Kennedy stood in the mirror putting on mascara, trying not to poke out her eye. She wasn’t experienced in the art of make-up, but thought that tonight instead of only wearing lip gloss, she’d step up her game with some blush, eyeliner and mascara. Kennedy wanted to look extra special, in case her picture was snapped by the paparazzi. She looked at herself in the mirror, and thought that she had come a long way in a matter of weeks. Since meeting Lucas, Kennedy had made adjustments to her hair, and wardrobe. She’d even given up wearing her old beat-up Army jacket every day. If someone had told Kennedy that she would be buying clothes at Barneys a month ago, she probably would’ve laughed in their face. Kennedy was always ragging on Reagan and Madison for overspending, and now she was doing the same thing. It wasn’t exactly the same thing, since she didn’t plan on making a habit out of wasting money every day on designer clothes. She still cared about saving the environment, ending famine, and world peace. But Kennedy had to admit—even if it was only to herself—that she enjoyed wearing pretty clothes, and styling her hair differently.
Maybe I was too harsh on Reagan and Madison, she thought as she looked in the mirror, then thought again, Nah, I wasn’t too hard on them. I may have changed my style a little bit, but I’m nowhere near as selfish and conceited as they are. All they care about is boys and clothes.
After painstakingly coating her lashes, Kennedy dotted her lips with gloss, combed her hair, which she had straightened earlier, and spritzed her neck with some perfume borrowed from her mother. She went back into her room, slipped on the dress and a pair of heels. Kennedy glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. It was seven-o-five. Ten more minutes, and Lucas would be downstairs. She felt like Cinderella awaiting her “Golden Carriage.” Although, she still had a few minutes to kill, Kennedy gathered her clutch purse, and headed downstairs.
Kennedy waited in the foyer, and looked out of the beveled glass door so that she could see when Lucas pulled up. He hadn’t told her what type of car he’d be in; he just said that he’d be ‘styling.’ Styling could mean anything from a stretch Hummer, to a Benz, to a Bentley, so she didn’t know exactly what to expect.
As she was waiting, and watching, her cell phone rang. Kennedy looked at the caller ID, and it was Lucas calling.
“Hey, I’m pulling up in front in two minutes,” he said, when she answered the phone.
“Okay, I’m already downstairs,” she said, and hit the end button.
Kennedy stepped out of her graystone building, locked the door behind her, and when she turned back around, she gasped. Pulling up curbside was a glossy black Mercedes Maybach! Ian’s father had a Maybach. She’d seen it several times in front of Walburton, when the driver picked up Ian and his crew. Of course, Kennedy had never been offered a ride, and never desired to see the inside of the luxury car until now. As she walked toward the car, the driver got out, walked swiftly around to the passenger side, and opened the door for her. Wow, I feel so special, she thought, with a huge smile spreading across her face.
“Hey, there!” Lucas said the minute the door opened.
Kennedy slid into the back seat, and was surprised to see other people in the car; she had assumed that she and Lucas were riding in the car alone. She looked around at the faces, and smiled.
“Kennedy, this is my mother, Mrs. Lucas, and this is my manager, Kevin Myers. Mom, and Kevin, this is Kennedy,” he said, making introductions all around.
“Hi.” Kennedy smiled.
Looking at Kennedy, Peggy said, without skipping a beat, “I know you. You were in Barneys this afternoon.”
“I remember you too!” Kennedy said, recognizing the face of the saleswoman who had helped her earlier that day.
“That dress looks great on you,” Peggy commented.
“Thanks!” Kennedy beamed.
“What a small world, when Lucas said that he was picking up a friend from school, I had no idea that it would be one of my customers,” Peggy told her.
“Yes, it is a small world. You never know who you’re going to meet; that’s why it’s nice to be nice,” Kennedy said, sounding older than her teenage years.
“It’s funny that you say that, because the first time I waited on you, you were anything but nice,” Peggy said, with a straight face.
Kennedy looked at her like she was craxy with an “X.” “Excuse me?”
Peggy stared directly at Kennedy. “You don’t remember the time when you came in with your friend? You guys were buying up the store, and acting like little princesses.”
“No, it wasn’t me. Today was the first time that I’ve ever shopped at Barneys.”
Shaking her head up and down, Peggy contradicted Kennedy, “Yes, it was you alright.”
“Wait a minute; did you say that I was with another girl?”
“Yes, she was tall, with flaming red hair.”
“No, Ma’am, that wasn’t me; it was my sister, Reagan, and her best friend, Madison.”
“See, Ma, Kennedy has a twin sister, and they are identical,” Lucas said, jumping into their conversation.
“How nice it must be to have a twin, I bet you guys are thicker than thieves,” Kevin commented, also joining the conversation.
“No, man, you couldn’t be more wrong. Kennedy and Reagan are total opposites. Reagan and her crew are straight-up snobs. They dissed me on my first day, but now that they know I’m getting ready to blow up, they wanna be friends,” Lucas said.
“Didn’t I tell you things like that were going to happen? And wait until you’re in all the teen magazines, and on television, more and more groupies are going to surface,” Kevin said.
“Don’t worry. I can handle myself. I’ve been taught by the best,” Lucas said, kissing his mom on the cheek.
“That’s right. I raised a smart kid!”
“Not to change the subject, but we’re almost there, and I need to tell you a few things, Lucas,” Kevin interrupted.
“Yeah, man?”
“When we get to the party, there’s going to be press waiting outside. You’ll give interviews to BET, VH1, MTV, and a few magazines. Give brief answers to avoid talking too much. Remember, less is more. You don’t want these reporters twisting your words.”
“Okay. Got it.”
“And, ladies, while Lucas is on the red carpet giving interviews, I want you to go inside straight to the VIP area,” Kevin said, now turning his attention to Peggy and Kennedy.
“How will we know where the VIP area is located?” Peggy asked.
“Because your names are on the list, and there will be a guard at the front door checking names. Once you’re cleared, a hostess will escort you to VIP.”
“Oh, okay. Now my friend Norelle is coming, and so is Lucas’s friend Devin. Will they also be on the list?” Peggy asked.
“Of course; all of Lucas’s people have been cleared.”
“Excellent. Oh, I’m so excited! This will be my first time walking down a red carpet!” Peggy exclaimed.
“Mine, too,” Kennedy chimed in.
“Your first, but not your last. Peggy, your son is going places,” Kevin beamed.
No sooner had Kevin given them the briefing than the car was pulling up in front of the SoHo Grand hotel where the party was taking place.
“Wow, look at all those reporters,” Kennedy said, peering out of the window at the waiting press.
“Everybody wants to get the scoop on this rising star! Are we ready?” Kevin asked.
They all nodded their heads, and said, “Yes.”
“Okay, ladies, you go first, and Lucas and I will follow shortly,” Kevin instructed.
The driver came around and opened the door for them, and Peggy and Kennedy got out. Since they were ‘nobodies’ in the eyes of the press, no one stopped them as they made their way to the door.
“Come on, Lucas,” Kevin said, getting out of the back seat.
The moment the reporters saw Lucas emerge from the car, flashbulbs started popping, and they began yelling his name. “Lucas, over here…This way, Lucas…Lucas Williams, how ’bout an interview?!”
Lucas stopped and beamed a two-hundred-watt smile, as his picture was being taken. He was pumped with adrenaline, and being on the red carpet felt surreal! He’d seen some of his idols do interviews on television, and now it was his turn to shine.
Kevin nudged his arm, indicating that the photo-op with that particular photographer was over. He then led Lucas over to a waiting reporter.
“Lucas, I listened to your CD, and it’s the bomb. Every song is hot.”
“Thanks.” Lucas smiled.
“Do you have any plans to collaborate with Jay-Z, Dr. Dre or Jermaine Dupri?”
“No, not right now,” Lucas said, short and sweet like Kevin had told him.
“What about doing a remix on your new single?”
“No remixes yet.”
“Are you working on your next album?”
“No, not yet.”
“Sorry, but we need to make the rounds,” Kevin interrupted.
“Good luck with your career,” the reporter said.
“Thanks, man,” Lucas responded.
Lucas did a few more interviews, before he and Kevin began to make their way inside. As he was walking toward the entrance, he heard a reporter yelling out someone else’s name.
“Madison Reynolds, over here!”
Lucas swung around, and sure enough it was the redhead from school striking a pose on the red carpet. What the hell is she doing here? he thought, and then disappeared inside.