A Heart Divided by Cherie Bennett Page B

establishment just like anyone else,” Big Jimmy told Luke. “But you play my jukebox or you play nothing.”
    Luke feigned incomprehension and cupped his ear. “Could you repeat that, suh? Cuz you knows we people is kinda slow.”
    Big Jimmy glowered. “Don’t give me that bull, Luke Roberts. Do I need to call your daddy?”
    I couldn’t imagine Luke Roberts backing off because someone threatened to call his daddy. But to my surprise, after a brief staredown, he turned away, pulling his friends in his wake. They threw some money at the cash register and dodged around a skinny white couple in matching NASCAR T-shirts. The male half of the couple did an exaggerated double take as Luke and his friends stormed out the door.
    Crystal groaned. “Oh no. It’s Boozer and the Skank.”
    “Heading this way,” Tisha added.
    Now I recognized them from the under-the-bleachers, nicotine-for-lunch bunch. They were indeed heading right for us. “Who are they?”
    “Jared Boose and his girlfriend, Sandy Kincaid,” Tisha said.
    “Better known as the Skank,” Crystal added. “Low on the food chain. She actually tried to join Crimson Maidens her freshman year. It was so pathetic.”
    Sandy Kincaid didn’t look like someone I’d have any particular desire to know either. But something about Crystal’s comment rubbed against the grain. “I thought Crimson Maidens was open to anyone,” I said, all innocence, curious to see how she’d respond.
    “Oh, sorry, Kate, but you needed to sign up the first week of school,” Crystal replied. “I don’t think you’d enjoy it all that much anyway. It’s just a bunch of girls who—”
    “Hey, ’sup, Slick?” Jared asked, offering Jack the latest variation of a fist bump. Jack was too polite not to do it with him. Crystal didn’t get to finish her sentence, and I didn’t get a chance to explain that I knew all I needed to know about Crimson Maidens. Like I would ever want to be a part of
that
little club.
    “What the hell was Luke and them gorillas doing in here?” Jared went on. “Taco Bell ain’t good enough all of a sudden?”
    “I guess they didn’t want tacos,” Jack said, his voice even.
    Jared smirked. “Yeah, they wanted ′em some
white
meat.”
    “So
not funny,” Tisha snapped.
    “Don’t get your panties in a wad, girl. Hey, was Nikki and them out front when y’all got here? They’re still harassin’ people to sign their damn petition.”
    Jared’s unvarnished racism and the oh-so-superior attitude of Jack’s friends was making me insane. “You mean this petition?” I plucked a copy out of my purse. The temperature dropped enough to flash-freeze the burgers, but I plunged on. “Anyone care to sign?”
    Jared jeered at Jack. “You better get your lady in line, Slick.”
    Through clenched teeth, Jack told Jared to stop calling him Slick. And to mind his own business. And to get his own table. Now. Jared looked like he wanted to lob a comeback but didn’t have the nerve. So he and Sandy slunk off.
    “Thank you, Lord,” Tisha said.
    “Kate?” Chaz pointed to my petition, which was still on our table, one corner now soaked in iced tea. “Could you put that thing back where it came from?”
    “What do you have against a vote?” I asked. “This is America, that’s how we decide things.”
    Chaz shook his head. “Having a vote would just be just the tip of the iceberg. What comes next? See, what these people really want is to take away our heritage. You’re not from here, there’s no way you can understand.”
    I plucked the petition from the wet spot. “I’m trying to understand
.
To me, that flag just stands for racism.”
    “Lord, I’m sick of hearing that,” Crystal declared. “I love that flag, and I don’t have a racist bone in my body.”
    “That’s what I’m saying,” Chaz agreed. He clapped Jack on the back. “Tell her how it be, Redford.”
    “I think Kate has a point,” Jack said.
    Chaz chuckled. “What, I’m a