gospel music. I didn’t even know she had that stuff on her MP3. But it felt good to hear the man singing about trusting the Lord.

When we stopped in Diamond’s driveway, she took my hand and led me as if I couldn’t find the way by myself.

“What are we gonna tell your mom?” I asked.

“The judge is at a convention; she won’t be back til tomorrow, thank God. ’Cause you know she’d be all up in your grill. My dad’s here, but don’t worry. Just follow me.”

Mr. Linden was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper and puffing on a pipe. I didn’t even want to bother him. Just wanted to stand there and stare. This is how a normal family lived.

“Hey, Daddy.”

“There you are!” He looked up. “I wondered where you’d gone so fast.” He smiled when he saw me. “Veronique! How are you, sweetheart?”

He called me sweetheart—like I was his daughter. I did everything I could not to start crying again. “Fine.”

“So, what are you girls going to do tonight?”

“Practice. India and Aaliyah are coming over, too.”

He laughed. “So, our house is going to be filled with the joyful sounds of the Divine Divas?”

“Something like that.” Diamond kissed her dad, and I got one of those missing-feelings in my stomach. “When Aaliyah and India get here, can you tell them to come on up?”

“Will do.” He went right back to reading and puffing, right back to being normal.

Inside her bedroom, Diamond threw her purse on the bed. “Tell me.”

“I might as well wait until India and Aaliyah get here so I don’t have to repeat it.”

“Nuh-uh.” She waved her finger in my face. “You’re not gonna scare me like that and then make me wait. I’m not about—”

“Okay!” I held up my hands, knowing that she was never going to shut up. “It was D’Wayne. He tried”—I closed my eyes—“to kiss me!”

“D’Wayne the creep? Eeewww! Why did he do that?”

“I don’t know. Because he’s nasty?”

“Oh, my God.” She turned toward the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To tell my dad. D’Wayne needs to be arrested!”

“No!” I grabbed her arm. “You can’t say anything.

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