A Deep Dark Secret by Kimberla Lawson Roby

honey, you’re going to go over to your grandparents’.”
    “But why? Why can’t I go with Jill to the big dance?”
    “Because it’s only for the kids who go to Jill’s school.”
    Layla folded her arms and pouted. “I never get to do anything.”
    “Of course you do, pumpkin,” her father said. “You get to do a lot of fun stuff all the time.”
    “But I don’t get to go anywhere with Jill and her friends.”
    “That’s because you’re not old enough yet. But you’ll get there, and before long, you’ll be going to your own dances at your own junior high school.”
    Layla didn’t say anything else, but Jillian could tell she still wasn’t happy. She’d be fine, though, once she arrived at their grandparents’, because they always let Layla eat and do whatever she wanted. They always let her rule the house completely whenever she came over, the same as they’d done with Jillian when she was that age.
    After Jillian and her mom had cleared the table and loaded everything into the dishwasher, Jillian went upstairs and called Kyle. She had a lot of homework to do, but she didn’t want to miss talking to him for at least a few minutes. Interestingly enough, a few minutes turned into thirty.
    “You know I can’t wait to dance with you, don’t you?” he said.
    “Yes.”
    “And I hope your girls don’t mind, because I want you to be with me the whole three hours.”
    “They’ll be fine.”
    “I’m just making sure, because you know how much you guys like to stick together.”
    “Well, we already know Nikki’s going to be with Marcus the whole night, anyway.”
    “That we do, because Marcus has been bragging about it to the entire team all this week.”
    Jillian was mortified. “Oh my God. He’s been telling people about him and Nikki sneaking out of the dance tomorrow night?”
    “Of course he has. He also told us when he got it from her for the first time, too. He tells on all the girls he does it with. That’s just the way Marcus is.”
    “He is so wrong for that.”
    “Maybe, but if I were you, I would advise Nikki not to sneak anywhere with Marcus. Especially not up in those woods.”
    “Why?”
    Kyle paused and then spoke. “Look, all I’m saying is that Marcus can’t be trusted, and Nikki had better stop while she’s ahead. I mean, I don’t want you telling her that I said any of this, but you need to let her know that Marcus is planning to use her big time tomorrow night, and then he’s going to dump her. He’s been saying all week how tired he is of her and that he’s already got his eye on someone else.”
    “I told her to leave him alone in the first place. I practically begged her because I never liked him. I knew he was bad news and that Nikki was going to get her feelings hurt. But she wouldn’t listen to me.”
    “Well, she’d better listen to you now, because if Marcus says he’s going to do something, that’s exactly what he means.”
    “I’d better get off so I can try to call her.”
    “Remember what I said about not mentioning my name.”
    “I won’t.”
    “Okay, then, I’ll let you go.”
    “See you in the morning.”
    Jillian pressed the end button and dialed Nikki’s number.
    “Hey, Jill, what’s up?”
    “Not much. What’s up with you?”
    “Just trying on my outfit I’m wearing to the dance. Then I have some math to work on. Actually, girl, I’m surprised you’re not doing homework yourself, because by this time of night, that’s all you’re usually thinking about,” she said, teasing her and laughing.
    “I know, but there’s something I really need to talk about.”
    Jillian couldn’t believe all the lies she’d had to tell this evening. God, please forgive me. But I have to find a way to warn Nikki. “I was walking down the hallway at school and overheard some guys talking about you and Marcus.”
    “So what? People talk all the time.”
    “But this was different.”
    “Different how?”
    “They were saying that Marcus