Abnormal Lives (28 page)

Paris closed his eyes. “Success is upon me. Blessed is my life; I will not endure pain or strife,” Paris chanted.

In his mind's eye Paris saw himself surrounded by clouds. The clouds dispersed and he stood naked in a circle. He noticed his anatomy and the restriction he felt being encased in a body that was not of his choosing; a body that wasn't compatible with what he lusted for. He wanted to be free from his body, free to be what he wanted to be, free to have the visage of his choice. He let his outward breath free him of his negative thoughts. He then envisioned the body of his dreams. A white light shined down on him. He now stood naked inside a wreath, looking down at his body, admiring his curves. He had a thin waist, full breasts, and shapely hips. All the bushy hair that plagued his body was gone. He danced, celebrating his nakedness. He was filled with happiness and it pulsated throughout his body and brought a smile to his face. A rose fell from the wreath, a gift from Isis. Paris grabbed the rose and put it in his hair. A hand reached into the wreath and Paris grabbed it. He was led out of the wreath and stood on stage at the nightclub where he would compete in the pageant. The club was dim but a bright light showcased him. His eyes glistened as a crown was placed on his head and he was handed a bouquet of flowers and the first-place, five-hundred-dollar cash prize. He basked in his success and pictured a ray coming from
his third eye, carrying his thoughts out into the world where they would manifest. “So shall it be,” Paris said. “So shall it be.”

Paris stood in front of the mirror, admiring his outfit. No one at the pageant would be wearing anything like it. That was good for him; he strived to be different. In that respect, his outfit not only flattered his body, it also complemented his personality. He doubted that any of the competition had the body or the swagger to pull off such an outfit. If they tried to flaunt the way he did wearing a similar outfit, they would look like an ass; foolish and un-confident. So it was to their benefit that his outfit was an original.

Paris couldn't believe how nervous he was before. The thought of him not winning was now absurd. He was psyched after his visualization and ready to take on the world.

Paris smiled. “Damn, Simone, I knew you would hook me up, but you've really outdone yourself this time.”

Simone shrugged. “Yeah, don't mention it.”

“Damn, what's wrong with you?” Paris asked.

“Don't pay her any mind. She has her own issues,” Stefan joked. “Maybe it's moon time; who knows.”

Simone sucked her teeth.
Why is it taking Wayne so long to call me?
She knew the package had been delivered. She began to think that maybe the address she had gotten from her online search was bogus. She hoped no one had signed for the package and viewed the DVD before Wayne did, and had taken it to the tabloids. If that happened, her power over him was nonexistent. She wished that Wayne would call her. She needed to know where she stood in the scheme of things. She needed confirmation that she had the upper hand.

Stefan looked at Paris, who was studying himself in the mirror and playing with his hair. Paris was trying to get some idea about how he would wear his hair for the pageant.

Stefan looked Paris up and down and then nudged Simone so she could observe Paris. “Don't get up in there tomorrow with your outfit and your hair pinned up and act like you don't know us.”

Paris laughed. “I wouldn't do anything like that. I might be one of the finest things down here in Virginia, but I'll never be too fly for y'all bitches.”

Simone sucked her teeth. “That's bullshit. Let this nigga get his hands on a million dollars today or tomorrow. Shit, let him get a half-million dollars; he'll forget all about our asses.”

The smile on Paris's face disappeared and his eyes were full of anger. “Just 'cause you would carry it like that doesn't mean I would.”

Simone sniggered. “Oh, so you gonna break bread and the whole nine?”

“I sure would.”

“Well, we know you wouldn't get far,” Simone said. “You'd give your money away and let other people party it up until you were broke again.”

“And you would take your money and run with it,” Paris said.

“Damn right.”

“People like you never get anywhere.”

“Bullshit,” Simone said. “People like you never get anywhere.”

“Stefan and I have been cool as rocks since day one,” Paris said. “So it doesn't matter. We can be rich together and we can be poor together. Money ain't everything. The people you love are.”

Stefan clapped his hands. “Aw, that was sweet. I feel so special. Are you trying to say you love me?”

“I love both of y'all,” Paris said. “Simone just gets on my fucking nerves.”

Simone jumped out of her seat. “If that's the case, give me my shit back.”

Paris looked at Simone and grinned. “What are you talking about?”

“My outfit, bitch.”

Paris looked Simone up and down and laughed. “Yeah, right.” Paris turned back around to examine himself in the mirror. “If you think you're getting this back, your ass is crazy.”

“I'll rip it off your back.”

“And I'll stomp a hole in your ass.”

Stefan threw up his hands. “Hold up, y'all need to drop this shit now before it gets out of hand.”

Simone gritted her teeth. “Out of hand; it's already out of hand. You've got your friend up in here disrespecting me. You need to handle that.”

“What the fuck you mean, he needs to handle that?” Paris asked. “You act like he's pimping me or some shit.”

“He might as well be,” Simone said. “You're exactly like a little bitch, following him everywhere he goes.”

“Naw, that's your cry-baby ass.” Paris began to whine, attempting to mimic Simone. “Stefan, don't leave me at home by myself, although you have a life of your own. I can't think for myself. If you leave me behind, when you come back, I might have a black eye and an ass load full of STDs. I might even burn the house down.”

Simone looked over at Stefan. “You see this shit,” she said, pounding her fist in her hand. “I'd never let one of my friends come up in here and talk to you like that.”

“You don't have any friends!” Paris shouted.

Simone grabbed a catalog off of the table and threw it at Paris.

Paris looked over at Stefan and pointed to Simone. “Stefan, you better get her ass, for real.”

Stefan lit a cigarette.
Always the same old bullshit,
he thought. Simone and Paris had been going back and forth with each other for a while, making sly comments to one another. Stefan figured he would let them get it out of their systems. They wouldn't hurt each other. They would only talk shit and maybe pass a few licks. Stefan puffed on his cigarette and watched them go at it.

“What the fuck you gonna do if he doesn't?”

“Don't let my appearance fool you,” Paris said. “I might look like a girl but underneath my clothes are a dick and two balls and I fight like it, too; I'll whip your ass.”

“Do it then.”

“Make me.”

Stefan took a deep breath. They were so childish. He didn't know why they took themselves so seriously.

Simone grabbed the cordless phone off of the base. “If you don't shut up, I'm gonna toss this phone upside your big-ass forehead.”

“Then do it, bitch.”

Simone motioned her arm like she was going to throw the phone at Paris, psyching him out. Paris flinched, not knowing whether Simone was actually going to throw the phone at him. The phone rang and Simone paused to look at the caller ID.

Simone ran out of the room, not wanting the phone to stop ringing before she could get somewhere private. “You're lucky the phone rang or you would've been wearing a knot on your forehead to the pageant tomorrow.”

“Naw, you lucky,” Paris said. “If you would've thrown that phone, I would've beaten your ass.” Paris looked over at Stefan. “Come on, Stefan; help me decide how to wear my hair tomorrow.”

“Hello,” Simone answered.

Wayne was irritated by the pleasure that he heard in Simone's voice. “You don't know when to quit, do you?”

“Oh, I guess you liked the package I sent you.”

“Bitch, you don't know who you're playing games with.”

“I'd hold my tongue if I were you,” Simone said. “You don't want your video to make it to the tabloids but, then again, I don't think you're important enough for anyone to give a shit. I mean, your glory days are long gone, but I'm sure it'll ruin what's left of your career.”

“All this 'cause I don't want you?”

“'Cause you don't want me!” Simone exclaimed. “Do you think that's all this is about? You humiliated me and now it's your turn.”

“Damn, I'm sorry. What the fuck do you want from me?”

“Five hundred thousand dollars,” Simone said. “You can start by giving me one hundred fifty thousand tomorrow and the rest within the next two weeks.”

“What? I don't have that type of money,” Wayne said. “I have bills to pay like everyone else.”

“I don't care; that's your problem,” Simone said. “Sell your house, the house you got your parents living in, the house you got your baby mama living in. Put them out on the street or take out a loan. I want my money.”

“Yeah, keep dreaming.”

“Well, I'll tell you this,” Simone said, “If I can't get it from you, I'm sure I can sell the video and make a profit. I'll sell it to the tabloids for a lot less than what I'm asking you for, so you decide.”

“You know, if you weren't such a silly little bitch, we could've had something special,” Wayne said. “I would've given you the world.”

“If you can't come up with five hundred thousand dollars, I doubt you have the world to give.”

“You're in over your head, baby girl,” Wayne warned.

“Fuck what you think; I'll tell you what I know,” Simone said. “I better have the money I asked you for by nine o'clock tomorrow night; end of discussion.”

Simone hung up the phone and went to her room. She took her copy of the DVD from underneath her mattress and smiled. She got a magic marker and wrote jackpot in big letters on the DVD.
Finally, I'm going places
, she thought.

Wayne walked back and forth through his house, shivering.
I can't believe she's doing this to me
, he thought. He was sorry. He wished that he hadn't been so arrogant and demeaning. He wished that he could take back everything that had happened at the hotel that night. God knew his life had been hectic since that night, but what could he do? There was no reasoning with Simone and he couldn't let her ruin him. She had already taken him through enough. He had no choice. It was time to call in a favor.

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