August 1995 :
Troy –
Before we knew it, the summer was over. Torii, Ava, and I had all officially been pulled out of school and given private tutors for our upcoming sophomore, junior, and senior years.
Since she'd been out in California with us at the end of her school year, Leann graduated at the end of July after completing a summer course for one final class she'd missed while working to take care of her brother and trying to focus on what we had going for Fly Girl. Realizing she'd have no one, aside from her brother and her friend Jay to watch her walk across the stage; we all took the trip, with Brandy, to Louisiana to see her big day. That was the first time, since meeting, that any of us had seen a real emotional side of Leann.
Usually, she had her wall built up, real defensive. Or, almost always quiet and reserved until she was spoken to. She was tough, rarely showed any type of feeling; but that day she cried, thanked us all for supporting her. We also got to meet her little brother, and it truly hit us all why Fly Girl had become so important to her so quickly. She was doing it all for him and we commended her for that, celebrated and magnified her personal successes because she would have blown it off as if it was nothing. It was major, and then spending time in her hometown had brought us all a lot closer.
As far as things went for Fly Girl; we worked day and night as the weeks passed, getting our looks, styles, sound, and everything in between together for our official debut. Even Chauncey had trouble denying how polished we were as an act, how perfect we gelled together once we finally began to focus, exceeding what was expected of the four of us.
We'd finally gotten our perfect crew together as well. From our tutors, to our hair and clothing stylists and makeup artists, personal trainers, a second bodyguard for whenever Kyrie needed time off. We had our own band, producers we would work with exclusively, a choreographer, vocal coach, and a media trainer that worked with all of Chauncey's acts on and off. We'd all taken time to get to know one another, and they'd all grown especially protective over the four of us.
Brandy let us know that no matter what happened, there would always be an adult around that we could turn to, to voice our concerns or opinions. Most importantly, she'd be there for us whenever we needed; said she'd grown to love us all as the daughters she didn't have. Her sons even called us sisters, and had become some of our first, and most vocal supporters.
The only drastic change, with either group, was the fact that Chauncey had brought in a fifth guy for Xclusive, having been told that something about their group was incomplete. And once we saw their final fit, with their new member Keith, we all agreed that they sounded so much greater with five-part harmonies as opposed to the original four. Not only that, they'd all have the chance to sing leads, and they all had voices out of this world when they weren't goofing off or trying to prove why they belonged in the background.
Things were flowing perfectly, and the official 'reign' of Fly Girl and Xclusive, as Chauncey deemed our first era, had begun.
Much like our brother group, we'd had a couple of impromptu performances for label owners, executives, producers, promoters, and other artists that were well established. Non-stop work; not that any of us were complaining since it'd landed us all the most amazing deal, that newcomers could get, with MCA records. Just the thought of some of who our larger label mates were had us excited, but that signing bonus was what really let us know that the moment was real.
Of course, Brandy kept us in complete control and helped us think rationally about what to do with the money. We were kids, had never even dreamed of seeing that much money, and she refused to let anyone take advantage of that. She most definitely refused to let us mess ourselves up. So, we all opened bank accounts. While Torii and I already had one, started by our parents, our father agreed with Brandy that it might be better to keep the two separate. The money we would earn was just that, ours. And while what our parents had invested into our accounts at home was ours as well, if anything needed to be recouped by the labels, at any point, they'd have no reason to dip into what we had before we even signed the deals. We had our choice, if we felt we couldn't control our impulses to overspend, to control our own accounts, with limitations from our parental figures or guardians, or to take a stipend. I'm not sure what everyone else went with, but knowing food was my only bad habit, I chose to go with the stipend until the checks from sales started rolling in. I personally would never go over what I was given weekly, biweekly, or monthly. The frugal and stingy side of me wouldn't allow it.
Tonight, August 12, 1995 is the night that's supposed to change our lives forever, officially. Not only are we debuting, hoping to boost our first single from number fifteen to number one, we're debuting live at the Apollo!
As I stood off to the side, finishing up the last of my tea, I looked over to my right to see Raymond pacing back and forth while the boys tried their best to calm him down. "What are you trippin' for, Raj?"
"What am I trippin' for? Marliss, you're not the one singing live for our national and televised debut."
Marliss smiled, shaking his head. "But I'm singing lead for the second song. Chill out and relax because you know as soon as you hit the stage, you're killing it." They were wearing all black, with the exception of their shirts and ties. They had on black Doc Martens, or Jodeci Boots as we called them, with caps that held the letter X on them. To say they weren't supposed to dress completely alike either, I actually liked how they looked as a complete unit. It took away, for a few moments, from their varying heights and builds. The girls and I were wearing black stylized riding pants, comfortable enough for us to move around and dance in, with different colored crop tops. We wore Docs to match the color of our shirts, and we all had our hair curled in some form or fashion suitable for our lengths.
"Are we doing the original version, or the remix, I forgot."
"Remix, Raj, remix!"
Marliss shook his head before looking in my direction. I took that as my cue to turn and walk away, but he called out to me before I could. Just as quickly as he'd said my name, he was standing next to me, touching me. I cleared my throat and turned to him after throwing my cup away. "Yes?"
"Please tell Mellow Yellow over here that he'll do fine. You always have some encouraging words for me, how about you hit him with a few."
I nodded, turning to Raymond. "Look, there's two things you can do tonight Raj. You can go out there and bomb, get booed by the toughest crowd known to any performer; or, you can follow the footsteps of our idols, and you can shut that stage down. The choice is yours, but please remember that you don't need to be afraid because you're not up there alone. Your boys aren't going to let you mess up, they're not going to let you fail or crash and burn alone." I looked over to my right briefly. "Alright, he might, but the rest of the fellas won't. You'll be fine, I promise."
Raymond nodded before thanking me and walked off. Marliss playfully nudged me before looking down at me. "So you got jokes now?"
"Of course not. But you do seem like the type to watch your peeps do bad while you go on shining like it's nothing."
He laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, I'd end up messing up too. But um, good luck out there. If either of us are going to climb the charts after tonight, it's definitely going to be y'all."
"Thanks, but have faith in yourselves too. Now get out of my space so I can concentrate."
"Am I distracting you?" I said nothing as I stared into his eyes, gradually moving mine down just as he licked his lips and smiled. "Troy-"
"Yes, you are. Bye."
He chuckled, kissing my cheek before he finally walked away, sliding his hand into his pocket as he did a vocal warmup.
Eventually I noticed that Torii and Ava had joined me after I walked towards the corner of the stage where I could see but couldn't be seen. Keke Shepard had just announced Xclusive and the curtains rose as the audience screamed and applauded. They opened a capella, with one of the best harmonies I'd ever heard. And then, I got mad at Raymond for being so dang crazy. This dude hit a high note like it was nothing before immediately getting the crowd hype as the fellas started dancing behind him.
And when I say they were killing it...
I think they truly got in their element when the first row stood and walked to the stage, screaming and hyping them on.
"Damn, and they wanted to play like they were so scared. I hate them sometimes."
I looked at my sister and nodded. "Right, they wanted us to come out all sweet and gentle, and these five come out the gate straight clowning. I'm glad we said no to singing Strong As Steel first."
"And do y'all hear Greg coming in with the adlibs? Man, between his pairings with Raj or with Tariq, it's insane."
"You'd think they'd been singing together for years. Add Desmond, and now Keith... Chauncey was right to bring him in.
"All that grindin', lawwwd, they got their guaranteed sales."
I laughed but knew that Ava was right. They could sell sex the first time out, we can't, so that's their edge.
I danced and smiled, nodding my head when Brandy walked up and asked if we were ready next. "Girl I won't be gone for long. I swear to ya, wait and see. I will never do you wrong. Just be faithful, Baby, 'til I come back home." They finished before making their exit, immediately running towards us as they tried to catch their breaths.
Raj was the first to speak. "How was it?"
I put my hands on my hips. "Boy, if you ever play again like you can't go out there and rip the stage apart, I will hurt you." He laughed, pulling me into a hug as he thanked me for the encouraging words, literally engulfing me in his tall frame.
"Girls, come on. You're up next after they return from the commercial break. You've got to get in your places."
Raymond let me go and they all wished us luck, letting us know that they'd be watching. Leann, who'd been tucked away in a corner, thinking to herself, followed behind the rest of us as we heard the audience cheering, the cue to let us know that they were returning from the short commercial break.
After we were announced, the curtains rose and we gave our best smiles as women applauded and men in the audience whooped. Immediately I spotted our father and I got excited, so happy that he and Crystal were both able to make it. Torii and I both understood that they'd be super busy now that the twins had arrived in June, but there was no way to hide the joy I felt from seeing them right there a few rows back from the first.
The light intro to our song began, and Leann stepped to her mic, speaking low and seductively. "Don't be afraid. I can see it in your eyes. My love can't wait, so come on."
Our band, smiling as they played behind us began playing fully while we did our dance routine for a few seconds. Removing my mic from my stand, I took one deep breath and pushed my own fears aside, stepping away from the girls as I sang my verse, hoping I didn't sound like a child trying to play grown. "Love is... a burning desire. I can't get enough, you got me calling. I really gotta see you tonight." I smiled, instinctively grabbing the hand of a young guy that reached out to me from the first row. I smiled warmly, but inside it tripped me out at how hype he got behind me touching his hand. Sure, we entered the charts on a good note two weeks ago, but we weren't huge. "'Cause I know what's on your mind; so let's waste no time. Stop thinking, we both know what's going on."
Ava stepped forward and sang the bridge while I stood where she'd been before, putting my mic on the stand as I joined Torii and Leann with the routine and background. "I'd, I'd give the world to be loved by you. I'd give the sun when you're feeling blue. You know I'd do just anything."
She rejoined us and we fell right into perfect harmony with the chorus. "Don't be afraid, my love can't wait. Love me tonight, my love can't wait."
With Torii adding adlibs as we repeated the chorus. "Ohh, you gotta love me. Don't be afraid, I wanna see you." Then she went straight into the second verse, swaying her hips from side to side as she stepped forward and walked across the stage.
Ava, Leann, and I looked at one another, smiling as we danced. We were all doing the same thing; peeping the vibe of the audience as they rocked with us. And while we weren't as high energy as Xclusive, not that it was required, they were feeling it. They were feeling us. During the dance break is when I knew we had it made. The audience screaming, clapping. Older people cheering us on.
I removed my mic from the stand again, walking forward. "Ohh, Baby, I'd give the world to be loved by you. I'd give the sun while you're feeling blue. You know I'd do almost anything!"
I paused, for effect, as they started the chorus again. "Don't be afraid, my love can't wait."
"Boy, I can't wait!"
"Sing that! SING IT!" I smiled, falling back into sync with the routine as Torii finished with the remaining adlibs while we sang the chorus behind her. And when we finished, we politely took our bows as we thanked them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, that was Fly Girl. Fantastic job, Young Ladies." We thanked Steve Harvey before running off the stage and into Chauncey and Brandy's arms.
Chauncey simply gave a quick smirk before returning his attention to the notepad he had on hand. Brandy, however, could hardly contain her excitement. "I cannot begin to explain how proud of you I am! Troy, why we couldn't get that urgency from you in the studio?"
Torii laughed, hugging me. "Because she's scared someone will make her feel bad for singing strongly about desire, love, and lust at fifteen."
"That and I barely know anything about any of those things."
"Forget any naysayers. You girls have gone out and done the impossible. You made it through the Apollo crowd. No, you didn't perform as amateurs, but they've been rough on some establish acts before too. I'm so proud of you, My Girls." Brandy smiled, turning to Ava. "And you, Ms. Ava Leigh, wonderful job. I told you, you can do anything as long as you put your heart and mind into it. You sounded amazing."
She smiled. "Thanks Brandy, that means a lot coming from you."
"You were all amazing. Come on, let's get y'all changed into your dresses for your second performance."
We nodded, following behind her as we headed to the dressing rooms they had designated for us. This was it; dream come true. We just had to sit back and wait to see the final result of our hard work.
Ava –
Finally hitting the button on my lamp, I sighed as I sat up a little and yawned. The phone in my room was literally ringing off the hook and I was wondering if I'd missed a wakeup call. Looking behind me towards the window, it was still dark. Looking towards Torii's bed, I saw that she hadn't even stirred from her sleep. She had her headphones on, blasting what sounded like the Public Enemy tape she was always trying to get me to listen to.
I took a deep breath, picking the phone up. "Hello?"
"Hey Baby."
I cleared my throat. "Sean? Why are you calling so late?" I finally managed to pick my watch up from the nightstand next to my bed, seeing that it was two-thirty in the morning. Not only was I exhausted from performing and the excessive amount of meetings following our debut, I had to be right back up with the girls at five a.m.
"I thought I might not be able to reach you any other time. I miss you so much."
I smiled, sitting all the way up as I rubbed my eyes with my free hand. "I miss you too Sean. But what could we talk about this late at night?"
"Everything and nothing, I was hoping. But, most importantly, I wanted to get my chance to tell you how happy for you I am."
"You are?"
"Yes. I heard you and your friends on the radio, when I was on my way to work. I couldn't control myself; when I recognized your voice, I had to let everybody around me know that was my baby."
I giggled, running my fingers through my hair. "Thank you Sean. You can't begin to understand how much your support means to me. I've made some great friends here, but your support and your love will always mean the most to me. I'm so thankful for you, I hope you know that."
"I know, Baby, and I'm thankful for you as well. I'm sorry for waking you up. Just wanted to tell you those things."
"Thanks again. I promise, I'll call you as soon as I get more than a few minutes to myself. And, I'll be home before you know it."
"Thanksgiving or Christmas?"
I shrugged, for my own benefit. "I don't know which one yet, but it'll be here before we know it. Goodnight Baby."
"Love you."
I blew him a kiss before hanging up.
Just as I laid back down, the phone rang again. This time, I couldn't help but answer with a slight hint of agitation in my voice. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Raj. Is Torii awake?"
"You know she's not awake Raj."
"I know she tells you and Troy to say she's not awake anytime I call."
I cleared my throat, refusing to confirm that statement. "I promise you that she's sleeping, she's got her headphones on and everything and I'm not about to be the one to get told off for waking her up. You know how she is; you've gotten a right hook to the eye before."
He groaned, I guess remembering the incident. Though it truly was an accident, he had to know by now that Torii hated to be woken up out of her sleep, especially if she hadn't been able to get any before finally crashing. "Yeah, you're right. I just wish she'd give me a chance, you know. She thinks I'm playing, but I really like her Ava."
I smiled, shaking my head. "I think she knows it, she's just cautious I guess. I'm sure she'll take you seriously one day, but for now go to bed. We've all gotta get up at five."
"Ha, yeah, you're right about that too. Thanks, and goodnight."
I said goodnight before hanging up and turning on my side.
As soon as I closed my eyes, I was right back up and it seemed like that time of sleep I managed to get flew right by. Thankfully, Brandy didn't come to wake us up until six, stating that one of our first affairs of the day got pushed back. I was so happy.
By seven, however, we were in rehearsals for Soul Train. Though our episode wouldn't air until the upcoming Saturday, they rehearsed and filmed the acts throughout the week.
A good four hours had passed before Chauncey walked in and stopped us. "Sounding a little pitchy this morning, Young Ladies."
I rolled my eyes and took a seat with my legs crossed behind my microphone stand. "Why are you bothering us Chauncey? You said yourself we need all the practice we can get, even agreed to stop interrupting us as we tweak our personal issues."
"Since you asked, Leann, I'm here to deliver some wonderful news."
"Well tell us that instead of rushing in with the intent to make us feel bad. Chop chop!"
Torii and I fell out, laughing at Troy as she stood with her hands on her hips. The smallest of us all, height and weight wise, and she was always the first to stand up to Chauncey and his pettiness. I admired her greatly.
Chauncey just rolled his eyes before pulling out his notebook. "First of all, we had the music videos released this morning, early this morning." He looked at his watch. "It is now eleven a.m., the video was released for the world premiere at seven, and since then Love Can't Wait has become the most requested video on The Box."
"Yes!!"
He held his hand out, asking Troy and I to hold back our celebration. "You've been on heavy rotation on MTV, along with the boys' video for Every Time My Heart Beats." I stifled a scream. "You've been invited to perform on Leno, and..." He stayed silent a little longer than any of us felt necessary. "You've been invited to open at the next Coca-Cola Festival."
"Thank you, God!!"
Chauncey smiled, shaking his head as I jumped up, dancing around before hugging my groupmates.
"We made it y'all! They like us, people like us!"
We all stepped back from one another, doing random dances as we chanted our own names. "Fly Girl! Fly Girl! Fly Girl!"
"Alright, alright, you can get back to rehearsal. Work on your pitch, please. And um, I hope y'all are ready to miss a lot of sleep. If you think hearing yourselves on the radio for the first time was something; if you think Apollo, Soul Train, and this new information is something... just wait. I predict y'all reaching number one, finally, within the next two weeks and once you do, that's it. We're hitting the ground running with the second single, and there will be no room for errors at any point afterwards. Remember what I said; y'all want this, you better work and prove it."
We all looked at one another before nodding, running over to hug Chauncey, just to get on his nerves. "Get off of me, Rats."
"Thank you Chauncey!" He tried his best to push us all away before finally giving in, accepting the hugs and thanks.