• A Blackbird's Serenade •

"Rumor Has It"

Omniscient

A game of cards was in motion between the wardrobe and makeup stylists. They were in another city now, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, just arriving, after leaving New York that morning.

Mickey, Jimmy, Journee, and Tiana were to join in a bit, for they all planned to meet in Angela and Viv's hotel room to unwind tonight. But with an opportunity before her as thoughts circulated, being that the two other women weren't yet in the room, Angela decided to speak up.

"Hey Viv..." her expression was contemplating as she plucked a card from her hand to deal.

"Yeah?"

"What you think about Journee 'nd Tiana?..."

Chuckling with a crinkle in her brow, Vivianne shrugged. "What you mean? They good people."

"Yeah, but don't you think they awfully close?" She eyed the woman across from her, seeming cool.

"I mean yeah, but they also known each other the longest. I heard they was roommates before comin on the road."

The woman's brows rose. "Roommates, huh?"

"Yeah...what's it to you?" Viv shot a glance over her hand of cards. Angela simply shrugged.

"Nothin, I just never really seen nothin like it, such close friends... They just always together, it seem like Journee got some sorta soft spot for her. She ain't like that with us."

"I mean, I think they been through some stuff together Ang, most folks bound to become close after shit like that. But I think they lucky to have each other though. That kinda love and friendship is hard to come by."

At that, the makeup artist raised a subtle brow. "Is it really friendship, though?"

Glancing up as she laid a card to the table, Viv cracked a confused smile with laughter. "What the hell you gettin at Ang??"

Shrugging another shoulder, Angela crossed her legs. "I'm just thinkin they look at each other with a little too much love... Jounree gets sick back in New York 'nd who's the first person she's clingin to? Damn Tiana-" she suppressed an eye roll. "And the way Tiana was lookin, she ain't look like just no concerned friend, Viv. That's all I'm sayin..."

Only, that wasn't all she was saying.

Angela had left out the fact that she went to the women's hotel room that night after the show. She told herself it was to check on Journee, see if she needed anything. But then she heard something, just before knocking, that made her press her ear to the door. At first she could only hear the sound of the television playing, but then there was a snippet of a moan, leaving Angela in complete disbelief.

She stayed for a few moments, thinking she surely misheard. But then she heard another that couldn't possibly be mistaken. Mouth nearly dropping to the floor, her eyes had widened.

At first she thought maybe either Journee or Tiana had a secret lover, but she replayed the scene over and over in her mind, after scurrying off. She hadn't heard the grunts of any man like she should have. It was then that she figured the women's lovers had to be each other...

Even then, she didn't want to believe such a thing. She couldn't fathom them committing such a heinous act. Such an unthinkable crime... It was ludicrous.

So, she intended to do something about it herself.

"Girl, you trippin," Viv said after a moment. "Leave them folks to they business-"