“My God, for how long?”
“Can we get back to the topic at hand?”
He laughed. “Sure. Lucky for you, I heard the school’s bus route takes you halfway there.”
I scowled. “I know that. But the other half is just highway. No bus stop for miles.”
David nudged his chin to my feet. “Better wear walking shoes next time.”
I pressed my molars together, leaning back in my seat as I brainstormed other options. If we all chipped in, we could rent a car for the day. But the under-25 insurance fee would be a nuisance.
As my mind buzzed, I latched onto something that made me slowly smile. David sensed my change of mood in a heartbeat.
“Shit,” he mumbled under his breath.
“I have your next dare,” I taunted with a grin and paused for dramatic effect.
David motioned for me to continue. “Go on then.”
“I dare you to be an honorable BWD member this weekend.”
He looked unimpressed. “That sounds impossible.”
I shook my head. “Not at all. Our group isn’t exclusive. We’re focused on the development of Black women on campus, but are welcoming to allies.”
David glanced at me. “Honorable member means…?”
“Help prep and attend any events. And what do you know, we have one this weekend!”
“Yay,” he mock-cheered. “Exactly how I wanted to spend my day off.”
I smiled. “This will be perfect. You’ll pick us up in the library parking lot at eight.”
“Nine,” he bartered. “There’s a team run at seven. I need time to shower.”
“Fine. Nine,” I agreed with a sigh and mentally recalculated the schedule. “I expect you to bring a great attitude. My members must meet a high standard. I’ll expect no different from you.”
“You realize you’ve just invited me on a day trip, right? The nearest beach is two hours away. And that’s without traffic.”
My forehead wrinkled. “Of course I know that…”
David smiled at me. Seeing the smug curl of his lips made me rethink what I’d gotten myself into.
“What are you… what’s the problem?” I asked, knowing he wouldn’t share but hoping there was some sense of kindness left in his cold, little heart.
“No problem. I’m just looking forward to spending some extra time with you,” he said. “Have you ever realized we only ever hang out at night?”
“I suppose. It’s the only time we’re free,” I said, trying to suss out where he was going with this.
David nodded, humming in agreement. “Guess you’re right. It’ll be nice to see you in daylight, though.”
“I don’t see how that’s going to change anything.”
“It does, Daredevil,” he said. “Trust me, it does.”
4
I wasthe first to arrive at the agreed meet-up spot for my org. I stepped into the library as the sun barely peeked over the horizon. Though the cafe wasn’t open, the seating area was. The scent of coffee lingered in the air from late-night orders. The cafe’s walls were sandy white, and the tile was a few shades darker. It required focus not to slip each time my heels came in contact with the freshly mopped floor. I slowed my pace, doing my best not to face-plant before getting to one of the plush yellow couches. As soon as I sat down, I opened my laptop to get some work done.
