*Wednesday 8th April, 2016, 10:30am*
I sat at the game shop, doing my thing - serving customers - when I saw a familiar face walk in. It was Bryan, walking in like the hit-man of Walmart! I began laughing my head, watching how he was running a hand through his hair and strutting over to the till.
Like, per-lease, b****! This is a game shop full of little kids and teenagers, not a nightclub! 💅🏼
Anyway!
Bryan smiled as he walked over to me. He leaned himself against the counter, his arms resting on the whole thing. I rolled my eyes and sighed, before smiling back at him.
"Hi, how can I help you?" I asked, with a huge, cracking smirk on my face.
"Hey, shawty, I'd like to rent some games-" Bryan started.
"Um, this is not a library, sir." I reminded him, "This is a shop. You can take these video games, pay some dough and never return them."
He playfully smacked my arm, "Nah, I'm just kidding!"
"Look, do you wanna buy some or not?" I questioned him, smacking his arm back.
"Okay, okay! I'm only messing around, B, you gotta realise that." He assured.
"Whatever...I'll show your kiddin' ass around, and you can take your pick of your favourites, okay?" I suggested, talking in a patronising voice.
This boy, right here, always gon' be a big kid. I swear.
"That'll be great...hot-ass." He responded, winking at me.
I stepped out from behind the till and signalled him to follow me, "This way."
"And don't play with me, or you won't get none of these vintage games..." I added, waiting for his response.
"Wait! These games are vintage?!" He shrieked.
"Excuse me, can you keep the noise down?!" My boss then yelled out of nowhere.
"It's okay, Fred! He's just my crazy-child-ass friend!" I yelled back.
"Alright, Bianca, but tell him that this ain't some nightclub in here!"
Exactly what I was thinking! But, he won't stop, sorry!
"So...back to these games..." Bryan interjected, "Are these really vintage?"
I shrugged, "Not all of them but, if you look close enough, you may find one!"
"Really?"
"Yes." I answered, "Now you better stop acting like Mr T and start looking!"
.........
"So, Bryan came to the game shop today?" Mariah asked.
We were lounging in the Moroccan room, while the kids were playing downstairs. The two of us decided to catch-up with each other, since we both had been busy lately.
"Yeah...he kept calling me 'shawty' and 'hot-ass', thinking I'm you-"
"Wait, really?" My sister cut me off. She looked a bit shocked.
"What? People hit on me too!" I insisted, "In fact, once a lesbian came onto me a few months ago."
"NO WAY! Nuh-uh, you lyin', sis!"
"Nah, I'm serious! She looked all butch and had this lusty look in her eyes!"
"What?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Mariah asked.
"Because...I thought you wouldn't believe me..." I said, taking a sip of my tea.
"Well, that's nowhere near how many lesbians have hit on me! You know Da Brat?"
"Hang on...isn't she the rapper you and Dupri hang out with?" I recalled.
"Yes, her! She knows about you as well, like we been friends since 1995."
"Yeah, I know." I said, "So she hit on you once?"
"Well...She wasn't exactly 'hitting on me', but she did ask me out once in 2002."
"Wait, what?! Oh my god! Did you say yes?!"
"Well, she asked me on a date to my favourite Italian restaurant, and they do the BEST pizza, so I had to say 'yes'...so we went and Shawntae was wearing this very smart blue suit, and I was wearing this cute and classy LBD, and we ate dinner. I saw her in a whole different light - like, do you know when you first go on a date with a friend and they just seem...different?"
"What does 'different' mean?"
"Um...well...intriguing...curious, um...just...they have a whole new atmosphere surrounding them-"
"Okay, Shakespeare, I get it!" I teased.
"Stop it!" Mariah whined, "Do you wanna know the rest of the story or not?!"
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Carry on, then!"
"So, once we had this massive pizza...I felt her hold my hand, and there was this weird feeling I had when she did that. She was smiling bigger than a happy meal, and I couldn't help but smiling at her, you know?"
"Girl...Mariah, y'all were so into one another!" I declared.
"Really?"
"Yes! God, I can't believe how gullible you are sometimes, Mimi!" I exclaimed, face-palming myself.
Mariah really is stupid sometimes. I'm the one who has to correct her all the time!
Oh well, I still love her.
"But I'm not into girls, Bianca. Sure, Tae is sweet and everything, but I would never go out with her." Mariah insisted.
"Mmm, sure. That's what you say, even though you were dancing pretty close with that girl at the party last week!"
"Shut up!" She snapped.
"What? It's true!" I argued, "Don't try to deny it, Mariah. You bi!"
"Goodbye, Bianca!" Mariah scowled, getting up.
"Rude! I'm just being real and you ain't thankful for me!"
"You are most of the time, but I don't like girls that way!"
I rolled my eyes again, "Girl, bye!"
"Look, why don't you go smooch off Bryan or something?"
"Now you know we're just friends, Mimi! You're just moody!"
"Whatever, I'm gon' check on the kids."
Mariah left me there. I went up to the mini-bar and made myself a cocktail. I chucked the shot down my throat, before making my way downstairs.
When I got to the kitchen, the twins leapt onto me.
"Aunt B!" They cheered.
"Hey, you rascals! Where's Mommy?" I asked them.
"Oh, she went out." Monroe informed me.
"Um...why?" I questioned. I raised my eyebrow at my little niece and nephew.
They both shrugged and went back to attacking me with kisses and cuddles. This was a daily occurrence for me. I love these two just as much as Mariah and Nick do. He still takes them to his for the weekend. They're doing this 'co-parenting' thing - don't ask, I'm not the one who's been married or divorced twice...
I guess I kinda hit a nerve with my Mimi.
Oh well, I was just telling the truth - Shawntae Harris loves my sister, and I don't mind that.
Then, I began having flashbacks of things she did when she went out alone...
I began to remember when I first thought of helping her...
*Flashback*
- 2001, at the Carey Family household -
"Mariah? Are you okay, dear?" Mom asked her.
Mariah nodded, but I knew she was lying. I knew all about what she did - even how many hours of sleep she'd been getting lately. She not had been getting any at all for the past two weeks. Even then, I knew everything about her, so she could not fool me.
"Stop lying, Mimi. It's not worth it." I told her, crossing my arms.
My sister didn't reply. She didn't even look at me. Mom looked to me, as if she was expecting an explanation. But I just stood frozen, rooted to the floor. She didn't say a word. I didn't say a word. Mom didn't say a word. You could hear a pin-drop or a mouse scuttle across the wooden floors.
I didn't recognise my twin sister anymore. Her face was white like snow, her eyes had lost all their glow and warmth...and her face...she didn't look like me...she looked like a whole different person.
Her eyelids began flickering, and she began to lose balance. Her hand immediately went to her forehead, but it was too late. Before I knew it, my sister was falling backwards.
"Mariah!" Mom yelled.
Both of us went to catch her, but we both missed. She was already on the floor. Pale and lifeless.
My mother got the house phone and called the ambulance. I lifted Mariah, and began to examine her.
Fame had done this to her.
Virgin, Tommy, Allison and the paparazzi - they had destroyed my sister...
*End of flashback*
"Um...Aunt B?" Moroccan nudged me, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Oh, sorry, Rocky. What is it?" I asked him.
"Are you okay, Aunt B?" He questioned me, concern in his dark eyes.
"Yeah, you looked like you were frozen, BeeBee." Monroe added.
"I'm good, you two, I promise." I told them.
"Okay." They nodded.
"When is Mommy coming back?" Roc asked me.
"I'll go call her, okay? Go up to your rooms and play for a bit."
They nodded again, before charging to their rooms. I unlocked my phone and went onto my contacts list. I found Mariah and dialled her number.
She better pick up. Please pick up, sis.
"What do you want, Bianca?" I heard her groan down the line.
"Look, come back, Mariah. The twins are getting worried about you." I said with a firm tone.
"Ugh...Fine, I'll be back in ten okay? But you gotta apologise for earlier." Mariah answered.
"What? No way, your ass is just too sensitive sometimes." I denied, "I am not calling to argue with you. Your kids are worried, and I am worried."
"Seriously, Bianca? You're not that worried-"
"Worried to death, actually." I said truthfully, cutting her off.
"You are like this whenever I go out, sis, it's annoying. I'm fine! I don't need you looking out for me every damn second of my life!" Mariah complained.
"Well, you have just left your two four-year-olds without telling them or me where you were going, Mariah. I am looking out for you because you are my sister, and you wanted me to live with you." I pointed out.
"Oh my god...Lil' sis...is this about what happened like, fifteen years ago?"
I didn't want to admit it, but she was right. Since then, I always got scared when she'd just leave the house without telling me. Since I became her stand-in, I became very protective over her. The only times she actually went out were to either drop the kids off to school or at Nick's, attend meetings, do performances or interviews, and for social events like parties. Bryan and I would go with her, since Bryan was all for that life.
"Bianca? Hello?"
I shook my head as I remembered I was still on the phone.
"Oh...sorry, M..."
"No...I'm sorry for bringing that up." Mariah insisted, "I know how much that upset you."
"Mmm...you're forgiven. So, are you coming back?" I asked.
"I'm on my way now. Just around the corner." Mariah answered, making me feel a deep breath of relief.
"Alright. See you in a sec?"
"Yeah. See ya, Sister B, love you."
"Bye, Sister M, love you too."
I ended the call and put the phone down. Whew!