You Don't Know Me Like That (17 page)

L
ife could be so funny sometimes. That's all I could think as I sat at the high table in the corner of the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton Hotel. Our winter dance was going strong, and although this was no longer my scene, I had decided to show up just to get out of the house—and not to mention the extra credit points that I desperately needed. Because attendance had been so down at all these parties, the teachers had taken to giving us extra credit if we attended and stayed at least an hour. And since Mr. Patton, my calculus teacher, was watching me, I had forty-five minutes to go.

But it was all good. Of course I was getting my shine as always, with everyone coming up and talking to me about Jayla. I didn't know where she would be graduating from, but it definitely wouldn't be Miami High. If I had my way, it could be the state pen, but they said at most, she'd face some misdemeanor fraud charges. But the most important thing was I'd gotten her out of my life. And I knew the Internet wasn't going anywhere, but you'd better believe I was going to be a whole lot more protective and careful when I was online. Jayla had tried to ruin my life, and she'd almost succeeded, but good thing she didn't know me like that.

I also wanted to see how far that skank, Ariel, was going to get in this business. It would be interesting to see where she landed. But after I got through blackballing her, hopefully she'd land in the gutter. Yeah, I knew I should take the high road and leave her alone. But . . . NOT!

“Maya, you heard what I said?”

I had been so lost in my thoughts; I had forgotten Bryce was standing in front of me, giving me some whack apology.

“I'm sorry, what were you saying?” I asked.

He shifted. “I was just saying you're looking real good.”

I wanted to laugh. But I just took a sip of my drink. “I know.”

He smiled his half smile. “Well, I'm sorry I didn't believe you.”

“It's all good,” I said, stopping him. “It just showed me you don't really know me.”

“Come on, Maya,” he said. “It's not like that. I said I'm sorry.” He hesitated. “I really miss you. I was hoping we could pick up where we left off.”

I could only shake my head. “Nah, I'm straight. Let's just leave it alone.”

He looked dejected. “Can we at least be friends?”

“I don't need any new friends, Bryce.”

He blew a frustrated breath. “So how long are you going to have an attitude?” he asked.

“I'm not mad at you. You do you, and I'll do me.” I really didn't have an attitude with Bryce. He'd turned on me. Twice. He wouldn't get another chance.

“Seriously, Maya?”

Our conversation was interrupted by loud, piercing screams. Both Bryce and I looked in the direction where the screams were coming from. We didn't know what all the commotion was, but the girls were going crazy.

I noticed Darrell first, as he pushed his way through the crowd. I almost fell out of my seat when J. Love walked up to my table.

“What's up, ma?” he said, then turned and noticed Bryce. “Excuse me, man. Can I holla at my girl in private real quick?”

Bryce looked at him, then at me, then at Darrell, before stomping off without saying a word.

I crossed my legs but stayed quiet.

“Dang, you're looking good,” J. Love said.

“I know.” Could these dudes really not come up with any better lines?

Darrell was trying to keep the girls at bay, but J. Love didn't seem fazed. All his attention was on me.

“And to what does Miami High owe the honor of the great J. Love passing through its winter party?” I asked.

He laughed. “Oh, trust and believe, I'm here for one reason, and one reason only.”

“And what would that be?”

“I had some real important business to handle.”

“Don't you always?”

I couldn't help it.
Him,
I had a serious attitude with. I understood his being mad because of what he thought I did, but to not even give me a chance to be heard? That was foul. He had treated me like some chicken-head groupie, and I wasn't going to forget that so quickly.

“Well, look here. I saw the news article about everything that happened to you. Sorry I didn't believe you.”

I shrugged but didn't reply.

“Can we go somewhere and talk?”

“We're talking now.”

He looked around the hotel. “Yeah, but this ain't really my crowd.”

I held my hand out and pointed in the direction he came from. “Well, the door is that way.”

“Come on, Maya. I know I was a little hard on you, but I thought you had sold me out.”

“I told you I didn't.” I mean, I know I told Kennedi, but that didn't count.

“Yeah, but you know, I didn't know you like that, and I just didn't—”

“You're right. You didn't know me, and you refused to hear me. You said it yourself, we had a connection, yet you refused to hear anything I had to say. But it's all good.” I looked him up and down. “I understand you superstars gotta play it safe.”

He stepped closer to me and rubbed my thigh. “Come on, baby. You're a star, too, and you know we look good together.”

“Yeah, until the next time something happens to make you doubt me and you can't even bother to hear my side.”

“I apologized for that.” He actually looked like he was getting a little frustrated. “And you know I don't do this. I don't chase after no girl.”

I cut my eyes at him. “Did I ask you to come here? No, I didn't. So feel free to use the exit at any time.”

He stopped and laughed. “Girl, you're some kind of firecracker. Come on; let's get out of here. Let me go make it up to you.”

He reached for my arm, which I jerked out of his way. “Yeah, sorry, I'm not going to be able to do that. I don't want to leave my date.”

“What, ol' boy who just left? Your kinda sorta man?”

“Oh no.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Bryce is history.”

“Then what's the problem?”

“I have a date, and I'm not about to leave him and go run off, not even with the great J. Love.” I motioned to all the girls behind him, looking like they were about to pass out. “I'm sure you can have your pick of any girl in this room, so I'm sure you'll be okay.” I stood. “So, if you'll excuse me, here's my date.”

J. Love's mouth dropped open as the tall, lanky guy stepped up to me. “You have got to be kidding me?”

“Hello,” Alvin said, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

“Come on, Maya. Are you for real?” J. Love asked.

I just stood there, smiling. Alvin had cleaned up well. With the exception of that tweed blazer and those Coke bifocals, he didn't look half bad. After all he'd done to help me, I figured the least I could do was invite him to the dance as a way of saying thanks. And he'd shown up like a real gentleman, complete with a town car and roses. He had come in to meet my dad. Of course, my mom had been horrified, but at least she wasn't rude. I'm sure she was going to be waiting at home to hear all about how I hooked up with Alvin. But it wasn't even like that. I was still Maya Morgan, after all. I just wanted to give ol' Alvin a bright spot in his life by going out with him.

“I'm Alvin,” he said, sticking his hand out for J. Love to shake. J. Love just stared at him. Alvin dropped his hand, unfazed.

“Maya, you not gonna introduce me to your friend, since he's being quite rude?” Alvin said.

“Umm, yeah, this is J. Love. He's a singer.”

Alvin grinned at J. Love. “Oh, well, isn't that special. I've never heard of you, but you keep at it. I'm sure you're talented and can grow up to be like Chris Brown or something one day.” He patted J. Love on the shoulder. “Excuse me now. This is Maya's song, so we're gonna go dance.”

He took my hand and led me away.

I will never forget the look on J. Love's face, and Alvin didn't know it, but he had just earned major cool points.

J. Love was more my speed. And since Maya Morgan didn't do nerds, maybe I'd forgive him later. For now, though, I wanted to see him squirm. I noticed him standing there watching me with a smile while I danced with Alvin.

Finally, J. Love walked off, passing by me on the dance floor on his way out. He leaned in and whispered, “You're a piece of work, girl. But we
will
see other again.”

I was about to say something when Alvin leaned in and whispered, “But it won't be tonight, bruh. So keep it moving.”

I loved it! Alvin was showing me a whole new side. I just might have to get to know him a little bit better.

That's the beauty of being Maya Morgan. I had options, and a girl could never have too many of those.

 

 

 

 

 

The following questions are intended to
enhance your group's reading of
YOU DON'T KNOW ME LIKE THAT.

Rumor Central continues with
As Real As It Gets.

 

Coming in January 2014.
Wherever books and eBooks are sold!

 

T
he image on the screen gave me chills.

I knew Savannah Vanderpool. She was a beautiful, former Miss Teen Miami who had branched out to movies. We'd taken some modeling classes together when I was in middle school, and although I didn't talk to her much now, we kept in touch through Instagram and Twitter. It wasn't often that I gave other girls props. But Savannah had earned hers. She was Beyoncé, Ciara, and Megan Goode rolled up into one. A class act, that's who Savannah was.

Because this chick I was looking at right now was anything but classy. She looked like a crackhead, methhead, and dope fiend rolled up into one.

Savannah's eyes were sunken, almost like her face was swallowing them. She had dark circles around her eyes, and her face was taut and dry. Her once beautiful blond hair was stringy, and the dark roots were showing.

“Maya,” my director, Manny, whispered in my ear. “Go! You're live!”

I caught myself. I didn't usually let anything get me off my game when I was in hosting mode at my talk show,
Rumor Central,
but seeing Savannah's picture had definitely left me speechless.

“Wow, I guess you can say I'm a little stunned myself,” I continued, turning my attention back to the camera. “If you knew Savannah Vanderpool like I knew Savannah Vanderpool, you'd be just as shocked, too,” I spoke to the camera.

We'd gotten the story about Savannah's being arrested just minutes before I was going on the air. My producer, Dexter, had handed me a sheet with some limited information and told me to wing it. I had no problem with that, because dishing dirt was what had made me so popular on
Rumor Central
. I was even used to dishing dirt about my friends, especially because I was usually the one who had dug up the dirt. Even though I'd stopped airing my friends' dirty laundry, I had no problem digging in other celebrities' backyards. I had to. Since I had started
Rumor Central
a few months ago, it had become one of the hottest gossip shows in the country. We were syndicated, and my popularity was through the roof. Celebs as big as Usher and Rihanna called me when they wanted to “slip” out a little gossip, and other celebrities tried to become my best friends to keep their dirt off the air. So, a little scandalous story never shocked me. But this picture of Savannah . . . I wasn't ready for that.

“This is just in to the
Rumor Central
studios,” I continued, “so we haven't been able to get all the details, but rumor has it that this mug shot is from Savannah's arrest last night, after she caused a scene at the
Sports Illustrated
reception when organizers saw her and refused to let her go on stage. We're told Savannah was so high that she took off all her clothes and began running through the party screaming and crying as she destroyed everything in sight.”

I took a deep breath as an earlier photo of Savannah as Miss Teen Miami flashed on the screen.

“Apparently, Savannah was high on K2, a hyped up version of Kush, the popular synthetic drug sweeping the country. We don't know much about K2, but you'd better believe that
Rumor Central
is all over this story, and we'll keep you updated. I'm your girl, Maya Morgan, and we'll be back right after this.”

I tossed to the break and motioned for my new assistant, Yolanda, to get me some water. Usually, we kept it light and gossipy on
Rumor Central
. I didn't get all deep into stories, and this was exactly the reason why.

“You okay?” Yolanda asked as she handed me a chilled bottled water.

“Yeah, just trippin' over that picture.” I glanced over at the photo, which was back up on the monitor. I'd seen Savannah about six months ago, and she had looked fine. How could someone fall off like that in just a few months?

Dexter came over to me on the set as Yolanda scurried away.

“Great job, Maya. I got some more details. Apparently, this K2 is more powerful than Kush and getting really hot among celebrities.”

“Just wow,” I said, shaking my head again at the picture. I knew some celebs who dabbled in drugs, but Savannah had done a lot more than dabble. “I just can't believe that she's fallen off like that.”

“Do you know Savannah?” Dexter asked. “I mean, personally. I figured you did since you know everybody.”

Dexter was right about that. Before I was on air—first as one of the five members of the
Miami Divas
reality show, then as the host of my own show—I had already been at the top of the food chain as the leader of Miami's “it” clique. In fact, that's why I'd been approached to do the reality show in the first place. That show hadn't done as well as they had wanted, so they'd canceled it, fired the other four divas, and had given me my own show. That had been the smartest thing since the invention of the Internet, because in no time I had become the go-to chick for all the latest celebrity gossip, dirt, and entertainment news.
Rumor Central
had exceeded everyone's expectations and been picked up by several other cities.

My BFF, Sheridan, had been one of the
Miami Divas
who was fired and that had led to a whole lotta drama, but we'd squashed that and were back to kickin' it. I couldn't say the same about the other busters from
Miami Divas.
Shay, Bali, and Evian still had stank attitudes about the way everything went down. (They claimed we had had a pact to stick together and I had sold them in taking my own show. As if any of them would've turned it down if the shoe had been on the other foot. Whatever.)

“So, do you know her or not?” Dexter asked again, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I knew he wasn't asking out of concern. He was probably trying to see if I could get some kind of inside scoop.

“Yeah, I know her. Or, at least I
used
to know her,” I replied. “The Savannah I knew would never allow herself to look like this.”

“The research department is trying to dig up info on this K2, but apparently, it is a powerful, addictive thing,” Dexter said.

I didn't get it, because drugs were whack. Anything that took me off my A game, I didn't need to be doing. Savannah used to be the same way. Was this thing powerful enough to make her change her mind? I glanced at the picture again. Obviously, it was.