Can't Stop the Shine (26 page)

“Malcolm! These are my parents. Stop talking about them like that.”

“Like what? Like people who have sex? Baby, how do you think you got here?”

“Shut up. Just shut your nasty mouth up. You make me sick,” Kalia shouted. She heard Malcolm saying something but she was screaming so loud she drowned him out.

“Why do you have to be so mean? I hate you. I don't even know how you got a deal, you fake-ass deejay! You can't even be yourself. Don't you ever call me again,” Kalia screamed, slamming the phone on the hook. The image of her mother with Peter melded in her mind with images of her father kissing her mother in happier times. Tears were blinding her steps as she got up from the bed. She tripped over the cord of her keyboards and pulled down half the clothes in her closet, falling on top of her neatly organized shoes. She was lying in her closet, partially obscured by her wardrobe, when her mother flung open her door.

“Kalia, are you okay? What was all that yelling about?”

“I'm just fine,” she said curtly, trying to find her way out of a mound of shirts, pants and hangers.

“Well, you don't look fine,” said Elaine, walking over to her. “Here, let me help you up.”

Freeing herself, Kalia moved out of her mother's reach, glaring up at her. “I said I was fine.”

“Okay,” said Elaine, stepping back, eyeing her daughter. “What was all that shouting I heard up here?”

Kalia was torn. She wanted to tell her mother about breaking up with Malcolm, but she couldn't get the image of her mother and Peter out of her head. “I—I—I don't have a boyfriend anymore.”

“Oh, sweetie,” said Elaine, sitting down on the bed. “I'm so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”

Kalia didn't answer. She really couldn't tell her mother that the straw that broke the camel's back was when Malcolm tried to tell her that her mother's affair was natural. She hated everybody right then—Mari for stealing her best friend, Dewayne for abandoning her when she needed him, her father for neglecting her mother and her mother for cheating on her father. She sat up and looked at her mother, wanting to hurt somebody.

“Why are you cheating on Daddy?'

A look of horror followed quickly by one of guilt flashed across Elaine's face. “What—what are you talking about?” she asked in a high-pitched voice, getting up from the bed.

“I saw you,” said Kalia, getting up, too. Her voice was a low rumble. “I saw you and that Peter,” she said a bit louder.

“What? Saw us what?” Elaine was at the door.

“I saw you kissing him,” spit Kalia. “I saw y'all at the studio tonight.”

“You don't know what you're talking about, Kalia,” said Elaine, rubbing her hand against the door. “You misunderstood. You're confused.”

Kalia started reciting the lines she'd heard her mother and Peter say earlier that evening. “Why didn't I meet you earlier?” she said, taunting her mother with her own words, then she went in for the kill. “Sometimes love doesn't show up when you want it to.”

“Kalia, baby, let me explain,” said Elaine, inching toward her daughter.

“Don't you come near me,” Kalia screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Mari came to the door and looked at her mother and her sister, both crying. “What is going on in here?”

“Tell her, Ma,” Kalia demanded. “Tell her what positions Peter's taught you.”

“What?” said Mari, looking from Kalia to her mother. “Ma, what is she talking about?”

“Mari…Kalia…I—I didn't mean for it to happen,” whimpered Elaine, leaning against the door.

“You didn't mean for what to happen? Something happened between you and Peter?” Mari asked.

Elaine looked at Mari and started to say something, then she looked at Kalia, whose face had hardened.

“Will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on?” Mari shouted.

Elaine wiped her eyes and walked past her younger daughter out of the room. Kalia bent over and started hanging up her clothes methodically.

“Kalia…I know you hear me,” said Mari, walking up behind her sister. “What's going on between Ma and Peter?”

Kalia turned to Mari, her face in a snarl. “Figure it out, genius. It shouldn't be too hard. You're the expert at stealing people's best friends. You probably got that shit straight from Ma. She can't be trusted either.”

Mari watched Kalia turn around and continue hanging up her clothes just as she heard her mother's car screeching out of the driveway. She ran to her room to see her mother speeding off up the street. She wondered if she was going to see Peter.

Sitting on her bed, Mari didn't know what to do. Her mind raced. Her mother was seeing another man. Her sister hated her. All hell had broken loose in her house. She picked up the phone to dial Colby, who didn't answer. She needed someone to talk to, but Dewayne wasn't supposed to be home for another half hour, and she didn't want to try him on his cell and interrupt his meeting with the professional animator he'd spent weeks setting up. She sat on her bed in the dark counting the seconds of the next thirty minutes, trying not to think about her splintering family.

It was freezing as she walked across the lawn to Dewayne's house. She'd almost reached the front steps when she thought she heard his voice come from behind the house.

“I'm so sorry about your mom. I wish there was something I could do. How is Mari taking it? Is she okay?”

Before she even heard her sister's voice, Mari knew Kalia had beaten her over to Dewayne's.

“Mari, Mari, Mari,” she heard her sister say. “Is that all you ever think about? I'm the one who saw them. I'm the one who needs some damn understanding and sympathy. Can't you forget her for just a minute?”

“No, he can't,” Mari shouted, jogging up to the gazebo where Dewayne and Kalia were facing each other, “and he shouldn't.”

Kalia turned to her sister, her breath streaming from her mouth like smoke in the cold. “He was my friend first,” she said, “and I need him now.”

“Well, so do I. He's my man now,” said Mari, coming nose to nose with Kalia.

Dewayne stepped between them. “Look, we all need each other now, so let's just calm down.”

“You stay out of this,” Kalia told Dewayne, shoving him out of the way.

“Yeah, this is between me and my sister,” said Mari, not even looking at Dewayne.

Dewayne couldn't help but crack a smile. “So I've got two women fighting over me, and I don't even have a say?”

Kalia and Mari glared at each other, neither willing to back down.

“I guess we're going to stand out here in the cold until one of you cracks,” Dewayne said. “Correction, y'all are going to stand out here. I'm going inside.”

He walked down the gazebo steps and started toward the house. Turning to look back over his shoulder, he looked at the sisters, who were beginning to shiver, but were still holding their ground.

“My parents always said they wanted a statue back here. I guess in the morning they'll have two frozen Jeffersons,” he joked. Neither sister moved, but Mari's face softened. “They wanted a waterfall, too, so maybe you two could start crying every afternoon around four, then they could have tea parties and stuff back here.”

Kalia smiled, and Mari chuckled. “He is so corny,” she said to her sister, shivering.

“I don't know why you like him,” said Kalia.

“Because she has good taste,” said Dewayne, walking back toward them.

“No, because my sister has good taste,” said Mari, putting her hand on Kalia's shoulder. “She knows how to pick a best friend.”

When they hugged, Mari and Kalia's embrace was just the warmth they needed.

“Aw, ain't that sweet?” said Dewayne. “So, y'all not gon' throw some punches over me?”

“Shut up, Dewayne,” said Kalia over her sister's shoulder.

“No hair pulling, no scratching? I wanted to see a catfight.”

Mari and Kalia looked at each other then at Dewayne and slowly started descending the steps toward their friend.

“Wait, ladies, I meant I wanted you all to fight each other,” he said, trotting backward.

As Mari and Kalia chased Dewayne around his backyard, an unspoken truce materialized.

I hate when I'm right,
Mari thought, stomping her feet to keep warm. She looked around at the rest of the track team, all shivering at the beginning of East Moreland's horse trails, waiting for Coach Little to start them on their warm-up. Everybody's breath was making clouds in the air around them, and no one looked particularly pleased about having to run in thirty-degree weather. No one, that is, but Asha. To the annoyance of Mari and the rest of the team, she was the only chatterbox out there, rambling on about how she'd dressed appropriately for the climate and how she'd once run several miles in Switzerland when the temperature was in the teens. She was getting on everybody's very last nerve. They were all ecstatic when Coach Little started them off.

Mari was just getting into her stride when Asha came up beside her.

“I've got a little secret,” she sang breathily, blowing ghostlike smoke in Mari's direction.

“I don't care,” Mari sang back, quickening her pace. They only had about half a mile to go, and she was determined not to let Asha throw her off. Asha didn't try to keep up with her, but sang her little song again as they were getting dressed in the locker room.

“Okay, what is it?” Mari asked, putting on her sweatpants, “'cause you're not going to leave me alone until you tell me.”

“I've got an admirer who's signed to Fire.” Asha smirked.

Immediately Kalia popped into Mari's mind. She looked at Asha, trying to ascertain if she was telling the truth. Asha raised her eyebrows.

“For real,” she said. “You don't have to believe me. Just listen to Rob RideOut's show today. He's going to give me a shout-out.”

The suspense was killing Mari. “So who is it? And how do you know he likes you?”

“'Cause I just know. You know when a guy digs you. He was trying to kick it to me when I was in the Versace store the other day.”

“Ooh-wee, the Versace store, I'm
so
impressed,” said Mari.

“Don't hate 'cause you're a Greenbriar Mall girl. One day you'll be able to hit the big time.”

Mari wanted so badly to say something smart to Asha, but she was more concerned with finding out who her admirer was, so she bit her tongue. “Well, who is it?” she asked again.

“You know what? I don't think I'm going to tell you,” said Asha, putting her bag on her shoulder and walking toward the door. “You'll find out on Rob RideOut's show.”

Asha dipped out of the locker room. Mari sat there steaming, angry that she'd fallen for Asha's little game. Waiting just inside the gym doors for Kalia to pick her up, she wondered if she should tell her sister about Asha's little secret. Kalia pulled up, and she jogged down the steps and hopped into the car. As soon as she saw her sister's face, she knew that it wasn't the time to tell her that her major competition in the Fire contest might have an edge on her. She had to listen to Rob RideOut's show, which came on at six o'clock.

“What's up?” she said, putting on her seat belt and looking at the clock on the dashboard. It read 5:56.

“I forgot about a paper I was supposed to turn in today in musical theory,” Kalia said, peeling off.

“Whoa. Slow ya roll. I'm trying to make it home in one piece,” said Mari, holding on to the door.

“Sorry.”

“Well, it's only one paper.”

“Yeah, but it counts for twenty percent of our grade. I'm trying to get an extension until next week, but I think my teacher is only going to give me a couple of extra days,” said Kalia.

“That kinda sucks, huh?”

“Especially since I'm not doing so hot in the class.”

“You'll be able to knock it out. I'll read it for you if you need me to,” said Mari, eyeing the clock, which read 5:58.

“I'm sick of having my little sister help me out. I want to be able to do my own work,” said Kalia, banging her hand against the steering wheel.

Mari didn't know what to say. Her mind was really on listening to Hot 103.5. She went back and forth several times before making her decision. Plus, it would give her a good excuse to change the subject.

“Kalia, I heard they were going to be talking about the contest on Rob RideOut's show,” she said, leaning over and punching the button on the car radio to Hot 103.5.

They listened to the intro for Rob RideOut. Several songs later, he broke in with a special in-studio guest, JD.

Kalia sighed and rolled her eyes at Mari after a few minutes had passed. “I thought you said they were going to be talking about the contest?”

“Well, I don't know exactly what time they're going to talk about it. I just heard it was going to be on Rob RideOut's show.”

Kalia rolled her eyes again as they listened to Rob RideOut and JD talk about when his debut album was dropping and how he'd probably go on tour with some other Fire artists in the summer. When they finally started talking about the show, Kalia was pulling into their driveway. They were a captive audience, unable to get out of the car.

“Who is that? What contestant is he talking about?” Kalia whispered urgently.

“Shh,” said Mari, turning up the radio. “I can't hear.”

“That was ridiculous,” said Kalia, turning off the radio when a commercial came on. “They didn't even say who it was.”

Mari followed her sister into the house. “Okay, I have something to tell you,” she said as they walked up the steps.

“What?” Kalia asked, walking into her room.

“I know who he was talking about.”

“So who was it? That blond chick. She's probably the only one shopping at Versace.”

Mari pulled off her coat and sat on Kalia's bed as her sister placed her shoes in her closet. “Well no, it's actually Asha.”

“Ugh,” said Kalia. “It would have to be her. Wait, how do you know?”

“'Cause she was the one who told me about him being on the Rob RideOut's today, and she said she had an admirer at Fire who she saw at the Versace store.”

Kalia sucked her teeth, sitting down at her desk and looking out the window. “Do you think he really likes her? No, do you think he can help her in any way?”

“I don't know, K. I really don't know.” Mari paused. “What I do know is that you can't worry about that, and you don't need to. I've been hearing you practice anyway. You're going to blow her away, and those old stinky judges aren't going to have any choice but to crown you Miss Fire Records.”

Kalia smiled at her sister. Ever since she, Dewayne and Mari had come to an understanding, everything had been great between them.

“Thanks, Mari, for being such a great sister.”

“Oh, please. The only reason you love me is because I'm getting the low on Asha and I'm going to figure out something to do about her, too. She's just too cocky,” said Mari, standing to leave.

“Don't do anything, Mari. I want this to be a fair contest.”

“Umm, hmm,” said Mari devilishly. “I wish I could put a spell on her.”

Kalia laughed at her sister. “Okay, you've been watching too many
Charmed
reruns. You'll mess around and turn yourself into a frog.”

“Ribbet, ribbet,”
said Mari. She hopped across the hall to her room.

 

With only a few weeks left until the final show, Kalia was in full preparation mode. Driving down to Fire, she thought about how hard she'd been working. She practiced for several hours twice daily every day except Sundays when she figured she needed a rest, so she only practiced once. There were fittings for her outfit, sessions with hairstylists and visits to every makeup counter in a fifty-mile radius of their house, all of which had been done with her sister because she couldn't stand being in the company of her mother.

She turned onto the highway, and for some reason Peter flashed in her mind. The thought of his tight and toned body that once turned her on now sickened her. All she could think about was his voice, begging her mother to let him make her happy. Wondering if her father had ever said words like that to her mother, Kalia tried to remember if she'd ever witnessed the type of passion between her parents she'd glimpsed between Peter and her mother. She wished she'd never seen them together. It was affecting everything in her life—her schoolwork, her singing, her playing and how she felt about men. She thought about the days her mind would wander in class or while she was practicing.

What if I'm like Ma—a cheater?
she pondered, swerving slightly to avoid a bump in the road. Even though she knew they weren't happy, she never imagined that one of her parents would do something like have an affair. Another thought entered her mind as she parallel parked in front of Fire. What if her father was cheating, too? Kalia shook her head and made a concerted effort to purge all parental disturbing behavior from her mind.

She walked into the label with that determination on her mind. Sitting in the lobby, she contemplated how there were only three more rehearsals with the live band that accompanied each of the contestants. Luckily, she hadn't had to think too hard about what she was going to sing. She was happy she'd decided to stay in the same vein and go with an Alicia Keys song. At least that was a load off her mind, her parents' drama not withstanding. Every time she met up with one of the contestants at Fire, they all talked about how concerned they were with the song they'd chosen, but she was completely comfortable with her choice.

She was also cool with the order in which she found out the contestants would perform. Instead of singing directly after Asha, there would be several contestants between them, and since she went on seventh, she was closer to the end, which she believed would leave her performance fresher in the minds of the judges.

In terms of the contest, things were going well, she thought as yet another video girl-looking receptionist called her back to the waiting room for her turn to practice with the band. There were some more forms to sign. She wished either of her parents were there so they could read whatever she was about to sign, but she wasn't sure if she could handle the sight of either of them. If her mother was there, they probably wouldn't be talking, and lately she'd been feeling guilty around her father because she knew what was going on with his wife, but he didn't.

Kalia tried to distract herself, flipping through several
Essence
and
Vibe
magazines that were on the table, but for some reason she'd gotten anxious about this rehearsal and wanted Mari to hurry up. She'd promised to show up and support her whenever she had a rehearsal, especially because their mother had been noticeably absent in their lives since they'd confronted her about Peter.

When she heard footsteps in the hallway, she knew it had to be Mari. To her surprise, Asha walked into the waiting room.

“What's up?” she asked Kalia, sliding into a chair and crossing her long legs. Kalia noticed her butterfly toe ring and wanted to ask Asha where she'd gotten it, but her competitive spirit kept her quiet.