#3 Turn Up for Real Read Online Free PDF Page B

believed in. She was an attorney. I had to speak her language and make a case for why she needed to chill.
    â€œWhat are you afraid of, Mom? You raised me right. I’m not going to be influenced by anybody else. Plus, her mom is a teacher at an elementary school. She teaches music, for goodness sake. It’s a two-parent family.”
    â€œThat doesn’t matter to me.”
    â€œI’m just giving you all the facts. It’s a good home. She doesn’t have an older brother. No one is going to be walking around naked.”
    â€œWatch your mouth, girl.”
    Irritated, I said, “I’m just sayin’. You have nothing to fear. I gotta grow up sometime, Mom, and make my own friends. The Sharp sisters are tight. With Dad running for mayor and all, the whole city knows that, but you know I’m the outsider. That’s why I hang with you more than anybody else. Shelby and Ansli pair up, Sloan and Yuri pair up, and then it’s just me. I finally found some girls my age that want to hang with me, some other juniors that want me to be in a singing group with them.”
    â€œYou want to be in a group now? Slade, really?”
    â€œMom, come on. Let me try my passion. I’m just asking for one night. Progress reports came out. I’ve got all As and one B. My room is spotless. I never give you any trouble. Give me a little leeway. Haven’t I earned that?”
    â€œAlright, alright, I’ll see, but I can’t believe you have me dealing with this now. You girls know I’m stressed dealing with this election. Get her mom on the phone.”
    Thankfully, the two career women talked like they’d known each other for a long time. They were definitely cut from the same cloth, and my mom felt comfortable that I could go, even though she did insist on dropping me off and meeting the rest of the girls.

    The girls’ reactions upon seeing me varied. Taylor was all excited to see me, and she reached out and gave me a hug. I guess I just assumed that the other two girls were on board with it; after all we had to practice, we had to bond, we had to really be a group. But I sensed—since their noses were all up in the air and their eyes were staring me down like I was the enemy or something—that Dayna and Caylen weren’t too happy to have me there.
    When Taylor told me to follow her to her room to put down my bag, I just shot a straight look at her and got right to the point. “Do Dayna and Caylen not want me here or something?”
    Almost laughing, like what I said was crazy, Taylor uttered, “No, that’s just how they are. The three of us have been tight for so long. Forgive them.”
    â€œNo, and I’m uncomfortable. I’m not trying to push myself on nobody,” I told her as I rolled my eyes.
    Trying to calm me by nudging me a bit, Taylor said, “You heard Mr. Mundy. He’s only looking for an even-numbered female group. They need you.”
    Standing boldly to not budge in my thinking, I responded, “Oh, so I’m supposed to be okay with however they treat me?”
    â€œYou want to sing, and without you the three of us are good. With you … we can be great. So much is on the line. We just need to put aside all the drama. Let’s get to know each other … it’ll be fun!” Taylor put her arm underneath mine and escorted me into the basement.
    â€œSo does this mean we can do what we’ve always done?” Dayna said to Taylor.
    â€œOf course we can. If Slade is going to be one of us she’s got to go through with the ritual,” Taylor replied.
    â€œThen what are you waiting for? Why didn’t you put the video in?” Caylen asked.
    â€œWhat video?” I yelled from across the room. I didn’t know if they were trying to keep it a secret or what, but I heard them, so I asked.
    Caylen asked, “Where is it, Taylor? Let me just pop it in. You think she can fit in with