Jarell

      It was about two weeks later when I met Manuello for a mid afternoon drink. We got together from time to time to discuss business and to make sure that the wire transfers had made it where it was supposed to go. We met at Nobu's bar and nursed our drinks as we got down to business.

      "So how has the shops been going?" he asked at he sipped on the imported beer he'd ordered.

      "Very well. Just last month I made a six figure profit," I told him and he smiled.

      "That's what I'm talking about," Manuello replied with a smile before cocking his head to the side. "I've been hearing some things."

      "Like what?" I asked confused and ready to know if I was going to have to put a bullet through someone in my camp.

      "Like you spending time with my daughter," he replied seriously not taking his eyes off me.

      "I don't know where you got that particular information from but me and your daughter haven't been spending any time, exclusively, with each other," I replied.

      "So you two are just messing around?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

      "No," I replied as he twisted my words. "We're not seeing each other at all."

      He looked at me and nodded before placing a crisp hundred dollar bill on the table and stood, smoothing out his Hugo Boss suit. Manuello turned to me and said, "I know my daughter and she likes to go against my word so I'm going to tell you this man to man. I don't want you with my daughter and I won't say it's not anything personal because clearly it is. Your lifestyle is a bit too crazy for my daughter," he started not revealing anything to anyone listening, "but should you happen to start seeing her you better make damn sure she's who you want because whatever you do to her, I'm going to do to you. Do you hear me?"

      "Loud and clear Manuello," I told him.

      He nodded before slipping his left hand into his pant pocket and leaving the establishment. I couldn't believe what he'd just told me but he didn't even have to worry because I wasn't taking it there with Emmanuelle. Money was my chick and she was extremely jealous.

Emmanuelle

      I finished the last matrix reduction problem Angela had assigned before handing her my test paper and cutting off my TI-84 Plus calculator. Using the calculator to solve the problem didn't really work, not because I couldn't find the answer but because she wanted to see the written process on the paper. It did help to make sure that I had the right answer in the end though. I'd been working for the last five hours on world history, physics, accounting, and pre-calculus. The fact that I was done for the day gave me an elated feeling. It also brought out the fact that I was starving. After seeing Angela and Charles (my tutors) out I jogged upstairs and slipped my feet into a pair of converse's and left the house. Now I wasn't really looking presentable, what with my gray cropped velour Juicy Couture pants and Aerie tank top that refused to cover the straps of my heather gray bra. Yes, I was looking a mess but I didn't care. The fried chicken salad I'd ordered from Applebee’s was calling my name and I'd be damned if I primped just to get my food brought to my car.

"I just don't understand why you're doing this," I complained to my father once he'd come home and changed out of his three piece suit.

      "We've discussed this," he snapped.

      "I want to be able to go to prom and have a real graduation. Why are you denying me that?" I complained. "Even the president's kids have been allowed to go to real schools so why can't I? I'm sure they have more dangerous people after them than would ever be after me."

      "Emmanuelle..."

      "Can't we do a trial basis?" I asked. "I'll even settle for an average school."

      "Trial basis?" he asked.

      "Yes. You can have security there too and if anything dangerous occurs I'll go back to being home schooled and won't raise a problem," I told him with a puppy dog look.

      "Okay," he replied.

      "Really?" I asked with excited.

      "Yes. I'll make a call to the principal of Palm Crest Academy and see how quickly we can get you in," he stated.

      "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I replied and I jumped on him and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug.

Natalie

      "So you're really coming to Palm Crest?" I asked Emmanuelle as the two of us wandered through Saks.

      "Yup," she replied with a smile as she fingered through a stack of Rock and Republic jeans.

      "Then we should go out and celebrate," I replied. "What do you think about heading to Club 9-1-1?"

      "Oh I'm all for that," she replied with a smile before asking me when we should meet at the club.

      "Maybe around midnight?" I offered.

      She glanced down at her watch, it was already after seven, before turning her attention to me and saying, "Then I'm going to pay for my things and head home. I have some primping I want to do."

      "That's five hours away Elle," I reminded her.

      "I know but I have to get my hair stylist to stop by the house along with my manicurist," she rattled off.

      "You have people on hand like that?" I asked curiously.

      "My daddy spoils me," she replied simply before nodding to the attendant who'd been helping her and heading over to the nearest register.

Omari

      I was in Club 9-1-1 with the crew watching as Chante tried her best to get at Jarell. She'd dressed herself in this black tube dress and silver high heels and all but threw herself at Jarell who wasn't trying to hear it. The girl just didn't get that Rell wasn't feeling her and Sylvia was standing there egging it on. You'd think Chante would know that desperate wasn't sexy. Before I had a chance to allow my eyes to roam, I saw Natalie walk over to the bar amidst a group of girls. She hadn't seen me yet but I definitely took in her black and white swirl patterned mini dress and high heeled crystal studded sandals. A brunette Latina I don't ever remember seeing her with was in a well tailored brown dress that stopped a few inches past the knee with a pair of slides. Among the girls was the infamous Emmanuelle Suarez. She was dressed simply in a sequined gray/silver dress whose sheer material stopped mid thigh while the gray silk material beneath it stopped a little higher than that. The deep v-neck of the top tastefully clutched her breasts and showed a nice amount of cleavage while silver wedged heels graced her feet. Her hair was twisted up and elegantly pinned in a chignon while diamond chandelier earrings hung from her ears. An amazing diamond drop necklace graced her neck and she definitely caught some attention.

      "Yo J," I called catching his and Chante's attention.

      "What?" he asked.

      "Look who Natalie brought with her," I replied cocking my head towards their direction and his expression closed off when he saw Emmanuelle. Something was definitely going on there. "Why don't you come with me to say hi?"

      "I'm good," Jarell replied just as Emmanuelle turned in our direction. She'd been laughing at something that was said but when she caught sight of Jarell the smile slipped from her lips and she gave him a raised eyebrow.

      "Is that a challenge?" I asked Jarell in reference to Emmanuelle's arched eyebrow. "And better yet, are you backing down?"

Emmanuelle

      I watched Omari and Jarell converse before turning my attention back to my girls. Jarell was still being a bitch and I decided not to let his attitude ruin my night. It was, after all, a celebration. Before I could grab my Hypnotiq with Cattier chaser a cute guy slid beside me and placed a Benjamin on the counter to pay for my drink before speaking to me.

      Before even looking at his face I took in his nails. They were clean and trimmed signaling a man who took pride in his appearance. I knew that if his hands and nails were on point then at least he'd be well groomed and every lady knows that a well groomed man goes far.

      "Thank you," I said with a smile as I looked up into a pair of warm brown eyes.

      He nodded his head and ordered himself a Coke and Hennessy before offering me his hand, "Darius."

      "Emmanuelle," I replied as I switched my drink from my right hand to the left and shook his hand with my right.

      Before we could get any farther than that Omari and a determined looking Jarell walked over. Omari nodded at me, completely ignoring Darius before heading over to Natalie. Jarell didn't even bother to give the girls I'd come with attention before stepping between Darius and me.

      "Excuse you," I stated pointing out how rude he was while Darius looked angry.

      Oddly enough he didn't say anything to Jarell about his rudeness and I knew then that anything that might have developed between Darius and I had no chance now. I didn't fuck with punks. Now I'm not saying he had to start anything but pointing out the fact that Jarell just stepped in between us while we were talking isn't too much to ask. Hell, it's expected.

      "We need to talk," he stated simply.

      "I was already speaking with someone," I pointed out.

      "Who?" he asked as if he didn't know Darius was standing there.

      "Darius," I pointed out even though I wouldn't be doing much with Darius other than thanking him again and walking off. "The guy behind you."

      Jarell turned around and looked Darius up and down before turning back to me. "Come on." He grabbed my hand led me away from the bar and towards the VIP section. Is it wrong to say that I liked the forcefulness in him?

      "What do you want?" I asked him.

      "Why are you here. How did you get in here?" he asked.

      "I came here to have a good time and, like everyone else, I walked through the front door," I answered smartly.

      "You know good and well what I meant," he snapped.

      "What do you want from me Jarell?" I asked him.

      He looked at me and shook his head before heading to the exit. I couldn't help but smile. He wanted me and he didn't know how to handle that. I planned on wearing him down though because I wanted him and I didn't go through the last seventeen years of my life getting everything I wanted just to stop now.

Chante

      "Who the fuck was that bitch?" I asked Sylvia as I watched Jarell lead some unknown chick through the crowd.

      "You remember that party Dru took me to a couple of weeks ago?" Sylvia asked me.

      "Yeah, some function," I replied.

      "Well she was there," Sylvia retorted.

      "Is that right?" I asked, not really intending for her to answer.

      I'd been after Jarell for years and he wouldn't give me the fucking time of day but he was already showing interest for some new bitch? What did she have that I didn't have? Better yet, did she know about me? The woman who had concise plans of becoming Mrs. Jarell Houston.

Jarell

      "I told you I wouldn't wait forever," Emmanuelle told me over the music as she backed away from me.

      "So what are you saying?" I asked her not knowing why her statement angered me so much.

      "I'm saying that you need to figure out what you want before you no longer have me as an option," she said before walking out of the door and joining her friends.

      I watched her disappear in the crowd before heading back down stairs to find my own crew. I wasn't feeling this whole club thing from jump but my encounter with Emmanuelle had left much to be desired. So much so that I was ready to collect some money that was owed to me and head home. Before I could even make it to De'Mario who, for the first in a while, was hanging out Chante grabbed my hand and pulled me to the side.

      "What the fuck was that?" she snapped.

      "Excuse you?" I asked her fighting every urge I had to back hand her for coming out of pocket. This bitch had been getting on my nerves all night and she needed to be set straight.

      "Tell me you didn't realize that I've been trying to get at you for the last few years," she demanded.

      "Tell me you didn't realize I wasn't interested," I threw back.

      She stopped her ranting and a hurt look formed on her face and I almost felt badly for saying what I said. Almost being the operative word here. I bypassed her and headed over to De to let him know I was out before leaving the club.

Sylvia

      "You alright girl?" I asked Chante after having seen her altercation with Jarell.

      "I can't believe him," Chante said with a sniffle and I felt really bad.

      I'd been humoring Chante's obsession with Jarell for a while now because she was really interested in him and I was never one to tell my friend she couldn't get him. She wasn't his type, that much was obvious but who was I to not be supportive? What type of friend would I have been to tell her that she was a little too ghetto and had done too much gold digging in her time to get Jarell to take her seriously? I thought I was doing the right thing but I probably could have saved her a lot of heartache if I was honest from the beginning.

      "Don't worry about it girl," I said with a smile as I handed her my drink. "I don't know what you saw in his mean ass anyway."

      Chante didn't reply. She just took the drink to the head before grabbing the first guy that past her and heading to the dance floor. I knew this was her pain management, I just hoped she wouldn't do something that she'd regret later.