Read Online With Friends Like These by Reshonda Tate Billingsley - Free Book Online

you, Dana, LaQuanta, LaShauna, and Shereen, for giving me this opportunity.”
    How the heck did she remember everyone’s names?
    “This is your girl Tameka for Teen Talks . Until next week, see you out and about, because we’re all over town, gathering up the latest, hippest happenings to bring your way! Peace.” She flashed two fingers and smiled.
    I looked at Alexis, Jasmine, and Angel. Like me, their mouths were hanging open. Even the dang producers were smiling. I think all of us were shocked at how well Tameka had done.
    “Can you believe that?” Jasmine whispered.
    Too stunned to talk, I watched as Tameka walked off the stage with an air of confidence I’d never seen before. She came and took her seat back next to us and looked at us as if to say, “Take that.”
    “Well,” Shereen said as she made her way to the front. “You ladies did great. I definitely think we’ve found our host among you all.”
    Tameka stuck her chest out as she raised her hand. “Miss Young, will you all let us know how we did?”
    Shereen looked at the other producers and chuckled. “I guess you want to know if you were as good as you think you were?”
    Tameka looked like she didn’t know how to take that. Her smile started fading, but Shereen quickly made it pop back.
    “You were.” Shereen turned back to us. “All of you were, actually. But we’ll be in touch through Rachel and let you know where we go from here, all right?”
    Me, Alexis, and Jasmine nodded as we slowly got up to follow the intern out. Was my dream of hosting the show over as fast as it had begun? Of all people to lose to, why did it have to be Tameka?
    “Oh,” Shereen interrupted, “please let me add that this is still anyone’s show to win. No matter how well you did or didn’t do today, remember, the audition process is not over.”
    That made me feel better. Maybe I still had a shot.
    “Girl, you were off the chain,” the intern said to Tameka as she walked us back to the front. She and Tameka were walking a few steps in front of us. “Have you done TV before?”
    Tameka smiled. “I’ve been on Nickelodeon, and my cousin is a reporter at CNN.”
    “Oh, that must be it, because you definitely seem like a natural pro,” the girl said.
    Me, Alexis, Jasmine, and Angel all looked at one another and rolled our eyes.
    The intern turned back to us. “I mean, you guys did good, too,” she threw in before turning back to Tameka. “But girl, you got this TV thing down. I wish I was as good as you.”
    I shook my head. Why was that girl filling Tameka’s head?
    After today, I just knew Tameka and her attitude were only going to go from bad to worse.

12
Camille
    M y heartbeat was thumping so loud as I leaned up against the stairwell, trying to make sure they didn’t see me. I couldn’t believe my ears. My mother was listening to this crap like this woman actually had a point. Why didn’t she stop this woman’s crazy talk?
    “So, I think Camille is a really, really sweet girl. I love what you’ve done with her. She’s so articulate, and she carries herself just like a little young lady.”
    I waited for my mother to go off or say something to show that she was just a little bit offended by what this woman was saying. But nothing happened. I peeked around the corner to see if maybe my mother had used some kind of silent technique to drop-kick her without me knowing. Of course she hadn’t.
    They stood at the front door, inches from each other. I wanted to jump from my hiding spot up against the stairs and confront Walter’s mom myself, but it was obvious that being quiet and out of sight would be my better option.
    My mother was just coming in from her first job when Mrs. Lewis popped up. She hadn’t even made it in the door good when she looked up to find this strange woman standing there, smiling. Mrs. Lewis had called my mom for some reason earlier this week, but my mom wouldn’t go into details about what she wanted. But I’m sure she