Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

An award winning and national best-selling author of over thirty critically acclaimed novels, Celeste O. Norfleet is a prolific writer of both romance and young adult novels. Her young adult novels are realistic with a touch of humor. They depict strong characters with unpredictable plots and have exciting storylines that delve into dramatic fiction reflecting current issues facing American teens. Celeste currently enjoys a quiet life in Virginia with her family.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Fast Forward

Kimani

?MySpace.com

I swear sometimes I think my life is a reality show and I just don't know it. The only things missing are commercial interruptions and that running thing at the bottom of the screen telling everybody about my mom, my dad and all my family drama. I can see it now, Kenisha Lewis Exits the Fab Lane: The Way it Ain't, in Her Not So Real World. The thing is, I keep waiting for the director to jump out and yell cut when my take's over. But it's not happening. 'Course everything else is. See, my life was clicking along just fine until my dad dropped his bomb that dumped me and my mom at my grandmother's place in D.C. He was tripping as usual. His skank-of-the-month is a hoochie-momma reject with two?almost three?kids. They're supposed to be my sibs. I don't know. Whatever. Anyway, my mom died and I found out about my real sister. Things just went sideways after that.

I don't know exactly when it all started, but all of a sudden things are just fierce, and not in a good way. After the summer I went back to my old school, Hazelhurst Academy for Girls, thinking everything would be like it was before. But it's not. Nothing is the same. I guess 'cause I'm not the same. It's like I grew up overnight, and everyone else is just standing still. I keep wondering when it all changed. Was it when my mom died, or when I found out that my cousin is really my sister, or when my ex-best friend, Chili, got pregnant by my ex-boyfriend, LaVon?

It didn't take long for word to get around about my mom and dad. Everybody knew they broke up and that my mom died after that. It still doesn't seem real. I keep waiting for her to call me and tell me that I missed curfew. I still have her last message on my cell. I can't erase it. It just seems wrong.

Anyway, the only thing keeping me even halfway sane is hanging with my girls, Jalisa Saunders and Diamond Riggs. They're still the same. We still joke around, and we still go to Freeman Dance Studio. Yep, it's still our place. It's the freedom to kick it out that really keeps me going. After everything, I just go there and chill. All I have to do is get through this new drama.

So now I'm sitting here, waiting in front of the guidance office. My turn is next. I know I'm gonna hear it, but it's not like I really care. I could say it wasn't my fault, but I know it was?at least some of it. I slapped her. But seriously, the shock on her face was worth it. She had the nerve to jump up in my face, so I handled it.

Open palm, all in the wrist, just like my mom said. 'Course, that started all kinds of screaming. Hazelhurst Academy girls don't fight, so the whole thing took less than three minutes to squash. But it was enough to get my point across. I guess she won't be up in my face next time. I smirked and looked across the open office space. Regan Payne was a skank with serious drama issues. We didn't like each other from way back in seventh grade. The only thing keeping me from whipping her ass back then was my grades. So now I'm done with all that. It doesn't matter anymore.

She's sitting across from me staring again like she think she wants to do something. You'd think she woulda learned by now. Her face was a mess. Well, I guess everything about her was a mess. She wore a hoodie to fight. That was so stupid. I grabbed hold and banged her face over half the lockers down the hallway. I'm not bragging. I really don't do the fighting thing, but I refuse to back down. So now she just keeps staring like she wants to go round two with me. "What?" I ask, in a threatening tone, "you think you want to step up in my face again?"

"Don't even think about it. Turn around." The gruff male voice made me look up seeing the security guard standing beside my chair. He had a bulldog face with a permanent frown that said he wasn't putting up with anything. Fine, 'cause for real this is so stupid. What did he expect me to do, jump up and start whipping on her again here in the main office? I think I made my point already. Her swollen bleeding lip and the weave tracks hanging out of her head was proof of that.

Anyway, a few minutes later my cell vibrates in my pocket. I already know who it is, either Diamond or Jalisa. They're my girls, even if they forget sometimes?forget to keep secrets?but we're still tight. They were there when it happened?when my mom died?by my side the whole time. You don't forget stuff like that. It was a long, hard summer, and by August things had just crashed and burned. I can't believe I actually thought September would be different, better. It wasn't.

I pulled out my cell and checked the number. I was wrong. It was LaVon. Seriously, I have no idea why that fool is still trying to talk to me. He knows his stupid behind is played out. I don't have time for his drama. And all that about him and Chili, he can keep that 'cause they sure 'nuff deserve each other.

"I know you don't intend to use that thing in here," the secretary said, eyeing me suspiciously, like I'd been holding a gun or something.

I looked at the cell phone in my hand then back up at her. She was always a pain in the butt. She acted like she owned half the school. "Get a life lady, you're a paper pusher, not queen of the world," I wanted to say that, but of course I didn't. "No, I was just checking the time," I said, as I closed the phone. "I don't have a watch anymore."

"It's third period, eleven forty-five," she snapped.

"Thank you," I said nicely and smiled hoping she actually thought I meant it. Man, going back to school was seriously harder than I thought. No lie, this place is working a sistah's nerves for real with everybody acting all strange and different. They should seriously check that stuff. The teachers were all sympathetic, and the students were just acting all stupid, more stupid than usual. Then it's the other side.

The jealous skanks that wanta step up in my face. Yeah, my candy-ass is still workin' it, after my mom, after my dad, after Chili and especially after LaVon. I'm still workin' it. That's why I had to step up and jump right back in Regan's face. She was getting all up on herself, like she don't know or something. I looked at her sitting there. She rolled her eyes. I just started laughing. This place is a trip. I don't know why I didn't see it before.

The door opened and Mrs. Hanover, the dean of students, stood waiting. She didn't say anything. She just stood there like I was supposed to be intimidated or something. Wrong. "Kenisha Lewis," the secretary said, rather than asked. Sitting behind her desk, she looked directly at me, I guess expecting me to flinch or something. Thing is, six months ago I would have. I would have just about peed my pants. Now, I just don't care.

"Yeah," I said standing, then sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes at Regan. It was childish, I know, but whatever. I was just so tired of all this fake drama. Everybody had something to say.

"Come in Kenisha," Mrs. Hanover said.

I walked over to the open door hearing the quiet chatter of the silly student aides over by the copy machine. They were looking at me and whispering. For real, sometimes I really hate this place.

I walked into the office. My counselor, Mrs. Clarkson, was sitting talking to my dad. Five guesses who they were talking about. My dad watched as I sat down in the chair...