Can you believe Jax called me?” I asked my crew right before we stepped inside the church.
“You told us on Saturday, you told us on Sunday, you told us yesterday. You’ve told us a million times,” Veronique whined.
I couldn’t believe my girl was hatin’ like this.
“Well, I think he’s cute,” India said.
“Thank you.” I grinned and turned to Aaliyah.
“What?” When I didn’t say anything more, Aaliyah said, “You don’t wanna hear what I have to say.”
“No, go on.” Sybil had told us to meet her here in the rec room behind the sanctuary, and we still had ten minutes before she arrived. While we waited, all I wanted to do was talk about Jax.
“Okay,” Aaliyah started, “I think he’s just playing with you.”
“Playing how?”
“He’s a senior. What would he want with you?”
“Thanks a lot.”
“You know what I mean. I’m just sayin’we’re sophomores.”
“You guys might just be sophomores. But I’m a fierce sophomore. Why wouldn’t Jax want me?” I snapped my fingers.
India laughed, but Aaliyah gave me one of those Aaliyah looks—with her eyebrows raised and her face all tight—like she knew more than me.
Aaliyah said, “Well, you’re my girl, so I hope you’re right. I hope he’s not just messing with you.”
Veronique said, “Me, too. Just be careful, my sistah.”
I crossed my arms and poked out my lips. I couldn’t believe what my crew was saying. I mean, the star of the basketball team, the most popular boy in school had called me and they weren’t even impressed. What was wrong with them? It just made me mad the way they were hatin’!
I decided right then that I would never tell them anything else ever again. When Jax and I became boyfriend and girlfriend, they wouldn’t hear it from me. Well, maybe I would tell India, because she wasn’t acting like she was jealous. I would definitely share my good news with her.
Aaliyah said, “Okay, if we’re finished talking about Jax, I think we should get started.”
“How?” I asked, wanting her to hear my attitude. “Sybil’s not here.”
“We can at least talk about the songs so that when she gets here, we’ll be ready.”
All Aaliyah ever thought about was work. If she put that same effort into our friendship, maybe she would’ve had something nice to say about me and Jax. “What’s the rush? We can wait.”
“Look, I don’t have time to sit around. Being part of the Divine Divas is going to be difficult enough with school. I’m just trying to be efficient.”
Efficient? I hated when she talked like she was one of our parents. “You know what, Aaliyah, I’m so tired of you. Maybe you’re right. Maybe you don’t need to be in this group. Maybe you should just quit.”
All of their mouths were hanging wide open, but I didn’t care. On the real, she’d worked my last nerve.
Aaliyah stared at me and then shrugged. “Nothing but a thang for me.” She paused as if she wanted me to stop her.
All I said was, “Whatever, whatever.”
“Okay, then, I’m out.” She grabbed her bag and stomped toward the door.
India and Veronique stared me down, but I already felt bad. I hadn’t believed that Aaliyah would really leave. I ran after her. “Wait, girl. I’m sorry.”
Aaliyah folded her arms and stared like she wanted more.
I sighed. “I was just mad ’cause of what you said about me and Jax.”
“There is no you and Jax,” she said, giving me back attitude.
“I know. But I don’t need you to tell me that.”
“Well, if we don’t tell you, who will?” Aaliyah tried to stay mad, but she was softening right in front of my face. “Okay,” she said and hugged me. “It’s just that I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I know.”
“But if you like Jax, then I’ll love him.”
Just the sound of her voice told me that she wasn’t really feeling what she was saying, but that was cool. I was just glad that she wanted to make peace.
Veronique said, “Remember, Diamond. We’re sistahs. We have to tell each other the truth. All the time. Trust and know.”
“She’s right,” India jumped in. “And just because we’re honest doesn’t mean that our feelings should be hurt.”
The three of us looked at India like she had just landed from another planet. Talking about not getting feelings hurt—India’s feelings were always hurt. She needed to take her own tip.
Veronique said, “So, we’re sistahs all the way? No more dropping out?”
“Who’s dropping out?”
None of us had noticed Sybil when she’d entered through the side entrance.
“No one,” I said as we all strolled to where Sybil stood.
She stared us down. “Uh-huh,” she said. “Why don’t you ladies have a seat?”
I could feel a lecture coming on.
“You know, maybe we should have talked about how difficult this is going to be,” Sybil said. “I think you guys are seeing the glory, but this is gonna take guts. This is gonna take time. This is gonna take commitment. There are going to be days when you’ll wonder why you ever started this. But I’m here for you. I’m in this all the way. So I don’t want to hear anyone talking about dropping out. Is that clear?”
We nodded as if we’d been scolded.
“So do I have your commitment?”
“Yes,” we said together. Then Sybil asked us to agree one at a time—as if she was trying to get a personal commitment from each of us.
“All right,” she said. “Let’s get to work. Tonight, I just want to work out the song. Now, the songs I suggested, I chose because all of them will showcase you ladies as a double threat. I want to show off your singing and your dancing I want the crowd to hear your incredible voices, but at the same time, I want them dancing in the aisles with you. So, what do you think? Which song did you like?”
“‘I Don’t Wanna Go to the Club,’” I said.
“That’s the one I want,” Aaliyah said.
“Me, too,” India and Veronique added.
We were sisters again, all agreeing on the same song without ever discussing it. Too bad I couldn’t get my crew to get with me and Jax the same way. But like Aaliyah always said, ain’t nothing’but a thang. Once Jax and I were together, they would change their minds.
“Now,” Sybil said, “the way I’ve arranged this song, each one of you will have a verse that you will sing solo.”
Oh, this was too good!
Sybil continued, “But with this arrangement, we do need a lead.”
Wow. I’d never thought about a lead singer. I just thought we’d all be singing together. Well, if everyone was honest, I should be the lead. I mean, the Divine Divas wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for me. I believed in our group more than my three girls combined.
But I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to nominate myself, so I sat on my hands and waited for one of my crew to do the right thing.
“Aaliyah should do the lead,” India said.
“Definitely,” Veronique agreed before I could say a word.
When they looked at me, I didn’t have a choice. But before I could say yes, Aaliyah said, “No! I don’t want it.”
“Why not?” India asked. “You’re the best singer.”
“No, I’m not. Vee is. And I told you guys I’m only doing this because you asked. I don’t really want to sing, and I’m not singing the lead. So, it’s either Vee or one of you.”
I was ready to jump in, but before I could, Veronique said, “Okay, I’ll do it.”
They all agreed; I didn’t. But it didn’t seem like it would be a good idea to start a fight over this.
As Sybil handed us the sheet music, I glanced at Aaliyah. Sometimes I couldn’t figure her out. Why wouldn’t she want to be front and center? Especially with her voice. Shoot, they would’ve had to ask me only one time and I would have taken that microphone and sung until my throat hurt.
Sybil pointed out the places where Veronique would be singing alone. I looked at all of her bars and had to force myself to get over it. I wouldn’t be out front the way she was, but I was still going to be a star.
We stood around the keyboard and practiced a little, changing a few parts of Sybil’s arrangement.
As we sang together, the picture of what was going to happen to us came into focus for me. Our lives were really going to change. One of the changes in my life was going to be Jason Xavier. Now that he had opened up the door, I was going to walk right in. I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to take that one phone call to the next level, but if there was anyone who could do that, it would be me. And anyway, once Jax heard about me and the Divine Divas, he would be begging me to be his girlfriend. I was sure of it. It was only a matter of time. Jason Xavier was going to be my man.