Fast Life (Kimani TRU) - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

An author, blogger, and model, Cassandra is most known for her young adult novels, "Fast Life" and "16 Isn't Always Sweet." She has since embraced the world of self-publishing with her new-adult romance, "Love, Lies, & Consequences (The Fast Life Sequel)" and "Paradise & Promises: An End to The Fast Life" coming summer 2017.

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Five, four, three, two, one, brrring!

The bell sounded, signifying the end to another day at John Marshall Metropolitan High School. Kyra Jones snatched her black JanSport backpack off the floor and rushed out of the classroom into the crowded halls.

Finally, the day is over! Thank God! "Cause I swear, if I had to walk to one more class in these shoes my feet would fall off. Damn Manolos! I knew I shouldn't have worn these to school, let alone bought "em, period. But damn, they're settin" off this new pink shearling my baby Kai picked up for me on his run to Detroit last weekend. Plus, they're the real Manolos. None of that fake Steve Madden these broke-ass ain't real. But you say that, they swear otherwise. They be havin" the nerve to try and stare me down, too, peepin" all extraclose tryin" to see if mines is real. But they already know the deal. They steady tryin" to lessen my rep as the hottest chick, even though this is only my second year here. But everyone knows that Makai and I are king and queen. We run this. I mean, Kai, for one, is geared and stays holdin' stacks. Not to mention he is sexy as hell! He got that whole sexy-thug thing goin" for him. I know any chick in here would love to get their hands on what's mine. Every chick trip. He never cheated. Our love is real. And as far as every his. There are little whispers and whatnot, but no one ever dares to step. No use. They would be laid back down automatically.

But don't get me wrong—not everyone stay hatin". I got my two best friends: Natasha, who is cool as hell and been down with me since kindergarten, and Mercedes, who probably done hooked up with the whole varsity basketball team and their daddies but is still cool. And well, Kai, he got his li'l crew, Reggie and them. They're high rollers, too. But none of them are anythin" like my baby Kai. As for all the haters, I just brush "em off. A chick like me got more important stuff to worry about. They're just tryin" to catch me slippin', which even in these four-inch heels ain't happenin'.

Kyra made her way through the crowd, holding in the urge to grimace from the pain in her feet and from the thought of the D minus she had gotten on her biology test. She knew her mom would have plenty to say about that. She always did.

As she stood at her locker putting away her books, a pair of big, warm hands slipped around her slim waist. Accompanied by the scent of Curve for Men cologne, that meant only one thing: Makai.

"Damn, baby. That shearling is bangin'," he whispered into her ear from behind.

"Yeah, my man got it for me," Kyra boasted with a smile.

"Who's your man? Do I know "im?"

"Well…" She began her reply as she turned around to stare into his eyes. "Everyone knows him. He's about six feet, lightskinned, hazel eyes, keeps his hair in braids, got a killa smile with some luscious lips. He stay fly, too. He's sexy with his."

"Oh, I'm sexy wit" mines, huh?" Kai smirked.

"Hell yeah."

Makai leaned in and pushed Kyra up against her locker and kissed her. Engrossed in each other, they were unfazed by passersby. That was until Natasha came and interrupted them.

"Ahem! Ahem! Excuse me. Excuse me!" Natasha loudly announced her presence while tapping her friend's shoulder to get her attention. "Sorry to interrupt y'all's li'l make out session, but Kyra, are we still hittin" up the mall or what? We need to get those "fits for the Black and White Party."

"Girl, we got plenty of time! That party is on Friday, and it's only Monday. Damn. This better be the biggest party of

"I didn't ask for all that mouth. You wanna say everything but give me an answer. So what's it gon" be?"

"We can go after school on…hmmm…Wednesday, okay? Is that okay, baby? "Cause you know I'm gonna need you to hook me up with some cash," Kyra said, her voice sounding innocent as she addressed her boyfriend.

"You know I gotchu, girl. Don't I always take care of you?" He angled her chin as he spoke and addressed her while looking deeply into her eyes. "You know I have to make sure my baby is rollin" fly through that party. You're gonna be the sexiest chick in there. No doubt," he added, and followed up with a peck on the lips.

"Second sexiest," Natasha piped up.

"Whateva!"

"Anyways, I'm gonna get going. But do me a favor?"

"What, Tasha?" Kyra's patience was wearing thin, and it was clear that she was annoyed by her friend's interruption. She was more than eager to return to her previous activity.

"Get your grumpy ass some before we go, "cause you're not rollin" with me acting like this." Her joke lingered as she hustled down the hall.

"Girl, shut your mouth!" Kyra half hollered, half laughed at her best friend. Natasha was known to be a trip sometimes.

"So are you ready to go, baby girl?" Makai had Kyra's undivided attention with those simple words before they headed down the hallway toward the exit.

The chilling Chicago wind whipped at Kyra's face and seeped through her clothes as she rushed to Makai's new red Cadillac Escalade sitting in the parking lot.

Makai was steadily coming up, and his role in the game was becoming more evident with each day that passed. He had a car so expensive that most people ten years his senior couldn't afford the monthly payments, let alone buy one outright. He didn't even have his license.

Kyra settled into the warm black leather interior and watched him navigate the Escalade. She studied him as he lit up a black cigar and leaned far back in his seat. His hat was so low she could hardly see his hazel eyes. Her gaze traveled down to his red T-shirt and his dark, baggy jeans all the way to his matching red Timbs. He was just so gangsta with his, and she loved it. She loved him.

As the car pressed on, Kyra was momentarily distracted when she saw a familiar-looking girl a little ways down the street. She was in the company of a tall, lanky boy. Kyra could see from a distance that he didn't have heavy pockets. Not at all.

When Makai pulled closer, she put a name with the face of the young woman. It was Mercedes, with a man by her side, as usual. It was rare to see her without one. Kyra rolled down her window and motioned for Makai to slow the car down.

"Mercedes! Call me later! I see you pimp!"

She rolled the window back up and sat back in her seat, laughing hysterically as they made their way down the street.

"Wasn't that that LaMonte walking witcha girl?" Makai asked, glancing over at his girlfriend, who continued to laugh.

"Yes! Ugh! What is she thinkin'? He is so ugly! And look, it's freezin" outside, and her ass is walkin" "cause he's too broke to buy himself a ride. He look like he got beat with the ugly stick, like he stole somethin"." Kyra was almost in tears from laughing so hard.

"You crazy as hell, I swear," Kai said, now laughing a little himself.

"That girl always got a man. Just last week she was wit" Andre, and now she's with LaMonte already," Kyra said.

"Chick just be runnin" through "em."

"You know my nigga Reggie hit that, too. Sorry to say, but your girl is a ho, H-O. Why do you even hang wit her?" Kai asked. "I don't want you to get a bad rep "cause of the nasty stuff she be doin"."

"I mean, I'ma let her do her thing. Who am I to judge what she do? That's my peoples." Kyra did her best to defend her friendship with Mercedes.

"I feel you, I guess," Makai said while turning up his stereo system. They continued to roll with the music blasting until they reached a red light. Makai calmly turned the black knob, decreasing the volume from his custom-made speakers. Then he fell back, relaxing deep in his seat as he stared over at Kyra.