Darkness Before Dawn by Sharon M. Draper Read Free Book Online Page B

out here?” It was Rhonda and Tyrone, their shoes shuffling through the crunchy leaves, holding hands.
    â€œI run with the cross-country team a couple of times a week, remember?” I replied, as I bent over to stretch my leg muscles.
    â€œOh, yeah, that’s right. Girl, when I get with Tyrone, I forget everything!”
    â€œThat’s ’cause I’m such a powerful, potent dude!” Tyrone boasted, flexing his muscles like a bodybuilder.
    â€œYou talking about body odor or personality?” I asked him, laughing. Tyrone pretended to be offended. “What are you two up to?”
    â€œJust walkin’ and talkin’,” Rhonda said quietly. “’Bout college and stuff.” They fell into step with me as I walked back toward the parking area where the team bus was parked. Rhonda sighed. “You know, Keisha, in just a few months, me and Tyrone might be apart for years.”
    â€œIt’s not like we’re going to prison—we’re going to college,” Tyrone reasoned. “Besides, there will be lots of vacations and breaks that we can be together. Tell her, Keisha.”
    â€œI’m not gonna get in the middle of this,” I warned them, laughing.
    â€œDo you think it’s a good idea that me and Tyrone go to different colleges, Keisha?” Rhonda asked.
    â€œI don’t know. Probably. If your relationship is tight, it will last,” I said, kicking the leaves. “Doesn’t much matter what I think anyway. You two have got to figure out that stuff for yourselves.”
    â€œI got dreams, Rhonda,” Tyrone said, looking directly at her and ignoring me.
    â€œMe, too, Tyrone,” Rhonda said quietly.
    â€œLook, you two are crazy about each other. Don’t sweat it!” I interrupted. “I gotta catch up with the team before the bus leaves me. Rhonda, call me tonight.”
    I sped up and left them in the leaves. I felt uncomfortable trying to help them figure out something they had to deal with themselves, and it made me mad that I had nobody to worry about being separated from. I just sighed and ran on.
    When I got back to the bus area, most of the team was circled around Rita Bronson and Coach Jonathan Hathaway. Trying to figure out what was going on, I wedged my way into the group. Rita, one of the strongest runners on the team, was crying, and her sweats were all dirty and covered with leaves. One arm was bleeding, her neck showed a recent cut, and she was fiery-hot with anger.
    Jonathan was saying, “Rita, if you’d get to practice on time, you wouldn’t get lost and get yourself all bruised from falling in the bushes.”
    Rita’s eyes were slits of knife blades. “I hope you choke on your own spit!” She pushed through the group and ran up the hill away from the bus.
    â€œWe’ll discuss this later!” Jonathan yelled.
    Rita tossed a couple of choice obscenities over her shoulder and continued to run toward the darkness of the woods.
    â€œYou come back here!” he shouted. She ignored him and ran faster, disappearing into the woods. Trying to save face and not look quite so blown away, Jonathan clearedhis throat and announced, “We’d better go find her.” He sent everyone out in groups of three, but Rita was nowhere to be found.
    He took us all back to the school then, and filed a report about the “incident,” as he called it, including Rita’s disappearance into the woods. He tried to call her home several times, but no one answered. The whole scene was pretty weird.
    When I finally got home, I was really tired, and a little concerned about Rita. She and I had never been close, but I knew something more than being late to practice had led to Rita’s anger and disappearance. Rita was a senior—a strong runner, but she had often been in trouble at school. She used to cut class, she cussed out a teacher once, and she’d fight if you looked at