Real As It Gets

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  “Where is your dealer?” I finally asked Piper.

  “Chill. I told you Antoine was going to meet me here, so he’ll be here. Don’t try to holla at him, though. We don’t mix business with pleasure,” Piper warned with a smile.

  “As if. Trust, I will not be trying to holla at a drug dealer.”

  “Hmph. When you see him, I bet this is one exception you’ll make because he is fine with a capital F.”

  I truly doubted that, but I didn’t say anything as Piper grabbed my arm and dragged me into the other room.

  “Come on,” she said. “You could at least try and enjoy yourself while you’re here.”

  The whole environment was so not my thing. It seemed like everyone was drunk or high or trying to get drunk or high. Then, there were people kissing and making out as if they were in the privacy of their own room. It was like one big freak fest.

  I made sure that I got video of everything. So far, I hadn’t recognized anyone. Dexter would be sad to hear that, but oh well, that really wasn’t my mission anyway.

  Finally, after about fifteen minutes, I asked, “What time is he going to be here?” I asked. I was hoping this thing didn’t end up being a bust.

  “He should be here soon,” Piper said, glancing at her watch as she sipped some strange-looking drink—something else I’d passed on. No telling what these people were putting in these drinks. After a few minutes, she looked around, then said, “Oh, there he is.” She grabbed my arm again and pulled me through the crowd.

  “Hey, handsome,” Piper said, wiggling up to a guy who had his back to us.

  “What’s up, girl?” he said, turning around.

  My mouth fell open as I yelled, “Travis?”

  He immediately lost his smile, and his eyes widened in horror. “Maya?”

  “You two know each other?” Piper said, confused.

  “Oh my God. What are you doing here?” I asked. I felt like I was in the middle of a bad dream.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” he replied.

  Piper looked back and forth between the two of us. “This is the guy that I was telling you about.”

  “This is your drug dealer?” I asked.

  She draped her arm through his. “Antoine prefers not to be called a drug dealer.” She giggled.

  “I don’t know what else you’d call it, Antoine,” I said, looking at my cousin in disbelief.

  “Let me holla at you,” Travis said, grabbing my arm and pushing me out the side door before I could protest.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked once we were on the back deck.

  “No, the question is, what are you doing?” I said, snatching my arm away. “You’re dealing drugs, Travis? Really?”

  Travis massaged the back of his neck. “Come on, cuz. Don’t do this to me.”

  “Answer the question,” I demanded.

  “I’m just dabbling in a little something.”

  “Peddling drugs to teens is not a little something.”

  He huffed, running his hands over his head. He seemed scared, nervous, and in disbelief. I guess he never expected to be busted.

  “So this is the job you have? Selling drugs?” I demanded to know.

  He spun on me. “You know, you’re trying to turn this all around on me. What are you doing out here trying to buy drugs?”

  “I’m working!” I exclaimed. “Trying to track down a drug dealer.”

  “For what?”

  “Because that’s what I do.” I inhaled and shook my head as I went inside my shirt and turned my hidden camera off. “I have a hidden camera and everything to record the jerk who’s selling people drugs!”

  Travis looked absolutely horrified. “Maya, what are you doing?”

  “I told you, busting a drug ring.”

  He shook his head and started pacing back and forth. “You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

  “Yes, I do. I just didn’t know my cousin was the drug dealer I was investigating.”

  Before I could say anything else, gunfire rang out. I screamed as I dove to the ground. People started frantically running out. Travis managed to grab my arm and pull me as he took off running.

  “Where did you park?” he yelled as we neared the street.

  My heart was racing. “I didn’t. I rode with Piper. My car is parked at the mall.”

  “Come on.” This time he didn’t wait for me to keep up. He didn’t have to. I was right on his heels, trying to get away and desperately wondering how in the world I’d ever gotten caught up in some madness like this.

  Chapter 24

  The ride home had been a quiet one. I was so flustered I told him just take me to our house. I’d get my car tomorrow. In addition to being scared out of my mind, I had an attitude and so did Travis, although I definitely couldn’t understand why he would be tripping with me. He was the drug dealer, not me.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” he finally said as he slowly turned his car onto our street. We’d driven the whole way home in silence. I was so mad at him I didn’t know what to do. I had been staring at him for the past fifteen minutes, and he’d just kept acting like he didn’t see me, until now.

  “Looking at you like what? Like, ‘wow, my cousin is really a drug dealer’?”

  “I keep trying to tell you, I’m not a drug dealer.” He gripped the steering wheel like he was trying to keep his anger in check.

  “Do you or do you not supply drugs to druggies?” I asked.

  He sighed like he wished he could make me disappear.

  I didn’t care. When I’d started digging into this story, never in a million years would I have thought my own cousin was behind it.

  “I just got a little side hustle going on, that’s all,” Travis said.

  “A side hustle? For what? If it’s for Aunt Bev, you know we’ll help.”

  He slammed the steering wheel with his palm, pulled into our driveway, took a deep breath, then turned to me. “You don’t know what I need, Maya, so stop trying to judge me.”

  “Oh, please,” I said. ”Matter of fact, does Aunt Bev know what you doin’? Is that why she wanted you to leave Brooklyn? Were you dealing drugs in Brooklyn?”

  He pointed a warning finger in my direction. “Like I said, shut your trap because you don’t know nothin’ about nothin’.”

  I shifted, turning in my seat so I could get a better look at him. “I know that even if you were slangin’ up in New York, you don’t need to be doing it now. I know that much!”

  “Don’t act all holy. You were there to buy drugs so it’s not like you’re some kind of angel.”

  “No,” I corrected him, “I was there to try and dig up dirt on the jerk who was dealing drugs that are killing people, so imagine my surprise when I find out the dealer is my own cousin.” I shook my head in disgust.

  “Why are you investigating this?” he said, exasperated. “I thought you were some kind of celebrity reporter. This ain’t even the kind of stuff you do.”

  “Usually, I am, but your drugs are hitting celebrities and now it’s personal, too. My friend Lauren could’ve died. Did you give her those drugs?” I stared at him, because if he had, then that meant he was responsible for Tabitha’s death. “Well, did you?” I repeated, waiting on him to answer.

  He shook his head. “No. I couldn’t meet Piper, so she told me she was going to call another guy.” He sighed. “It’s just a cheap high.”

  “It ain’t ‘just’ anything,” I said. “And I hope you’re not trying to justify this mess.”

  He looked flustered himself. “Maya, just drop it and mind your business, okay?”

  “Digging up dirt is my business.”

  He put his hand on my arm. “Maya, this ain’t no simple celebrity gossip. You don’t want to get caught up in this mess.”

  His voice was so serious it scared me. But still, I said, “You mean like you’re caught up?”

  “Look, just listen to what I’m saying.” He squeezed my arm. �
��This is serious. Leave it alone.”

  “You’re not the boss of me!” I said, jerking my arm away. “Maybe my dad can help you come to your senses.”

  He glared at me, his eyes blazing. “So now you a snitch?”

  I turned up my lips at him. “Oh, please with that ghetto foolishness. Number one, I snitch for a living. Number two, I don’t live by some kind of jacked-up street code.” I wasn’t about to tell my dad on Travis—he’d kill him if he knew he was associated with any kind of drugs. But if thinking that I might tell could make Travis come to his senses, then let him think it.

  “Maya ...”

  “No, Travis.” I stopped him. “This stuff is serious. People are dying.”

  Travis ran his hands over his face

  “Why are you doing this?” I continued. “You don’t have to. I don’t care what things were like back in New York. They’re different here. You don’t have to do it. Just walk away.”

  “It’s not that easy, Maya.”

  Silence filled the car.

  “So, I guess you’re gonna tell Unc?” he asked after a few minutes.

  I sat in the passenger’s seat with my lips poked out. I should march right inside and tell my dad everything. But even though Travis made me sick right about now, I really liked my cousin. If my dad found out he was dealing drugs, he’d have Travis on the first thing smoking back to New York.

  “I’m not gonna say anything.” I sighed. “But you gotta get outta that game.”

  He looked so relieved. “After tonight, I am. This could’ve ended real bad.”

  “Ya think?” I said, pointing to my lapel pin.

  “Okay, okay. It was just temporary anyway. Just don’t tell Uncle Myles.”

  I nodded. As long as he kept his word and got out of the game, I would keep my word and keep his secret.

  Chapter 25

  Travis and I stared at one another as he approached me in the hallway. I don’t think I’d ever had a time when my cousin made me as mad as I was right about now.

  I’d heard him on the phone last night, talking about making “one last delivery.” I’d busted in and charged him up. He’d been mad, talking about I was spying on him. Well, I was, but still ...

  “Okay, what’s going on with you and your cousin?” Sheridan asked as she noticed our stare off.

  “Hey, babe,” Sheridan said, leaning in and giving Travis a hug. He half-hugged her as he gave me the evil eye, which Sheridan immediately caught.

  She stepped back and looked between the two of us. “What’s up?”

  “Why don’t you ask your boyfriend?” I said, folding my arms across my chest. I know he was wondering if I had told Sheridan. I’d wanted to, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t want anyone, not even my BFF, knowing my relative was a drug dealer.

  Travis just kept glaring at me. “Are you two arguing again?” Sheridan asked. When neither of us replied, she shook her head like she was somebody’s mama and I was the child who wouldn’t listen. “Maya, get over it, okay? I told you, you’re just going to have to accept that me and Travis are going to be together.”

  I don’t know what Travis was doing to her, but maybe he’d been slipping her some of those drugs he was selling because, clearly, she had lost her mind. “Oh, you’re together, huh?”

  “Yes.” She leaned in and hugged Travis tighter.

  “Y’all boyfriend and girlfriend, right?”

  “You know that,” Sheridan replied confidently. Travis was standing there looking like a stupid bump on a log.

  “But does your boyfriend know that?” I half smirked as I turned to Travis. “Do you know that, Travis?”

  “Maya, don’t start with me.”

  “What does that mean, does your boyfriend know that?” Sheridan asked.

  Travis pulled her closer. “It doesn’t mean anything, babe. She’s trippin’ as usual.”

  Sheridan sighed, then looked at me all serious. “Why are you guys always fighting? You’re supposed to be family.”

  “Whatever, Sheridan.” I opened my locker, then threw my book inside and slammed the door. “Ask your boyfriend what’s wrong.” I rolled my eyes as I walked off.

  I had just made it out to my car when I bumped into my former Miami Divas co-stars, Evian and Shay. Our relationship had been rocky since all that drama, but I wasn’t in the mood, so I told myself to just be nice and keep it moving.

  “Hey, Evian. Hey, Shay,” I said as I approached them.

  They said hello back, even though I could tell they still had attitudes. But that’s okay. I knew after all the drama that went down, we’d never be the same.

  I was about to keep it moving when Evian said, “Hey, I saw you and your new guy at that new seafood restaurant the other night.”

  I stopped and turned back to her. “Sammy? Yeah, that’s my boo.”

  “Sammy?” Shay said, frowning like she was surprised. “What’s his last name?”

  “Martin, why?”

  I swear I saw a smirk on her face, but she didn’t say a word. If this girl told me she had been with Sammy, I thought I was going to die. “You know him?” I asked her.

  She smiled, but then slowly said, “Nah, I don’t.”

  I could tell Shay was lying. Even Evian looked at her strangely.

  “Come on, let’s go,” Shay said, pulling Evian away. “See you around,” she told me as Evian gave me a confused wave good-bye.

  Unh-unh. Something wasn’t right. As soon as I got in my car, I pulled out my phone and called Sammy.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said, answering on the first ring.

  “Hey.”

  “What’s wrong? Why are you sounding like that?”

  I debated coming right out and asking about Shay. I normally wasn’t the jealous, insecure type—I didn’t need to be. But there was something about Shay that got under my skin.

  “Hey, babe. Did you hear me? What’s wrong?” Sammy repeated.

  Just as I was about to say something, images of Sammy talking about the way his ex was trippin’ that night at the museum flashed through my mind. No, I wasn’t insecure and I wasn’t about to let Shay make me doubt my man. Or myself.

  “Naw, nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired,” I flashed.

  “Well, you can’t get too tired, because I’ll be through to swoop you up. What time will you be done taping tonight?”

  “I don’t have a taping tonight. So, I’ll be good after school. What are we doing?”

  “Just hanging out. We can go to my boy’s crib and chill.”

  “Why can’t we hang out at your place?” I’d been trying to get over to Sammy’s, but something always came up. I was beginning to wonder if he was like Alvin and lived with his mom, or worse, some woman. “You got someone living there that you don’t want me to know about?”

  “Come on, Maya. You know me better than that. I told you that they’re treating my place for asbestos. I know you don’t want to mess up that pretty little face by getting sick.”

  I definitely didn’t want or need that. But he’d been running that asbestos line on me since we met and it was truly getting played.

  He must have known I was getting an attitude because he said, “Don’t be like that, babe. There will be plenty of time for you to come over.”

  Since he was already trying to pacify me, I decided to go ahead and ask about Shay. “Well, look, there is something on my mind. I just bumped into one of my classmates and your name came up.”

  “My name? Why would my name be coming up with a bunch of high-schoolers?”

  “My point exactly,” I said. “One of my classmates saw us out the other night. But when she said your name, the other girl had some kind of reaction that I couldn’t read.”

  “What kind of reaction? And what girl is this?”

  “Her name is Shay Turner. She’s Jalen Turner’s daughter.”

  “Jalen, the basketball player?”

  “Yeah.” I held my breath. “Please don’t tell me you’ve ever gotten w
ith her.”

  He laughed. “Nah, boo. I told you. I don’t usually do young chicks. You are the one and only.”

  I didn’t know whether to be flattered or insulted. I knew I was mature for my age, but I didn’t like being referred to as a “young chick.”

  “I promise you, Maya, I’ve never gotten with anyone from Miami High so relax. Nothing for you to be stressed out about.”

  I don’t know why, but I believed him. Maybe because I knew Shay and while we’d buried our major differences, she wouldn’t hesitate to let me know if she had gotten with my man.

  “Okay, it’s cool,” I finally said. “I was just asking.”

  “Maya, one of the things you will never, ever have to worry about is some other girl stepping to you talkin’ about she’s doing anything with me. You got that?”

  “Got it,” I said, a smile finally creeping up on my face.

  “Now what time will I get to see you? After the day I’ve had, I need to just chill.”

  “Well, call me Dr. Freeze ’cuz helping you chill is my specialty.”

  “You are so corny.”

  “But you know you love it.”

  “That I do.” I laughed.

  “And I love you, too,” he said.

  That made me stop. A brief silence filled the line. Then I said, “I love you, too, Sammy Martin. I love you, too.”

  Chapter 26

  I fluffed my hair in my handheld mirror one last time, rubbed my lips together to make sure my lipstick was evenly smoothed out, then handed the mirror to my hairstylist, before turning my attention back to the camera.

  “Stand by,” my director, Manny, said. “Cue music, and five, four, three ...” He pointed at me to go. The theme music wound down and I immediately went into my zone.

  “Hello and welcome to Rumor Central, where we dish the dirt on the celebrities you love. Lovelies, grab your shovels because I’m about to give you the scoop! We all know the K2 craze is spreading like wildfire. Now you know I keep it real. I don’t usually get this real, but, folks, K2 is as real as it gets. This gossip diva has no idea what it is about this drug that makes celebrities—and people in general—willing to risk everything, but that’s exactly what it’s doing. Another A-lister has bit the dust—the K2 dust, that is.” I threw my hands up like I was confused. “Do you bite K2? Smoke it? Is it a pill?” I leaned in toward the camera in a dramatic fashion. “I wouldn’t know because I don’t get down like that. But do you want to know who does know?”