Boy Trouble by Reshonda Tate Billingsley Page A

you’re on one of those Disney Channel shows. You know Laura don’t play that.”
    Kennedi plopped down on the edge of the bed. “It’s Kendrick,” she finally admitted.
    Of course it is , I wanted to say.
    â€œWhat did Kendrick do now?” I asked. Besides bust you upside your head, I wanted to add, but didn’t.
    â€œHe’s not returning my phone calls.”
    I sat down next to her. It was time we had a real heart-to-heart because her obsession with this dude was borderline scary. “Kennedi, what’s really going on? You’ve never been into a guy like this where you’re getting all worked up and upset.”
    â€œI told you, Kendrick is different. We were meant to be together and now he’s talking about he thinks we need some space,” she spat, as she got up and started walking back and forth across the room. “Unh-unh, see he’s not about to play me like that. I gave him all of me—”
    I jumped up. “Whoa, Hold on, wait a minute. What do you mean, you gave him all of you?”
    â€œWhat do you think it means?” she snapped.
    I didn’t know whether to be hurt or shocked. Kennedi was the “I’m waiting till I get married” queen, so the fact that she’d chosen to lose her virginity to Kendrick was a shock within itself. But the fact that she hadn’t told me about it cut me to the core.
    â€œWow, I cannot believe that,” I said.
    â€œCan’t believe what?”
    â€œThat you didn’t tell me that,” I said, stunned.
    â€œI was going to,” she snapped. She ran her fingers through her long curly hair like she was really agitated. “You just don’t understand. I have a lot going on.”
    I stood to face her. I wanted to look her right in the eye because this had really hurt my feelings.
    â€œYou’re right. I don’t understand at all. I thought you and I were BFFs.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Maya. You’ve got a new BFF.”
    â€œSo is that why you didn’t tell me? Because I’m friends with Sheridan?”
    She let out a heavy sigh again. “Look, Maya, I’m seriously stressed out. I don’t want to fight with you. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to hear your mouth.”
    â€œHear my mouth? What does that mean?”
    â€œYou can be so judgmental sometimes. Like now.” She pushed past me and headed to the other side of the room.
    I turned around, too. “No, I’m just not understanding why it is my friend is all of a sudden acting like some kind of a mad woman behind this dude.”
    She spun around and I could see that she was crying. “He’s not just any dude. He’s my first, and as far as I’m concerned, my last.”
    â€œAnd what is that supposed to mean?”
    â€œJust”—she looked around—“can you just drive me to his house?”
    â€œKennedi,” I said, “I’m not about to go stalking some guy.”
    â€œYou’re not stalking him. I’m just trying to find him.”
    â€œAnd if he wanted to be found he’d answer your phone calls,” I said because I knew she had called him a hundred times.
    She fell down on the bed and burst into tears. “What am I going to do? What in the world am I going to do?”
    I know I probably should’ve walked over, hugged her, and comforted her or something, but I was too busy trying to figure out who in the world was this person lying on my bed and what in the world had she done with my friend.

Chapter 17
    I could not believe I was doing this, driving around like some hood rat chick, trying to track down a man.
    My BFF had clearly lost her mind.
    â€œTurn right there,” she hurriedly said.
    I side-eyed her, but turned in the direction she was pointing. I had initially refused to drive her so she’d asked to use my ride. She was all teary eyed and worked up, and the way