Simply Divine's Page

CHAPTER 1 Alyssa, how am I supposed to get my dance on with Uncle Reed and Aunt Phoebe guard-dogging us all night long?" Sighing loudly, I throw my hands up in resignation, acting like a total drama queen. "I change my mind. I'm not going to the Sweethearts' Dance," I say, referring to the dance always held the Saturday before Valentine's Day.

"I can't have your mom and dad watching me like a hawk. Talk about total humiliation. If I wanted a bodyguard, I could call Leo and have him go to the dance with us. At least with him we'd look cool."

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Leo was my dad's best friend and was employed as his bodyguard before Jerome went to prison.

"You really need to chill," Alyssa replies while checking her reflection in the full-length mirror standing in the corner of my bedroom. "My parents aren't just gonna be watching us. They have to keep their eyes on all the students."

"How much do you wanna bet?" I huff. "Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Reed have a vested interest in us. I'm telling you...girl, it's going to be all about us."

Tearing herself from my mirror finally, Alyssa asks, "A what kind of interest?"

She's standing there with this ugly frown on her face. I just love using the new words I learn daily in sentences because it drives my cousins, Alyssa and Chance, crazy and it makes me seem much smarter than they are. "Vested. It means protected or established by law, commitment, tradition, or ownership."

Alyssa shakes her head, her microbraids swinging back and forth. "We have to go to the dance, Divine. Everybody is gonna be there. And we get to go with dates. Girl, we're actually getting to go out with Stephen and Madison. How long have we been waiting for that to happen? It's a miracle."

"Well, I didn't expect your parents to be there with us," I complain, checking myself out in the oval, full-length mirror standing near the window. My new razor-cut, shoulder-length hairstyle is holding up well and looks great. "This sucks big-time. I can see it now...Madison and I start slow-dancing and here comes Uncle Reed measuring to see if we're too close -- no body parts touching. I bet we won't be able to walk outside to get some air without Aunt Phoebe hot on our tails. How can they embarrass us like this?"

"At least they're letting us go to the dance. Divine, you know how my dad feels about stuff like this," Alyssa tells me. "If it weren't for Mama talking him into letting us go, we'd be staying home tonight. So let's just go and have a good time with our boyfriends."

"Madison and I are not together," I quickly correct her. "We're just friends."

Alyssa chuckles. "Yeah, right. You know Madison is your boo."

I break into a grin because she's right. A warm feeling spreads through my body at just the mention of Madison Hartford's name. He has his name all over my heart. "I'm taking my time with him. Like I'm not about to let him think he can just come running back to me whenever he feels like it. That brotha is gonna have to work hard to get me back."

Picking up my comb, I style my flat-ironed hair, then check my makeup. Aunt Phoebe only lets me wear lip gloss and powder foundation. But I'm not tripping because I still look fierce. I have what my mom calls inner beauty. "It's gonna be some hatin' going on tonight when we walk into the dance."

"Girl...wait till Stephen and Madison see us. They're going to lose their minds over how cute we're looking tonight."

I totally agree. My cousin and I really look hot in our dresses. Mom bought them in Los Angeles and sent them two weeks ago. They actually look more sophisticated than some of the dresses she's bought us before -- more grown-up. Even Aunt Phoebe with her no kind of fashion sense managed to find the perfect purse and shoes to match Alyssa's red dress and my white one.

We'd arranged to meet Stephen and Madison at the school. Uncle Reed had suggested they ride with us, but I wasn't having it. It would be too lame to pull up in a car with our dates and my aunt and uncle.

I don't want to be late, so I say to Alyssa, "Hurry up. We need to get going."

Alyssa takes another look in the mirror. "Okay, I'm ready."

We walk out of my bedroom and head up to the front of the house where Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Reed are waiting for us.

For once, my aunt actually listened to me and decided on wearing the red suit with the silver trim. It looks good on her -- Aunt Phoebe can come out of the box when it comes to fashion. I'm trying to work with her, but it's so hard sometimes. Especially since she's six feet tall. I'm a trendsetter and prone to showing off my unique sense of style, while my aunt Phoebe would be buried somewhere under the jail by the fashion police.

At about five-eight, Uncle Reed is a conservative dresser. He just looks like a preacher all the time, and he probably owns more black suits than anyone else in the world. At least he's wearing a red tie tonight. I have a teddy bear that looks just like him, down to the wire-framed glasses.

"You girls ready?" Aunt Phoebe asks, checking us out. "Oh, you both look beautiful."

"Thank you," we reply in unison.

I'm as ready as I can be with my aunt and uncle coming to the dance with us. They are so messing up my style. I admit I got in over my head that one time when I met the psycho over the internet, but this time it's different.

It's just a dance.