Doing My Own Thing (2 page)

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Authors: Nikki Carter

BOOK: Doing My Own Thing
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2
W
hen Sam and I step through the studio door and into Big D's tricked-out lounge, the tension is pretty thick. Dreya and Truth are sitting on one end of Big D's new white leather couch, and Shelly is chilling in one of the four huge, fluffy, white leather armchairs. Bethany is huddled on the other end of the couch and Dilly is at her feet on the floor, on a large pillow.
Everyone seems to be waiting for something. And the facial expressions are beyond stressed.
“You redecorated,” I comment to Big D.
“Shelly wanted to do all white and a big-screen TV, since Big D in the A Records is in the TV business now.”
“I know that's right! After our show airs on BET, it's gonna be on and poppin'. They're gonna sign us up for like ten seasons,” Dreya said.
Big D and I exchange glances. Apparently, he hasn't told Dreya about my reality show. I already know there's gonna be some mess behind this.
“But, I think before we even talk about that, we need to watch this DVD of our tour show. The one that's about to premiere on BET next Friday,” Big D says.
Truth says, “Did you already watch it?”
“Yeah, and for the most part, I think y'all are gonna be cool with how it turned out.”
Bethany lifts her right eyebrow suspiciously. “For the most part? What does that mean?”
“I don't think you have to worry,” Dreya says with a laugh. “The show isn't about you.”
“Ladies, please,” Big D says in his exasperated voice. “Let's just watch the DVD.”
Sam says, “What? No popcorn?”
“I know, right!” I add, hearing my stomach growl.
Big D replies, “I've got food on the way. Pizza, wings, pasta, and soda. It should be here soon.”
Big D walks over to the big-screen television and pops the DVD into a slot on the side. Sam and I both plop down into big leather armchairs. He takes the one closest to Dilly, and Bethany and I sit down nearest to the TV.
I look over at Dilly out of the corner of my eye. He's still mean mugging like nobody's business. We've got to get a resolution to this beef quick, fast, and in a hurry because I'm not working with him if he's gonna hold grudges.
“What is it with you, dude? Why you keep looking at Sunday all like that?” Sam asks, as if reading my mind. “You gonna have to fall back with all that madness.”
Dilly lets out a wicked-sounding laugh. “You her bodyguard or something?”
“You want to find out?” Sam replies.
“I'm supposed to be grinnin' and cheesin' at someone who almost got me kidnapped? How does that make any sense?”
I jump up out of my chair and scream at the top of my lungs. “How many times do I have to apologize to you, dude? You act like I'm the one who put together that plot! You should feel lucky we even deal with you at all, the way your brother and sister have threatened my family.”
Big D steps to Dilly and intervenes. “Listen here, son. The only reason you're in my camp is because Sunday and Mystique spoke up for you. Epsilon is really feelin' Sunday right now, so what's good for her is good for Big D in the A Records. Ya' feel me?”
Dilly nods. “Yeah. I feel you.”
“You start making her feel uncomfortable,” Big D continues, “then you're making me uncomfortable. And I'm not about to feel that way up in
my
spot, ya' dig?”
“Oh my God!” Dreya shouts. “She ain't the queen bee up in here! If dude is mad, so-freaking-be-it! Can we watch the video? I'm ready for my close-up!”
Leave it to Dreya to bring everybody's attention back to her. And I don't recall ever acting like I was the queen bee of anything. That was a true hater comment if I ever heard one.
“My baby's ready to see herself on TV,” Truth says as he kisses Dreya's neck.
My eyes widen a little when I see Dreya pull away from Truth as he tries to kiss her. It's a very small and subtle move that I would've missed if I wasn't glaring in Dreya's direction. Something is up between Dreya and Truth. I wonder if she knows about his and Bethany's extracurricular hookups while we were on tour. But, no, she couldn't possibly know about it, because Bethany is still her roomie.
Big D presses Play on his remote and our reality show's opening sequence plays over music from my album. It's my first single, “Can U See Me.”
I hear Dreya inhale a sharp breath and her eyebrows furrow into a tight frown. Houston, we've got a problem. For real.
I don't think it would be so bad if the opening sequence didn't have me posted up front and center, like the show is all about me and everybody else is my supporting cast. Dreya's and Truth's images are in the background right with Sam, Bethany, Big D, Shelly, Dilly, and Ms. Layla.
The last shot is some footage of me and Mystique where she puts her arm around me and hands me a microphone. I remember us goofing off and doing these poses in front of the BET cameras. I don't think anyone, most of all me, knew that this would be the end result.
Dreya looks madder than a bunch of hoodrats ready to fight over the last bulk of platinum yaki weave.
I take a deep breath as we go into the episodes....
 
 
Episode 1
All is cool in the beginning of this episode. The cameras show shots of the tour bus—the outside and inside. There's much footage of Dreya in diva mode, demanding cans of Sprite, extra pillows—her usual. They've got Aunt Charlie dancing, booty popping, and rump shaking. Everybody laughs out loud, even Dreya, when Aunt Charlie blows a kiss at the cameraman.
Next, there's a confessional with me, and I say, “I feel cool about going on tour with Truth.”
After they show that sound bite, they cut to a shot of Dreya marching around the bus, making demands. Then they cut back to my confessional.
“There's no beef. We're first cousins.” I see my face smiling at me on the TV screen.
Immediately, I notice that these two sound bites are from two different confessionals. My hair isn't even the same in the two shots. Next, there are confessionals from Dreya and Truth.
Dreya says, “Sunday wasn't supposed to be on this tour, but it's whatever. I'm the star and she's my opening act.... So it's whatever. We can all eat, right?”
I roll my eyes hard over in Dreya's direction. She's tripping! I can see right now, I was probably the only one trying to keep it positive on this reality show.
Truth's little sound bite isn't any better. “Sunday is . . . well, you know . . . she be playin' games and stuff. Ain't no beef at all. Her dude is even with us on tour. It's all gravy.”
I glare at Truth and Dreya and holler over the TV. “I'm playin' games? What the heck are you on?”
Truth laughs. “Girl, watch the show!”
I fold my arms across my chest and slump down into the soft leather chair. For the record, I do not like Truth or Dreya.
Episode 2
This show flashes back to me and Dreya trying on stage costumes at Ms. Layla's studio, and us learning choreography at Mystique's dance studio. I see that they don't mind showing stuff out of sequence.
The next shot is of Dreya in the confessional booth. She says, “Mystique's mama has absolutely no fashion sense at all. I can't believe I have to wear these ugly spandex unitards on my first tour! Why everybody got to be a fashion designer? I heard she used to be a caterer or some mess, but her daughter gets a record deal and all of a sudden she's a designer? Not!”
My jaw drops! I can't believe Dreya would go in on Ms. Layla like that. Can somebody say career suicide? Mystique is the number-one chick in the game right now, and there's nothing Dreya can do about that. She doesn't even qualify as Mystique's competition.
I cringe when they show a conversation that Dreya and I had at Mystique's studio about Sam and our whole prom fiasco.
She'd asked me about what happened and my answer was, “He didn't play me. I uninvited him. It's all good.”
Then these dang editors skipped the most important part of the conversation where I deny ever pushing up on Truth at the club (which is what started the entire prom fiasco). The next sound bite is Dreya saying, “I'm just saying, why Sam is not checking for you. But Dilly is. He's cute, but . . . you know.”
Totally uncomfortable in here right now. Sam is looking all kinds of crazy and Dilly has nothing to say about Dreya's compliment. He could've at least said thank you.
Episode 3
This is the prom episode! I sit back and relax myself, because even though I didn't go with Sam, my dress, hair, and nails are fiyah!
“We look good, Sunday!” Dreya gives me a high five in the air. I throw her one back.
Whose idea was it for us to watch this together? Now Dilly's got a smirk on his face, Bethany is all twisted up, and Sam has this glazed-over look on his face. This is all bad. I need the escape hatch right about now.
I didn't think this could get worse, but it does.
Up on the TV screen Dilly spins me around and says his little freestyle.
“I wish I had a million bucks, I do in my head/But I'd take a million of your kisses instead.”
Then, they show Sam touching my shoulder and telling me to have fun. I don't remember his face looking so sad when he said that, but I'm seeing it now live and in color. Finally the scene ends with Dilly putting his arm around me and whispering in my ear.
I know that Dilly was making me feel better about not going to the prom with Sam, but nobody in the viewing audience could hear that!
“Sunday . . .” Sam says. “For real?”
Sam gets up and storms out! I get up and follow him, because I can't let him think something crazy.
“Pause that, Big D. I'll be right back.”
“Drama!” Dreya hollers out with a laugh. I could smack her straight upside the head.
When I finally catch up to Sam he's standing outside Big D's house, bent over with his hands on his knees and panting like he just ran a marathon.
I run up behind him, my flip-flops slapping on the marble tiles. “Sam, please let me explain.”
“It really looks like you were digging Dilly. I feel like such an idiot,” Sam says.
“Listen, Dilly did me a favor by not letting me look like a lame at my prom. That's all there was to it.”
Sam turns to face me. “Sunday, come on. He was freestyling about a million of your kisses.”
“That was for the BET cameras, Sam! I promise.”
“So how many did he get?”
“How many what?” Then my eyes widen with disbelief. “Oh, come on! Are you serious, Sam?”
“I'm dead serious. How many kisses did he get that night? How much more than that did he get?”
I puff air into my cheeks and blow it out all at once, probably giving Sam a good whiff of my grape-scented breath.
“I did not kiss him, Sam! But how are you gonna be mad? Did you kiss Rielle at your prom?”
Sam is silent for an extra-long moment.
“I thought so. You're tripping with this double-standard stuff, Sam. For real.”
“I didn't kiss her,” Sam replies. “I thought about you the whole night.”
Even though most boys lie about this kind of thing, I believe Sam.
“So what are we gonna do?” I ask.
He shrugs and turns back toward Big D's mansion and reaches for the door. “Right now, we're gonna go finish watching this reality show. Then, after that . . . I don't know what.”
“Why don't we play it by ear?” I ask as I walk through the door Sam holds for me.
“Yeah. Okay.”
Whoever said that girls bring more drama than boys totally has it twisted. Sam is full of drama! He's worse than a chick.
Everyone stares at us as we come back into the room.
“What y'all lookin' at?” Sam asks with attitude.
Big D laughs out loud. “You run out the room like a little diva and then you wanna ask who's looking at you? I thought you wanted us to look at you.”
Sam snatches a couch pillow that was lying next to Shelly and throws it at Big D. Big D jumps up from his seat and puts Sam in a fake headlock.
“You straight, dog?” Big D asks.
“Yeah, I'm straight.”
Big D presses Play and we watch the rest of the episode. One positive thing I can say is that they leave out the fight between Aunt Charlie and Dilly's older sister LaKeisha. I guess that was too ghetto for prime time.

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