Real As It Gets Read Free Page A

didn’t run in my circle—replied, “Girl, you haven’t heard?”
    â€œHeard what?” I wanted to add, “Dumbo,” because if I’d heard where he was, I wouldn’t have asked her.
    â€œLin got on some of that stuff.”
    â€œWhat stuff?”
    â€œHe got some bad Kush, apparently some kind of intensified Kush, and they had to rush him to the hospital. His brain is all jacked up,” she said.
    â€œWhat?” I asked in disbelief.
    â€œYeah, he ...” She stopped talking when the teacher walked in and shot us be-quiet warning looks.
    I was speechless anyway. Our celebrity circles were one thing. I knew sometimes things could get out of hand there, but if this drug was making its way to my classmates, it was a lot bigger than anyone might have ever thought!

Chapter 3
    I was a little surprised to see my dad’s car in the driveway when I made it home after school. He usually didn’t get in until really late during the week. I knew my mom had her sorority executive board meeting and wouldn’t be bothering me. So, I’d actually been looking forward to a quiet evening at home. I still hadn’t caught up with Kirby, and wanted to try and do some digging myself to find out more about what had happened with Savannah.
    But just as I was about to complain, images of this new Christian Dior dress I wanted popped in my head. Even though I had my own money, I’d much rather spend my dad’s, so I’d been meaning to ask him to buy me the dress for this party I had coming up. Now would be the perfect time.
    â€œDad,” I called out as I set my keys on the kitchen counter and dropped my messenger bag on the floor.
    â€œMiss Maya,” Sui said in a chastising tone. She gave me a stern look, then motioned toward the floor. I gave her a look right back.
    â€œI asked you not to leave your bag in the floor,” she said.
    â€œIsn’t that what we pay you for?” I glanced around the room. “Where’s my dad?”
    I could tell she wanted to say something, but she just gritted her teeth and said, “He’s in the living room,” as she bent down and picked my bag up off the floor.
    I walked through our spacious kitchen and into the front room. “Dad ...” I stopped in my tracks when I saw my dad—and the person standing in front of him. “Oh. My. God! Travis!” I raced over and threw my arms around my favorite cousin. “What are you doing here, boy?”
    â€œCan you at least say hello?” he asked after hugging me. Travis stepped back from me and gave me the once-over. “Let me get a good look at you, girl. You ain’t a little nerdy chick anymore,” he said, turning me around.
    I put my hand on my hip and cocked my head. “I was never a little nerdy chick, sweetie.”
    â€œMy bad.” He laughed. “You’re right. You always were a diva.”
    â€œHello, honey,” my dad said, coming over and kissing me on the forehead.
    â€œHey, Dad.” I turned right back to Travis. “What’s going on? What are you doing here?”
    Travis lived in Brooklyn, New York. I hadn’t seen him since my grandfather’s funeral last year. But up until then, we used to be “thick as thieves,” as my grandfather used to like to say. We were close in age (he was only a few months older than me), and he was the brother I’d never had. Travis and I still talked via text, but I had always said that there was nothing like actually hanging out with him.
    Travis didn’t answer my question; instead, he just looked over at my dad.
    â€œWhere’s Aunt Bev?” I asked. Aunt Bev was my dad’s older sister and his only sibling. They weren’t that close, but I just assumed it was because my dad was a workaholic and really didn’t have time for anything but work.
    â€œWell,” my dad began, “we wanted to surprise you.” My dad