Something Like You

Brooklyn put the last box of her things in the backseat of her black ’91 Toyota. Her dad stood in front of her car with his arms crossed. “You don’t have to leave you know. You can stay here while you go to college.”

“Dad, I am going to Orlando to be a singer. I’ll be fine. I have some college. I have enough money to take care of myself.”

“But what if your career doesn’t work out? Where will you be on 2 years in community college?”

“Dad, I’ll tell you what. If my career doesn’t work out I will move back here with you and go to a four- year college. But I’m going right now or else I would never know if it would have worked out.”

He sighed knowing that she would do what she wanted. “I love you Brookie.” They hugged as her father began to cry. She had been with him since the day she was born, the day that her mom died. She was the only thing that he had and she was leaving him. He knew that someday this day would come but it came too soon for him. “Call me as soon as you get there.”

She nodded. “Bye Dad.” She hopped in her car and drove off so her dad couldn’t change her mind. Once she stopped at a stoplight she popped in her Backstreet’s Back CD. Driving from Kentucky to Orlando will be tiring but she was up for the drive.

These days being beautiful got you into the music business. She didn’t think of herself to be a Jennifer Lopez or anything. She was 5’5”, slender, and of Spanish decent. However, she also had an amazing voice. It was one of those R&B/ Soul voices. She would sing karaoke at bars with her friends and she always got complements on her voice. That was when she decided to go into the music business. Of course when she was a little girl she wanted to be a singer, what little girl didn’t? However, she began to take it seriously when she started singing in front of people. She’d always sing songs by Aaliyah, Mariah Carey, or Christina Aguilera, three of her favorite female singers. Her friends were supportive of her chasing her dreams but her father on the other hand always wanted her to live with him forever and work at the store the rest of her life. She worked for him since she was 13 and had saved up $10,000 over a period of 8 years. She knew she was ready to go out on her own. She had taken care of her father her entire life, now he was alone, having to fend for himself. That was the only thing that worried her. He would be eating TV dinners and canned spaghetti everyday. Nevertheless, it was time for them to be on their own.

She drove all night and didn’t stop until she saw a sign that said, “Welcome to Orlando”. She then found a cheap motel and slept all through the day and night and didn’t wake up until nine that morning after. She had to go apartment hunting just to be able to get all the crap out of her car and find a job. She got in the shower and got ready in record time. She picked up a newspaper and sat in her room circling jobs she could do then called them. There was a job in particular that would be perfect for her. The ad said, “Receptionist for law firm. Computer skills needed. Call 458-8653.” She went to college for computers and customer service. It was perfect. She called and got an interview set up for that afternoon.

She then flipped the page and looked at apartments. She found a few she liked but she had one that she wanted in particular. “Large clean studio down town $525 all utilities included with parking, no pets. 545-5856”. That was perfect. She called and went down to look at it. She told them, without delay, she wanted it. She could move in tomorrow. She had everything worked out already.

She went and ate and then went back to the hotel and got dressed for her interview. She got the job. That called for a celebration. She decided to go down town and go to a nightclub or two. She got dressed in her dark denim jeans and a red spandex tank top. She went to a club called “Tabu” and got in right away since it was early. She went and sat at the bar and order a Mike’s hard lemonade and watched people dance. After a half-hour or so she had to go to the bathroom so she saw the sign for it and went towards it. On the way, she noticed a semi-circle booth with people sitting in there and three big men stood on the outside keeping people away. She walked past it and saw a guy and his girlfriend on the end then as she passed she got a better look on who was inside. The Backstreet Boys were in there drinking and having a good time. She went into the bathroom still star-struck. She was 21 and here she was acting like some 15-year-old girl. She went to the bathroom, calmed herself down, fixed herself up, and went back out there. She had to pass by the booth to get back to the bar so she did and didn’t look in that direction. She went back and sat down. She just sat there the rest of the night wondering how her life in Orlando would measure up to her life in Alexandria with her father.