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When Robyn graduated, Whitney's place of freedom and solace had become the complete opposite. Her desire to go to school had drastically dropped. Of course, she was well aware of their differences in age and grade level but it's a lot different when the reality hits.
Her entire junior year felt like a blur. Her only true friend was now doing adult stuff while Whitney was stuck doing kid stuff.
For a while, she distanced herself from her friend. Well, everyone else, too. Her mother noticed the disconnect. Whitney would hardly say two words to her family, not even her brothers.
If she wasn't locked up in her room or at rehearsal, she was at the park where her and Robyn's friendship began.
After a month and a half of Whitney shutting people out, Robyn finally had enough and snuck in her friend's bedroom window.
Inevitably, instead of Whitney locking herself in her room, she spent that time at Robyn's apartment. It was her new place of freedom and solace.
On the flip side, school was still damn near unbearable for Whitney. As she gained more recognition from modeling and being under Chaka Khan's wing, more and more people tried to befriend the eventual superstar and they wanted to reap the benefits that came with relation.
That's what made Whitney admire Robyn. She didn't want any benefits. She just wanted an authentic friendship. It was priceless.
Her entire junior year, when she was at home and not ignoring her mother, they clashed. From tiny disagreements to full-blown arguments, it was the last straw. Her 18th birthday approached at the end of the summer and she'd finally be able to move out.
"You know you can move in with me? We can split the bills, giving both of us a little extra change for whatever," Robyn suggested. The idea of Whitney moving somewhere alone made Robyn uneasy.
Whitney was the type of person who didn't mind a little, or a lot of, struggle. She'd move into a Motel 8 if she could. As long as she had a place to sleep and bathe, she was fine.
It was in Robyn's best interest to offer her friend a place at her apartment. It was in a safe neighborhood, maintenance was taken care of regularly in a timely manner, and the neighbors weren't so quick to call the police just because they were black.
"You sure? I wouldn't want to be a pest..."
Robyn shook her head in amusement. "Girl, I'm sure. You've been itching to move out and your birthday is in a week and a half. That's more than enough time to get your things moved out."
