"Days Like This"
Chapter 3
(Danielle POV - 4 Days Later)
These people are honestly trying to drive me to drink! Everything I do they seem to make sure De'Mario is less than 5 feet behind, like we just finished rehearsing for today and he just had to watch us the whole time! I mean how many times can you see a person do the same moves over and over for 5 hours?
Yea 5 hours for rehearsing, 5 hours for us and 5 for them, we get up at 8:30 to start and we finish at 2:00 (we actually rehearse for 5 and a half hours but we stop for lunch) they start at 2:00 and finish at 7. Long hours, then we get a break, for about 2 or three hours that's reserved for interviews and photo shoots, then at 4 or 5 we have vocal practice for 2 hours, and then we either eat or take some down time. The boys on the other hand get up on Photo shoots and interviews, then vocal practice, then rehearsal. But unfortunately Livia told me the month before the tour we have to change the schedule and take Photo shoots and interviews together. That means a month until my sanity disappears completely.
I know my big mouth friends have been running their mouths about De'Mario and I, well let me give you the truth. I've known De'Mario since Kindergarten, it initially started out as a love-hate relationship, he used to pull my hair and trip me whenever he could.
Then as we got older we became friends, we talked more, smiled more, shared more, became more. He was adorable and awkward but too popular for his own liking, I was just Danielle everyone knew me and I knew everybody it didn't necessarily mean I liked them all. We got together during Freshman year during Algebra, he wasn't original at all the little letter with the 2 boxes check yes or no. But that's not the point is now I have no idea how to control all my feelings when he's around, things happened in our relationship that ruined it but things also happened that made me want to be with him always. I'll never really understand it all.
I'm out here in the shade, sitting under a huge tree, the breeze feels so good on my sore muscles. Akilah is supposed to be out here with me writing but Omari has been her companion lately. And frankly I'm glad, Aki's different from all of us she can't deal with the drama that most of us will walk right through, she's so sweet she don't need to even come in contact with grimy men. I think Omari's good for her, well she's good for him, but he'll bring a little spice in her life.
Juan and Kris are having some 'one-sided' problems lately, she's been trippin over something since the day of the press conference. Achana is so close to the end of the rope with Xavier -- I smell rope burns, Monica is trying her best to hide that nonexistent secret.
"Hey." A voice says out of nowhere, I must've been so deep in thought that I didn't hear...De'Mario.
As soon I lay eyes on him my throat gets dry and I can't speak, I struggle with the simple words, after a moment throwing them out, "Hi."
He smiles at me, putting his hands in pockets looking at the tree like it's making faces at him, "So..."
I wasn't about to strain my neck for him so I did the ONLY thing I could think of, "Sit down."
De'Mario looks at me in surprise, I know that wasn't expected but hey I can be nice every once in a while. Right? He sat down trying to be close to me but not CLOSE to me, "It's a nice day."
"Yea." Was all I could gather up in my mind, strange as it sounds I feel uncomfortable this close to him, there used to be a time I would feel cold this far from him.
"It's been a long time." He replied whispered, laying his head back on the tree biting on his lip, which I gather is a new habit.
"Yea." I noticed this was a pattern, but I couldn't say anything else, my brain was going on overload and everything was being rewired...the wrong way.
De'Mario looked at me with that smirk I remember so well, "Is that all you can say to me?"
I laughed quietly, touching his arm lightly, I missed that, "No."
"You're doin good for yourself D." He replied looking at me with those eyes, those eyes never held anything back, never.
A little smile cracked and I know my adoration glowed right through me, "Thanks De'Mo, you're doing even better for yourself."
De'Mario looked at me a moment or so, his eyes were trying to see something or figure something out before he grabbed my hand, "It's gone."
"Huh?" I had no earthly idea what he was referring to, whatever it is he sure looks like he misses it.
"That scar." He replied looking straight at my forehead, now I see what he was talking about. In the third grade we were playing on the monkey bars and he accidentally bumped into me, sending me flying on to the ground thankfully enough I landed on my arm breaking it and I only scratched my forehead. But it left a scar, of course, for some reason he always felt guilty about that.
I laughed and rubbed the area for a minute taking off the make-up from the photo shoot, "It's still there, I call it the miracle of make-up."
He laughed, still not looking away, "So are you at peace with everything?"
That comment stopped all traces of happiness that were showing up, he didn't have to say that, he didn't have to bring all that back to mind. My face fell and I was tempted to move but I just moved away from him, I don't know yet. I just don't know, he wasn't man enough, and I'm not woman enough to forget.
(Crystal POV )
I don't care what Achana says Juan only wants me for what he can get, there's no love there, there's barely any CARE. I can't believe I'm sitting here waiting on him to get off the phone with his boys, this is unbelievable, I said wanted to talk and he picks up the phone and calls them! I been trying my best but this ain't working!
So I do the only thing my rational head is throwing at me, I yank the phone from him and push off, and his head turns toward me he's looking at me like 'WTF'. "Crystal! What was that ish? Why you trippin?"
"Why am I trippin? Me? No, Juan why are you trippin? I said I wanted to talk!" I yelled throwing his phone on the floor hoping it didn't break, honestly I don't know why I'm so mad I just am.
"Crystal calm the fuck down, boo ain't nothin serious enough that you gots ta go crazy bout!" He replied trying to sound calm while he stood up rising his hands like the men who got caught smokin weed behind the jail.
"Ain't serious? So what you sayin? We aren't SERIOUS? Then fine Juan you can really get to steppin!" I yelled getting off the bed like I didn't give 2 shits if he lived or died.
"Crystal what is up boo? I didn't say WE weren't SERIOUS, I said ain't nothin that serious. Meaning what ever has you flippin." He said walking over to my side of the room, by the look on his face he was really confused by my sudden change of mood.
Even though I was completely enjoying his little confused face I couldn't stop my mouth, "Juan just leave!"
Even though he knew it may not be a good decision he still knelt down in front of me, "I'm not leaving."
"Juan quit! You don't care about anything but gettin some!" I yelled knowing I was being a little too loud but hell I was mad, I guess.
His eyes widen and I knew I said the wrong thing, I'm really enjoying seeing his reactions, "Crystal! Stop that shit! You know I care about you, I could go the next 50 years without getting some and I'd still be right here...with you."
My heart felt so light after that but I still had to keep up my front, "Why Juan? Why?"
He looked at me so strangely I thought I had a zit or something on my face, then he smiled a little, and whispered, "Because Crys, I love you, that's why."
If I was white I swear I'd be in tears, I knew he meant it, you could see it in his eyes. And I had to kiss him, his lips never felt so soft, his tongue never tasted so good, and I just had to whisper against his lips, "I love you too."
Kyjuan smiled as he sat beside me wrapping his arms around me, "Then come on boo, tell Ky-Ky what's wrong."
I laughed quietly at that little name he gave himself, "I don't know...I guess I was just...Juan I wanted to talk for once."
He held me a little tighter, kissed me on the cheek, then replied, "We do talk a lot Crys, sure we've been hittin it a little more lately but we do talk."
I couldn't say anything, I knew he was right but I couldn't erase all the doubt in my mind, "Juan I know, I'm just worried about us."
"Don't be boo, don't be, whatever it is we'll be all right." He whispered as I laid my head on his chest, I loved him but something pulled at me and I have no idea what.
I don't want to lose him but these doubts just fill my head most of the day making it hard for me to do anything. I messed up rehearsal earlier with all my mistakes, he just consumes me most of the time and that scares the hell out of me.
(Akilah POV)
I'm laughing more than I ever have in my whole life, my smile is so much more common, and I enjoy living. And guess you could blame that on Omari, he's so much more than a pretty face, he's a true joy to have around. I don't know why but I just gravitate toward him, right now we're
sitting right out side of the rehearsal studio throwing rocks at the porch lights.
"Ha, you missed Ki Ki!" He yelled as I barely missed the top of the light, first time missing since we sat down.
"Well, it's one in a million, unlike you." I smiled as looked for the perfect rock not caring that my hair thick with sweat, that my skin was tinted red from all the dancing I just did, and that the muscle in my thigh was tense.
I always feel so comfortable around Omari, I don't know why, I just do, instead of throwing his rock at the light fixture he threw it at me, "It's not my fault that my arm's not warmed up!"
"Warmed up? Ha! You just can't throw!" I laughed before looking over at him like the face he was making made me have to laugh some more.
Out of nowhere he just jumped up and started tickling me, I think he's the only person who rememberer's I'm ticklish, I was squirming and moving so rapidly that I hit my hip in the brick edge, "Ow!"
He stopped and grabbed me by the other hip, while looking into my eyes, and softly touching the sore hip, "You, OK?"
"Fine...it just hurt a little." I whispered not moving my eyes, he was close to me, and I didn't care. I could feel the heat from his body move to mine, taking over my body until I almost grabbed on to him.
"Are you sure?" Omari asked again pulling me a little closer than I already was, his grip on my hip was so gentle I barely felt it, his stare so loving that my hip stopped hurting.
Everything was crowding into my head, and it wasn't making any sense. Omari and I are friends, friends don't hold each other like that, friends don't look at each other like that, and before I knew it I had pulled away from him, "Yea I'm cool."
"You look shook up...are you sure you cool?" He asked one more time his fingers finding their way to my arm this time and all I could do was wish he couldn't feel the goose-bumps that lined my arm.
I shut my eyes a moment trying to get my thoughts together, "I'm cool, I'm cool, I'm promise O."
"Aiight," Omari replied looking me over a couple more times before giving it up, "hey, I'm hungry."
"And? What's so different bout that? Your ALWAYS hungry." I replied smiling at the face he threw me as tried to throw those awkward seconds behind me.
"Let's go get something to eat Ki Ki, I'm a growing boy!" He whined pulling on my arm, I wasn't hungry but I knew that wouldn't stop him, he hated eating alone.
"With 7 damn stomachs too." I mumbled as I followed him to the nice sized kitchen in the huge country home we were sharing. It's strange we get to live good with preparing for tour and during/after the tour we go back to odd ass hours and horrible meals. On watch me live this up, days like this come slow and steady like honey, days like this send you into a sweet slumber on lonely winter nights. Days like this are one in a million.
*Chapter 4
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