Rise Of Stardom

The Aftermath

Dj's reply was full of raw emotion and irritation. "My brother is dead! I don't care about anything else at this point. I don't care about the past; he was my brother, damn it!"
With that, Dj walked off, overwhelmed by the commotion of his feelings.

Back at Taiyon and Shantae's home, Vicky received a call from Dj, his voice quivering as he asked for her immediate attention. She agreed without doubt and hopped into her limo, speeding towards Louisiana.
Dj waited for her in silence, the pressure of the world amongst his shoulders. The loss of his brother was an insufferable burden, one he couldn't shake away.

His mother, Latonya, couldn't come to terms with the fact that her admired son Taiyon was no longer alive. Despite their past disagreements, her grief was deep and genuine. The same applied to Ruby and Lisa, Taiyon's two sisters.

After what felt like forever, Vicky's car had arrived. Dj stepped in the car, and Vicky wearing shades to hide her somberness, sat across from him. The car's interior was full with unsaid agony as it went towards an unsure future.
"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Vicky asked, her voice soft but worried.

"I and my mom, and the girls, wanted to know if we could come to the funeral."

Vicky shook her head considerately. "No reason that y'all couldn't. Where's Ken?"

Dj shrugged, a bit of content in his eyes. "I don't know. He said he had to go out and handle business."

Vicky couldn't help but feel a bit suspicion about Ken's absence, but she didn't question the matter any further at that time. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me, Dj?" she asked.

Dj exhaled heavily, a burden of guilt and remorse laying upon him. "I just feel really bad right now," he admitted. "Considering how me and Taiyon left off. It just messes with me that we never had a chance to reconcile, nor could I ever say goodbye."

"I'm just here to say this," Vicky started, her voice deploring but firm, "You had plenty of time to mend things with Taiyon. Life is too short to just wait around. I'm not blaming you, but I'm helping you see it from my perspective. Why didn't you make amends with him when you had the time?"

Dj paused, contemplating the question. "I guess I was just upset," he confessed. "You know how this family is. They lie, they keep things from me, and it's hard to comprehend it all."

Vicky's reply held a tone of steady insight, "Why didn't you just talk to him about it, Dj? We could both see how Taiyon was being treated. Didn't it raise a red flag to you that was something was off with them and not him? What you can do now is be there for him, pay your tributes at the funeral, and say your goodbyes. It might not be the goodbye you expected, but life doesn't always play fair."

Dj, humbled by Vicky's honesty, could only respond with respect. "I appreciate you, Vicky."

With a sense of entirety, Vicky disclosed the details of the funeral, signaling a fresh start for Dj, where he could obtain closure and honor the memory of his late brother.

On March 23rd, in the mid of Shantae's emotional disorder, Vicky took on the responsibility of making the funeral arrangements, knowing Shantae wasn't in the position to do so. They sat in the kitchen, trying to eat lunch, but Shantae's appetite had lessen, and she couldn't keep anything down.

Vicky approached her as gently as possible, asking, "Have you picked out a suit for him to be buried in?"

"It's on our bed," Shantae responded in a dull tone.

Vicky went to retrieve the suit, but as she was about to, the phone rang. It was Chris, calling about Shantae's role in the show.

"Shantae, that was Chris," Vicky enlightened her. "He said they want you for another season on the show."