What Goes Around by Denene Millner Page A

knew she needed to get out of Brookhaven, stat.
    â€œOkay, first of all, breathe,” Donald insisted, rushing up to Lauren and putting his arm around her shoulder. “Here, let me take your bag. You lookin’ a hot mess.”
    â€œWell, wouldn’t you have a fever if you found out your father was about to go to the clink?” Lauren snapped.“Dammit, I got one in jail; do I really need another one there?”
    â€œAlrighty, friend, calm it down, you’re talking awfully loud for someone who just had her business put on front street,” Donald said, looking around wildly to see who all was listening. “Let’s keep the details between us.”
    â€œDo the details even matter?” Lauren snapped. “I heard Caroline and them already plotting and planning how they were going to use this to take away my captain status. I mean, can you really imagine me on the squad and not in charge? Sweet Lord.”
    â€œAre you really going to worry about Caroline, Meghan, and Elizabeth taking your spot?” Donald insisted as he took her hand. “Honey, please. They only put the cute ones up front. You could totally put Caroline’s picture up on the refrigerator to discourage late-night snacking—she’s so not cute.”
    â€œBut being the prettiest girl on the team wasn’t part of Coach’s standards of conduct,” Lauren pointed out as she rummaged through her purse for her keys.
    â€œIt should be,” Donald said quickly. “When is an ugly captain ever acceptable?”
    â€œDonald, I’m being serious!”
    â€œSo am I,” Donald insisted. “Shoot.”
    â€œI can’t believe they were just walking down thehallway, shamelessly talking about me like I was invisible—or worse, like they didn’t care if anyone heard them.”
    Donald stopped short, right in the middle of the parking lot.
    â€œWhat?” Lauren yelled, her eyes darting all around the cars to see what had startled Donald. “What’s wrong?
    â€œI can’t believe you just fixed your mouth to say that!” he insisted.
    â€œDonald, what in the world are you talking about?”
    â€œYou just said they were talking about you like they didn’t care if you heard them,” he said.
    â€œYeah—and?”
    â€œSo who do you think they learned that from, Miss Put ’Em in Their Place?”
    â€œTrue,” Lauren said after a brief hesitation. “But still, that doesn’t give them the right.”
    â€œNobody ever gets permission to talk smack about somebody,” Donald said. “You sure didn’t. Those little girls learned how to diss and stomp all over people from the best: Lauren Duke.”
    â€œSo what you trying to say, Donald—don’t hold back,” Lauren said, taking off for her car, annoyed.
    â€œI’m not trying to say it—I am saying it: You’re the queen of social climbing, and these little bitches are going to try you every moment they get. You’re going to have tofight to keep your captain’s sweater and bullhorn. Don’t pay them any mind—go get what’s yours. And not for nothing? But I think Altimus can more than handle his own, so I wouldn’t be too worried about him, either.”
    Lauren took in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and pushed the UNLOCK button on her key ring. “I hope you don’t have any homework,” she said.
    â€œActually, I have enough calculus and AP physics homework to last me through my third year in grad school,” Donald droned.
    â€œWell, bring it with you—you can work on it while we’re at Justin’s,” Lauren said.
    â€œAnd what in the world are we going to be doing at Justin’s?”
    â€œWe’re going to strategize,” Lauren said, ducking into her car. “It’s. About. To. Go. Down.”
    And with that, Lauren started her engine.
    By the time she dropped off