"Days Like This"

       (Achana POV)

       I watched as the crowd of reporters flashed their cameras quickly, as we all smiled and tried to looked presentable after only 3 and a half hours of sleep. My best friends and I made up a group called Easha (E-AH-SH-AH) , thought of by using the last letters of all ours first names. Danielle, Achana, Crystal (Kris), Monica, and Akilah. Each of us had our own look, our own interests, and our own personalities, and we had just dropped our first album "Introducing Easha". This press conference was to discuss our upcoming tour, our first time ever headlining our own tour, and any other question they throw at us.

       Our manager, Livia, tried to quiet the crowd so the first questions could be asked, after a moment a tall dark haired man stood up, "How does it feel to be asked to headline in competition next to already established artists like Nelly, B2K, and Ashanti?"

       I looked around before answering, I loved to answer questions as long they stayed out of my personal life, "It feels wonderful, a little mind boggling, but still wonderful. To think our album only dropped 8 months ago and we've gone Gold in 25 countries as of 4 months ago is a lot, and to be asked as new artists to headline is so exciting."

       That man sat down to be replaced with a blonde haired woman, "Can any of you verify the rumor that you all will be joined by another headliner?"

       I didn't want to take that one, so Danielle took it, she was probably the best at this whole press thing, "We've been asked to CO-headline with another artist, but there are no guarantee's at this moment."

       The woman didn't seemed to be pleased with that short and simple answer, "So is there anyway that you MIGHT be joined by your label mates, B2K, this summer?"

       Crystal being the person that she was hated to hear anything repeated after being answered, "As Danielle said there is NO WAY we can verify ANYTHING you may have heard."

       The blond woman finally sat down then a short black man stood up, "Knowing that longevity is one of your goals do you think there that maybe there is a way to guarantee that?"

       Monica's soft spoken public voice, she never was soft spoken when just around us, hit the mic, "There isn't anyway we can promise longevity, we just have to keep making music that the fans enjoy, that's the closest to a promise as we can get."

       He wrote that down before looking at another question on his little note pad, "This question is for all of you, how are your relationships holding up with the strain of fame?"

       Crystal proudly took that first, she had been 'linked' to Kyjuan of the St. Lunatics for months now, and you and I both know what 'linked' means, "Personally mine is aiight, I've been in a steady relationship since January and I can promise you fame is only an added bonus."

       We all held in our giggles as Akilah spoke next, she was probably the one that regretted fame the most, she lost all of her privacy and she's still not used to it, "Well like all celebrities a lot has changed but thankfully my personal life hasn't been effected too badly."

       She looked at me before she finished that, and I knew she was referring to my on and off again boyfriend Xavier. Next the question came to Monica, she on the opposite hand has her eye on someone already quite famous, but she always fakin like we don't know, "Um, I agree with Akilah, my PERSONAL life is doing as well as expected."

       Everybody looked at me since I was sitting next to her, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, I liked press conferences but not this aspect, "Relationships are hard enough alone, fame is just another pressure to deal with, but I think we have all dealt with it well enough."

       Everyone's eyes moved from me to Danielle, the press waiting for her to answer, and those who know her wondering about the whole situation with another man in her life. De'Mario Thorton, best friend, label mate, and ex-boyfriend.

       (Danielle's POV)

       I could tell by the look in my friends eyes that they were thinking about De'Mo, damn it had been a while since I'd even seen him. But ever since the day I found out that he had hid that he was joining a group it hadn't been the same, but these last few months I've been helping Achana with Xavier and trying my best to keep Livia from making us go on tour with De'Mo's group. But that looks like a downhill battle, his group already accepted the invitation, and well Achana with her business mind is tired of me stalling.

       I bit my lip before I even opened my mouth, I glanced at Livia saying with my eyes that this was the last question, "Achana said it for me, relationships are hard enough on the real, so fame is just another dimension to contend with."

       Before I knew it we were all being ushered out of the store and through the backdoor to the waiting truck. Not seeing many of the fans waiting out in front of the store, the bodyguards had us out and in the truck in 5 minutes flat. In these last couple of months we have gotten used to the rush, and not being able to interact with our fans.

       They had us stacked in a Black Denali with tinted windows, you know the kind with 2 back seats. Livia was in the front driving, Akilah was in the front passenger seat, I was sitting beside Monica, and Achana was in the very back with Crystal. Crystal was already on her cell with Kyjuan as usual, they talked every second possible, it was almost cute.

       Achana tapped my head, I turned around looking at her, waiting for her to speak. I was the oldest out of the group, then Crystal, then Achana, then Akilah and Monica, we all acted like sisters and I was the oldest and bossiest at times. She pulled her braids out of her face before speaking, I could see she was trying to keep from thinking about Xavier, "So you know the first day is in STL right?"

       "Yea, you know Crystal invited Juan to join us for that day and some mo." I said sticking a gummi bear in my mouth, knowing Achana and Crystal were gonna jump me for them in a minute.

       Achana shook her head eyeing my gummi bears before I knew she had the whole bag, "Fo'sho, oh yea, Livia signed them papers for the double headline this mornin before the PC."

       I was reaching for my gummi bears before she said that but the moment she said 'signed' my hand fell and my face dropped all expression, "What?"

       Achana laughed quietly looking over at Monica who had turned toward us, "You were there, weren't you Moni?"

       My head flew toward Monica waiting for her to answer as she took some gummi bears from Achana, Monica nodded her head while chewing before speaking, "Yeps, she signed and Chris Stokes signed, EPIC is real happy now. Cuz now we gotta do a PC in a week announcing it to the public, then 3 days later we start a 2 month long rehearsal before the tour starts in July."

       Chris Stokes and our record company EPIC can only mean one thing, B2K, De'Mario's group, my heart was beating way too fast, "Damn."

       Akilah turned around in her seat as Livia changed lanes on the freeway leading to the hotel, "Don't you mean....De'Mo."

       Everybody was laughing except for me, our publicist is going to have a lot on his hands now, "Shut up Aki."

       This is going to be a long summer, I can't be around De'Mario and not go crazy, everybody think it's only gonna be problems for me, they so wrong. Everybody is gonna go through some shit, just cuz me and De'Mo have a history don't mean it won't be the only rocky road to travel.

       (Crystal's POV)

       It took about 15 minutes to get to the hotel, and a long, SILENT, 15 minutes it was. I'm guessing Chana had just told Danielle the news, we all knew she had issues when it came to De'Mario. But anyways, a lot of musical groups claim to be close like family but we don't claim to be close we are close. Like sisters, we got together 4 years ago in high school, Aki and Moni were freshman's, Achana and me were sophomores, and Danielle was a senior. We originally got together just to win a talent show, but it ended up being so much more than that. After winning the talent show we decided to stay together, 3 and a half years later we landed a record deal with EPIC, and just 8 months ago we dropped I.E. -- Introducing Easha.

       I was sitting on my bed trying to watch TV, cause you know TV is not something I get to enjoy very much. But when that knock came on the door I knew my relaxing time was over, Livia walked in first followed by the girls all looking exhausted in their own way.

        Before I even go into the meeting let me tell you about my best friends in the world, first my closet friend Achana. Miss Perfectionist, everything has to be just right or she will stress, she's so hard on herself sometimes but that always means her work will be her best. She's my girl to the end but her choices in niggas had led me to start my OWN search for her soul mate, she found mine and Ima find hers. Monica, the one most like a baby sister, she's so shy, and me and Achana are so not, but once Moni gets on stage it's like a whole different girl. Akilah, her and Monica are as close as me and Na Na (that's what I call Achana), she is original, and has a personality that knocks you down sometimes. Now on to Danielle, mother, sister, best friend, business woman, and media personality. You can't say anymore than that, she's the glue that keeps us together, she's the cement that makes up our foundation.

       Livia stood in front of the TV as everyone sat down and looked expectantly at her, Livia was a friend of Danielle's sister who offered to manage us at the very beginning and lucky enough for us we accepted. "OK I'm guessing by now all of ya'll know that you won't be headlining alone."

       I didn't say anything, I didn't care as long as we toured, but Danielle just had to ask, like she didn't know, "So with who?"

       Livia looked over at Danielle like she asked the dumbest question in the world, "B2K, who else? Now in 3 days we will all be going to a place in the country for rehearsals and just down living for 2 and a half months before the tour."

       Monica looked around before she asked a question that definitely on all our minds, "Why do we have to live with and rehearse with them for that long?"

       "EPIC wants good chemistry, and the only way that can happen is if ya'll get to know each other. It won't be that bad, it's not like it'll only be you 9, the back up dancers, choreographer, and Chris Stokes and I will be there. We won't live there but we will be there." Livia replied looking at Danielle who looked like she was going to throw up, she had avoided De'Mo in everything, now she couldn't run.

       I almost busted out laughing, I wish you could've seen the look on her face, I'm not worried cuz Ima have my Juan with me. Damn, only a couple days to see my family and spend time with my girls till it's off to work, work, work, and more work for me. Oh yea, don't forget my down time with my baby Juan. If only you could live a day like this, you'd neva be bored.