Chapter 3:

Serenity:

“Why were you so mean to that man? He obviously likes you! Damn Serenity!” Macki said as we walked into the empty house.

“Why in the hell would Chris Brown, out of all people, like me? I look nothing like Karruche or Rihanna.”

“But you do look like his ex-girlfriend from Virginia .”

I always forget Macki moved here from Tappahannock when we were in 8^th grade. “What are you talking about?”

“You don’t look exactly like her but the girl he dated before he got signed was shaped just like you are. She hand an ass and boobs and he was madly in love with her.”

“That’s not what I meant—“

“Yeah it was, I know you Ni-Ni. Every time a guy shows you a little bit of attention, you push him away. You’ll never experience love that way.”

 “ I do it so I don’t get hurt.”

“Not everyone is out to deliberately hurt you. You’d know that if you gave someone a chance.”

“Macki, it’s Chris…Brown. He probably just wants to hit it and quit it like every other guy.”

“You are such a, —“ a knock at the door interrupted Macki while she was mid sentence. I was glad, I was tired of listening to her talk.

When I looked out of the peep hole, I couldn’t see anything. I figured it was just Ashley being a weirdo as always so I opened it.

“You probably shouldn’t put your phone in your ass pocket ma,” Chris said as he held his phone to his ear and strolled on past me, into the living room.

“What are you talking about?” I asked as I closed the door behind him.

“Check your call log.” I did as I was told and noticed that my last call was from Chris and it pretty much lasted since I left the mall, until two minutes ago.

“Shit, how much did you hear?”

“Uhm, just about everything,” he said as she sat down on the couch, “How you know about my ex in VA Macki?”

“I lived in the Tapp my whole life before I moved here in 8^th grade. We went to the same Church.”

“We? You mean…me and you?”

“Yeah, Tiffany and I sang in the choir together.”

“Oh yeah! Mackenzie! I remember you! No wonder you didn’t freak out when you met me.”

“Small world, anyway…what the hell are you doing here?” I interjected in the middle of their little trip down memory lane.

“I never gave this back to you, so…I followed you here,” he said as he took my platinum card out of his pocket.

“Followed? Such a damn creeper, but thanks,” I said as I went to snatch my card from him but he quickly slipped it back into his pocket.

“Go get dressed. You’ll get this back after we eat dinner? Fuck, I mean lunch I guess. It’s only 2:00 pm. Or I could always just wait here until it’s dinner time.”

“No! That’s not happening. Why can’t you go home and wait until it’s dinner time or something?”

“I told my boys to leave. Only way I’m getting back to the hotel is if you take me.”

“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

He got off of the couch and stepped closer to me, there had to be just an inch of space between us. “Can’t blame a nigga, seemed like the only way to get you to stand still long enough to hear me out.”

I stepped away from him,” We’ll go to lunch but after, I’m dropping your ass off at your hotel.”

“Whatever ma, just go get dressed,” he said as he smiled, licked his lips, then sat down beside Macki at the breakfast bar.

“UGH!” I shouted as I headed down the hall to my room.

“Hurry that ass up girl!: I heard him say once I shut my door. I looked through my closet, trying to find something simple but nice enough to wear for whatever Chris had planned.

………………………………….

C H R I S B R O W N:

“Were you and Tiffany good friends?” I asked Mackenzie as I waited on Serenity. I know a lot of my fans think Rih was my first love but honestly, it was Tiffany. We dated through out middle school and my 9^th grade year of high school until I got signed. I know it’s a little young to be thinking about love at that time but it’s true, I loved that girl more than life itself. I almost declined a record deal so I wouldn’t have to leave her. She wasn’t having it though and talked me into it, if it wasn’t for her…I probably wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now.

“Yeah, she was the only one that was nice to me in the little clique you and the other older kids had going on.”

“We were mean to you?” I asked her.

“Yeah, especially you.” She was probably telling the truth, I bullied the hell out of the little kids at school and church.

“My bad ma, I know I was an idiot back then. I’m all grown up now though. I’ll make it up to you. Go get dressed, you can come out with me and Serenity.”

“It’s fine Chris, that was a long time ago. You can make it up to by not leading my best friend on or hurting her though.”

“I’m not, that isn’t my intention at all ma.”

“What is you intention then?”

“I just need a friend right now.”

“How’s Karruche going to fell about this?”

“Don’t worry about that, Kae ain’t even around anymore.”

“Alright, let’s go and get this over with,” Serenity said as she came back in the living room. Damn, she looks fine. Her long, black and burgundy hair was straight around her shoulders. She wore a v-neck, polo sweater under a jean jacket. Her jeans hugged her ass and thighs perfectly while her high heeled boots made her legs look long and lean. I took my eyes off of her body and noticed the only make up she had on was lip gloss but she looks as if she just stepped out of Vogue magazine.

“You not gone fall and bust yo ass in them heels in all that snow now, are you?” I asked her.

“Nigga, just go to the car while I look for my keys.”

“They right here, I’m driving!” I said as I hugged Mackenzie good bye and raced outside to Serenity’s Lexus, hoping in the driver’s seat.

“I can’t stand you, you know that?” she said as she got in the passenger seat.

I ignored her as I backed out of the driveway. I then turned her sound system up to see what she was listening to last.

(Stop playing mama) Come over here
(You need to go ahead) and throw that number
(This love is crazy) Let’s work something out
(I wanna work something out) Let’s work something out, baby

Well got damn, she went all the way back. This song didn’t even make it on my first album, I put it on the mixtape. I always wonder how everyone has heard of it though because that mixtape didn’t do so well. I looked over at Serenity, she blushed and covered her face with her hand.

“Uh uh, don’t get all shy now shawty!”

“I’m not, who told you to touch my damn system anyway?”

“Seriously though, you downloaded this mixtape? I didn’t think too many people actually listened to this shit, none of the songs made it on the album,” I said as I flipped through the CD tracks.

“Some guy sold it to me a while back, he told me it was Graffiti though.”

“Graffiti your favorite album?”

“Something like that.”

“How come you ain’t buy it in the store then nigga?”

“I did, thank you! I simply bought it to help the man who sold it to me out. He doesn’t have a job and he only survives off of the money he makes selling bootlegs. He needed my 11.95 a little bit more than you did at the moment,” she said as she rolled her eyes and looked out of the window.

“I’m just joking. I respect that though ma. What’s your favorite song off of Graffiti?”

“Mhm….probably Crawl.”

“If I sing it for you, you think you can stop shooting a nigga down and actually try to get to know me and have fun with me? Not as Chris Brown, “the singer” but Christopher, “the regular guy who thinks you’re pretty damn cool,” Can you do that for me?”

“Wait, Crawl isn’t my favorite song out of all your albums.”

“Well, what is it then ma?”

“Don’t Wake Me Up, if you sing that and let me record it…I’ll try.”

“Let you record it? Damn, alright shawty, you can record it.” She smiled and pulled out her iPhone, then focused it on me.

As soon as I plugged my phone up and found the song in my playlist, her face lit up. Once I started to sing, she cuffed her hand over her mouth, like she wanted to either scream or sing to the top of her lungs. I paused the song.

“Aye, you said you was gone try and have fun with me…you want to sing, then sing nigga!” She pressed play and began singing with the song. I was shocked with how good she sounded. I began to sing with her and was impressed with how well our voices blended together.

“Girl, I need to get you in the studio!” I said as the song ended and we pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

“Why didn’t you tell me we were going to Red Robin? I wouldn’t have gotten so dressed up.” She said as I opened her door.

“Relax, this not the only place we going.”

“Where else are we going?”

“Man, stick around long enough, you’ll see,” I told her as I threw my arm around her and walked into the restaurant.