Read Schooled In Lies for Free Online

wasn’t even my fault,” she said bitterly.
    My ears perked up at that last part.
    “Whose fault was it?” I watched her closely. For a minute I thought she was going to say something. I could see the indecision in her eyes. Then, as if a curtain had fallen, her face went blank.
    “I gotta go. It’s getting late and I have to be up early tomorrow. Bye,” she said, avoiding my gaze.
    I watched as she pressed the button to raise her car window and stepped back as she pulled out of the parking space and drove away. I wondered. Could Julian’s death have been anything other than a freak accident and did it have anything to do with the missing money? And why didn’t Gerald seem at all surprised the money was gone?
     
    It was after nine by the time I left the high school, and I’d yet to eat. I called Carl to see if he wanted to meet me for a late dinner. He answered the phone on the first ring.
    “Hey, sweetie. Have you eaten yet?”
    “Um. Sort of,” he said slowly.
    “What do you mean sort of? Either you’ve eaten or you haven’t.” I laughed because I thought he was being silly.
    “Yeah, I just ate. I’m uh…I’m kinda busy right now. Can I call you back?” he replied with an annoyed little sigh.
    “What’s wrong?” I was confused by his tone.
    “Nothing. I’ll call you back, okay?” More sighing.
    That’s when it hit me. He hadn’t even referred to me by name and he was trying to rush me off the phone. He wasn’t being silly. He was being shady.
    “Where are you and who are you with?” I demanded, anger making my voice rise a whole two octaves.
    “I’ll give you a call tomorrow,” he replied quickly and then hung up.
    I was sitting at the light at an intersection staring at my cell phone with my mouth hanging open. No he didn’t just hang up on me. I hit redial twice and got his voice mail both times. I started to leave a scathing message when a loud car horn blasted from behind me and made me jump. The light was green and I sped through it, rounded the next corner, and coming to screeching halt in front of Frisch’s Big Boy. Hot fudge cake here I come.
    I was waiting to be seated in the near empty restaurant when I noticed a bald, brown-skinned, handsome older black man sitting at a booth in back. It was Reverend Morris Rollins. My stomach did a flip-flop. Morris Rollins was a local minister just as well-known for his way with women as for his fiery sermons. I’d met him a year ago, under tragic circumstances, and he’d been trying to get into my pants ever since. Not that the thought of letting him wasn’t extremely appealing; but he was old enough to be my father and I wasn’t sure how much I trusted him. I’d already locked lips with him on more than one occasion, which deep down inside made me think I probably deserved whatever Carl was doing behind my back.
    Rollins looked up suddenly like he’d sensed my presence, and his smile lifted me out of my murderous mood. He got up and came over to where I was standing.
    “She’ll be joining me,” he told the hostess, who went to put another place setting at his table. Then he grabbed my hand and grinned.
    “Kendra,” he said, pulling me into an embrace.
    “I know. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” I pulled back to look up at him. He was over six feet tall.
    “I haven’t seen you all summer long? You never returned any of my phone calls.” He led me back to his table.
    “I’m sorry. I’ve been busy with—” He held up his hand to stop the lie that was about to spring forth from my lips.
    “No problem. You don’t have to explain to me. I just moved on to plan B.” He was laughing at me like he always did when he knew I’d been avoiding him.
    “Plan B? What are you talking about?”
    “I know you come here a lot. Do you know how many nights I’ve eaten here trying to run into you?” he asked, suddenly serious. I was stunned.
    “You’re telling a tale and you know it,” I said, laughing nervously.
    “No, I’m